Golf Central

Some clichés become clichés because they contain more than a soupcon of truth and James Michael Furyk underlines that with a vengeance. We also commemorate a man called Xenophon, a woman called Florence and Bob Carolgees, along with Spit the Dog. Okay, they weren’t necessarily the funniest double act since Sodom and Gomorrah but you have to admire someone who can build a career out of a dog puppet that spits at people.

The man who continues to give hope to unorthodox swingers of a golf club everywhere – Jim Furyk – is 38 today, an event that should be celebrated for all sorts of reasons. He is, by all accounts, a happily married man, doting father and one of the least flashy, unshowiest stars of the game. But we love him because of that remarkable swing – which admittedly we can only watch in small measures, lest it infect itself into our psyche. In an age of smooth, classically swinging clones, Jim does it for the rest of us by letting his swing follow its own unique path. How he gets the clubhead back to the ball so consistently we have no idea, but we’re mighty glad he does.

Is it really 18 years since Labour leader John Smith died at the age of 55, opening us all up to the horrors of Blair and Brown? What we remember most vividly is the flood of tributes that poured in from all sides, demonstrating how liked Smith was, by political allies and enemies alike. Why did we never get any sense of that while he was still alive?

Beverly Hanson is quite possibly the only multiple Major winner of whom you have never heard. On this day in 1957 she won the delightfully named Smokey Golf Open, one of 17 career wins, three of which were Majors – she was also the leading money winner of the LPGA Tour in 1958, in an era where the competition was formidable. And for people like us, who delight in unearthing little known nuggets of information, Beverly was an accomplished bassoon player who performed with several civic orchestras.

On a sadder note (see what we did there, following orchestras and bassoonists with ‘note’ – oh, never mind), this day in 1994 saw the death of Xenophon Balaskas, a South African cricketer who played in nine tests. As long admirers of the wonderfully named golfer Kermit Zarley, we take childish pleasure in seeking out the most exotically named sports stars there have ever been and Xenophon has to make it into any such list.

If Xenophon had been from the former soviet state of Georgia we would say Gilotcav dabadebis dges! But as he’s not we’ll merely wish Happy Birthday to:
Andrew Coltart, who, in addition to being Lee Westwood’s brother-in-law, is 38 and has a lot more fans than he might think, Bob Carolgees, Tiswas stalwart, who is 60 (Spit the Dog is 35). It would also have been redoubtable nurse Florence Nightingale's 188th birthday, had she not left his mortal coil in 1910. Incidentally, this means that May 12 is now International Nurses’ Day, so if you know an international nurse, give him or her a hug.