Golf Central

On this day in 1918, the US Golf Association did one of its many about-faces and declared the national golfing hero, Francis Ouimet, an amateur again, much to Ouimet's eternal relief. The 1916 decision to strip Ouimet of his amateur status was one of the USGA's first and all-time bits of nasty dealing: Ouimet, after all, was credited with boosting golf's popularity in America after his stunning 1913 victory over British professionals Harry Vardon and Ted Ray at the US Open.

And in 1916, the hard-working Ouimet opened a sporting goods store in Boston, selling tennis rackets and baseballs and such, and the boffins at the USGA declared him a professional. Now, this was a big deal at the time ...

Back in those days, far from today when golf professionals are treated like royalty, back in those days golf pros were treated ... well, kind of like dirt. They weren't allowed into most clubhouses at private courses where they competed, and when they teed off in a tournament, they were announced by their common names: "Now on the first tee, Joe Bloggs" ... whereas their amateur adversaries were addressed as "Mr Joe Bloggs."

Taking the rank of sergeant in the US Army as the nation entered the First World War helped Ouimet's cause. Although Ouimet didn't go overseas to the war, his public profile benefited - after all, if he was willing to serve his country, he must be a gentleman, la de da - and the USGA saw fit to use this as a good reason to brush the question of his status under the rug. So, with World War I almost over, the USGA restored Ouimet's amateur status, which he cherishered for the rest of his life.

It was also on this day, in 1924, that the first Winter Olympics were held, thrilling the public at Chamonix in the French Alps. The first Winter Games had only six sports and 12 events, but spectators were amazed by the bobsled and the ski-jumping. Since then, they've added loads of other sports to the Winter Games, including lots of which you can't do without listening to an I-Pod or smoking dope; however, not much else has changed. Norway won a boatload of medals at Chamonix (17 to lead all nations) as they usually do at these things.

That said, it's a happy 44th birthday to Billy Andrade, four-time winner on the PGA Tour, and the semi-inspiration behind our own golf equipment robot, Billy Android.

And it's gilotcav dabadebis dges!, as they say in Tbilisi, to Eduard Shevardnadze (80), the former president of Georgia; to Corazon Aquino (75), the former president of the Philippines; to Tim Montgomery (33), the former "world's fastest man" but now just another disgraced juiced-up ex-sprinter; and to Jason Roberts (30), former England-qualified striker but now playing his football for Blackburn Rovers and Grenada.

It's also a birthday of sorts today for Alicia Keys ... who is quite famous, but to be quite honest, we can't really pinpoint why. We'd best have Wikipedia take over here because her entry on the people's encyclopedia was obviously compiled by someone with a bit of an interest in Alicia Keys, because she has a hell of a CV for such a pretty face. Her manager, perhaps? ... Hmmn ... And we quote:

"Alicia Keys (born Alicia J. Augello-Cook on January 25, 1980 or 1981) is an American R&B, soul, and neo-soul singer, songwriter, pianist, record producer, actress, music video director, philanthropist, and author who has sold over forty-one million albums and singles worldwide as of 2007, and has won numerous awards, including nine Grammy Awards, eleven Billboard Music Awards, and three American Music Awards."

But happy 27th ... orrrr 28th birthday anyway, whatever it is, Alicia ...

No sir, General George Pickett wasn't a neo-soul singer, he was a man's man and a soldier, one who led his Confederate brigade into murderous of cannon-shot and gunfire at the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg in the US Civil War only to be defeated, during one of history's most gallant battlefield charges ("Pickett's Charge", btw). And it would have been his birthday today too, had Pickett not learned that, while you might survive the charge, you can't beat the odds forever in 1875.

'Til tomorrow ...