This April/May AGW newsletter commences on a treble sad note.
Firstly, with the loss of the current AGW President, Jock MacVicar but now wishing to thank all those who contributed to the enormous outpouring following news of Jock’s passing earlier this month.
There is some 10 pages of tributes, emails, photographs and the like on the AGW website and in typing this newsletter there has been nearly 940,000 impressions (visits) to the tweet the AGW posted with news of Jock’s passing.
As our Chairman Martin Dempster pointed out for someone like Jock who struggled to embrace social media, he would be looking down slightly red-faced knowing just how popular he was.
Actually, it would have been Jock’s 84th birthday today (April 23rd – St. George’s Day) while his funeral will take place next Wednesday at 1.30pm at his beloved Dunaverty on the southern end of the Kintyre peninsula in western Scotland.
Given the continuing restrictions in Scotland only a limited number will be able to be present for the funeral and with the AGW to be represented by Martin Dempster, Nick Rodger, Jim Black, Steve Scott and along with AGW good friend, Stewart MacDougall.
Stewart, and like Nick, had been a very close friend to Jock and also helped look after his dwelling though sandwiched between the initial shock of Jock’s fall and his passing was the 50th wedding anniversary of Stewart and his wife, Marion. The AGW arranged for one of famed hampers to be sent to them and with Stewart and Marion very happy and expressing their gratitude to the AGW.
And with Stewart helping to arrange Jock’s many personal items post his passing, and given he had no family, a number of golf related awards were found and it is intended to present them to the Dunaverty Golf Club should they wish to place them on display, and with the request it be mentioned it was his friends at the AGW who arranged the collection for such presentation.
As well, the AGW Chairman wishes to advise that once the Covid-19 restrictions are fully lifted arrangements can be made for a proper AGW send off to Jock.
Those members wishing to visit the tributes pages on the AGW website please click on: https://www.agwgolf.org/jock-macvicar-agw-member-1965-2021-members-golf-clubs-players-friends-pay-tribute/
MARTIN JOHNSON
It is a continuing sad news also in learning of the passing of AGW good friend Martin Johnson.
Martin, who passed on 13th March, was a tremendous writer and had a wit that would leave you in tears of laughter reading his stories.
When he wrote about golf, it was not always about who was leading. Monty was a favourite subject.
Martin worked for the Daily Telegraph between 1995 and 2008, and subsequently for The Sunday Times.
He covered a lot of sports but his passion was cricket. In covering the England cricket tour of Australia in 1986-7, following a string of poor performances in the run-up to the first Test, he famously wrote that there were only three things wrong with the English team: “They can’t bat, they can’t bowl and they can’t field.”
When England went on to comfortably win the Test series, he ended his piece summarising the tour with the pithy: “Right quote, wrong team”.
I have put together tributes to Martin and they also appear on the AGWs website. Please click on: https://www.agwgolf.org/martin-johnson-remembered-by-agw-1949-2021/
RODNEY ‘MUCKER’ WOOLER
The Association also has lost another dear friend with the passing of the much-liked Rodney ‘Mucker’ Wooler on the 13th March, and the same day as Martin Johnson.
‘Mucker’, as he was very affectionately known, was aged just 60 and he caddied on the European Tour.
‘Mucker’ caddied for a number of players including David Feherty, Ken Brown Malcolm MacKenzie (Who he caddied in winning the 2002 French Open), Graeme Storm and Gary Orr.
He was a good friend to so many AGW members and he would come to the various media centres on the Tour asking if he could use a phone, and in those days before mobile phones.
Most times it was to place a bet, as Mucker loved his horse racing as evident by the photograph above in attending Cheltenham. If you were smart enough, you’d ask ‘Mucker’ who was he betting on and you’d place a bet yourself.
Phil ‘Wobbly’ Morbey, his long-time good friend and fellow caddy, has led the tributes while the AGW’s Alistair Tait has paid tribute on his website while there have been many twitter tributes from player’s he caddies.
There is also a wonderful photograph tribute tweet from caddies John Fulcher and Gareth Lord.
I have also added all the tributes, including Wobbly’s and Alistair’s links, to the AGW website so please click on: https://www.agwgolf.org/rodney-mucker-wooler-legendary-caddy-passes-away/
WALKER CUP – Seminole GC – 8th to 10th May, 2021
The USGA advise media attendance is very restricted along with only a limited number of spectators allowed into the host course at Seminole GC in Florida.
There will a basic ‘virtual’ media centre in operation though that AGW members can access via – https://mediacenter.usga.org/walker-cup-match
The link will offer transcripts, pairing details, hole locations and statistics along with daily photographs.
The USGA intends to also share links to live post-match interviews with the streaming to be carried out via Cisco Webex as was the practice at last year’s US Open.
US OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP – TORREY PINES – JUNE 17th to 21st
The USGA advises on-site media credentials for this year’s US Open at Torrey Pines will again be extremely limited & including a minimal number of places reserved for international media.
Those media who attend will not have to stay at a designated hotel, so you are free to make your own hotel arrangements.
