Golf Central

Today is the day that in 1988 yet another title slipped away from the man who would become known, unfairly, as one of golf’s biggest chokers. This time, it was Curtis Strange who dealt Greg Norman another killer blow, birdying the third extra hole at the Houston Open to record a hat-trick of victories in the event. For Norman, meanwhile, the ignominy of another play-off defeat would live on for another 20 years, often accompanied by pictures of him looking a little gormless in a helmet.

 Today is a busy day in history, so eyes down, look in and off we go. In 1707 The Act of the Union joined the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain, beginning nearly 300 more years of hostility between the two nations. In 1840, meanwhile, the first adhesive postage stamp, the Penny Black, was issued in the UK. A little over 150 years later, a dumpier, less attractive version, the Penny Smith, would also be released. Ninety years later, the dwarf planet Pluto is finally named, beating off a strong challenge from the bid from Goofy while in 1940 the Olympic Games in Tokyo are cancelled because of World War II. This, of course, is also May Day, which a public holiday celebrated in many countries across the world. Not in the Czech Republic though, Instead, they celebrate National Love Day, wherein couple flock to the memorial of the poet Karel Hynek Macha in Prague and kiss, presumably before arguing about whose turn it is to put the rubbish out and storming off.

It’s Gersch Budker! as they say in Russia to Australian blond bombshell Stuart Appleby (37); another blonde Joanna Lumley (62); Hong Kong film director John Woo (62); celebrity chef (and champion eater) Anthony Worrall Thompson (57) and Arsenal FC tinker Alexander Hleb (27).