Golf Central

On this day in History in 1870 Harry Vardon, Britain’s greatest ever golfer, was born in Jersey. He was Open champion six times and took the US Open, in addition to finishing runner-up twice, the second occasion when he was 50 years old. Not only that, but he looked damned fine in a Norfolk jacket.

Bethpage State Park’s Black Course in Farmingdale New York opened for play on this day in 1935. Designed by AW Tillinghast, it was known to the cognoscenti of the game but did not have a wider reputation – perhaps because it was a true public course that anyone could play if they stumped up the green fees. Then David B Fey, senior executive director of the USGA decided to take the US Open there in 2002. Tiger won, natch, and was the only man to break par. A little known gem finally got the recognition it deserved.

American golfer Sally Little was doubly blessed on this day. In 1976 she won the LPGA Ladies Masters at Moss Creek and then six years later, on the same date, she took the LPGA United Virginia Bank Golf Classic.

Meanwhile, in the real world, Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as the first black president of South Africa on this day in 1944. Deification after his death will surely follow.

If you were Swahili you would say Hongera! or Heri ya Siku kuu but we’ll content ourselves with the words ‘Happy Birthday’ to Alan Bennett, the Greatest Living Englishman (74); Glenda Jackson, who we used to watch naked on the big screen (72); piano playing man Billy Joel (59); Neil ‘Razor’ Ruddock, who didn’t just bite yer ankles but took your leg off at the knee (40) and finally, the formerly-delectable Candice Bergen (62).