And for those media not attending, there will be the same virtual media hub as was in place at last year’s US Open.
Media outlets can register for accreditation here – 2021 U.S. Open Virtual Media Hub Application
AGW ANNUAL DINNER
It would be around this time of year the AGW would begin the process of arranging the AGWs annual dinner.
However, all I can advise members at present is that we have been in discussion with the R & A and await advice. It may very well depend on the number of people legally allowed into the hospitality tents at Royal St. George’s.
However, I can advise if a dinner does go ahead, it will not be an AGW annual dinner with a normal 230-250 guest list, and it could be only those AGW members who are afforded accreditation to The Open and our award winners which could mean say a 50 to 70 attendance.
So, all I can do is keep members advised.
BETH ANN NICHOLS
The AGW has formally expressed its congratulations to Beth Ann Nichols not only on her appointment as the new Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA) President but also becoming the first women President since our sister body was founded in 1946.
Beth Ann, as many who know her, works for Golf Week and she was a Vice-President under Ron Green Jnr.
The AGW has long enjoyed a strong relationship with the GWAA and with a number of members of the GWAA also members of the AGW.
Also, in congratulating Beth the AGW formally thanked Ron for his tremendous work and with Beth ensuring both bodies will continue to work close together to improve the working environment of the golf writers.
AGW GOLF – UPDATE FROM PETER DIXON, AGW GOLF CAPTAIN
With a cautious return to normality, we are looking forward to an improved schedule of events over the coming months.
As we were only able to play for the Ron Moseley Memorial Trophy and the inaugural Renton Laidlaw Quaich in 2020, we will include those results in a joint 2020/2021 points table to find the AGW Golfer of the Year, with the best four scores counting.
All being well, the final event will take place at Royal Liverpool in October – when we will also be playing for the Golf Writers’ Championship Fred Pignon Trophy (current holder, Derek Lawrenson).
Our first outing will be at Dunbarnie Links in June (details to follow), when we will compete for the Renton Laidlaw Quaich, which was won convincingly by Dave Edwards at Kingsbarns Links last year. Dave’s 33 points brought him victory by four points over Gordon Bannerman, his nearest challenger.
We are also hoping to return to Royal Mid-Surrey to play for the Ron Moseley Memorial Trophy in the week of the BMW PGA Championship in September. The current trophy holder is Iain Carter, whose 30 points bettered Bill Elliott by three. Can he repeat the feat? Only time will tell.
With the R&A media day cancelled at Royal St George’s this year, we are now going to play for the R&A Salver in the week of the Open. Royal Cinque Ports have kindly offered us tee times throughout the week, so we will be taking individual scores from any members who register their intent with me or Bernie before teeing off. Tee times will be between 6am to 6.50am before and during The Open, and the possibly of late afternoon tee times earlier in the week ahead of the start of The Open.
We are also hoping to play for the Michael Williams Hogget at Walton Heath, an event that was cancelled at the last minute in 2020, at a date yet to be determined.
ETIQUS – 2020/21 AGW GOLFER OF THE YEAR Standings
33pts: Dave Edwards
30: Iain Carter
29: Gordon Bannerman
27: Bill Elliott
26: Brian McLauchlin, Adrian Milledge
24: David Facey, Martin Vousden, Euan McLean
23: Martin Dempster, Gordon Simpson
22: Andy Farrell
21: Graham Otway, Jeremy Chapman
20: Peter Dixon
GENERAL INTEREST MATTERS [BM1]
AGW member James Nursey advises of a possible news item for golfing magazines and websites with his beloved Edgbaston GC in Birmingham announcing the unusual link up with next year’s Commonwealth Games as New Zealand are to base their HQ at the club.
All the details are below in a press release with pictures and contact details for the director of golf at the club.
James suggests if may make for an interesting case study of a club using unorthodox means to boost revenues in the pandemic for example!
He also says he is happy to help any fellow AGW member is assisting with introductions etc. His contact number is (UK) 07837708773 and email address: email hidden; JavaScript is required
The press release is also attached to the email.
CHANGE OF CONTACT DETAILS (Please note in your AGW handbook)
Elspeth Burnside has a new address: Flat 1, 23 Gayfield Place Lane, Edinburgh.
EH1 3NZ.
Dave Edwards has a new email address: email hidden; JavaScript is required
Hennies Detlef also has a new email address: email hidden; JavaScript is required
Alison Root’s new email address is: email hidden; JavaScript is required
Agathe Seron has a new address: La Blanchardiere, 49520 Le Tremblay, France. Mobile +33 612 419 439
Paul Trow also has moved: 8 Vine Lodge, 13 Hutton Grove, London N12 8DW. No landline number but mobile number is the same – 07973 862747.
Jan Kees Van der Velden is now with ‘Young Field Golf’ in Holland.
And ….
This photograph below turned-up in Jock’s house that our Chairman has shared with the few in the photograph.
It was taken after Sam Torrance holed the 1985 Ryder Cup winning putt.
How many AGW colleagues can you identify in the photograph?
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