Muirfield, July 1980. Great watching Tom Watson win in such impressive style. He had such superb up n down swing with such beautiful rhythm. We arrived in our VW camper van and were able to stay in "Colin's Campsite" alongside the wall bounding the 9th.
In those days you were still allowed to use a "borrowed" beer crate or a step ladder to ensure a better view. When we got home afterwards one of our club members told me off. His TV viewing had been distracted over the closing holes as I'd appear in the background of every teeshot just moments before Tom teed-off!
Muirfield, July 1987. Seemed a new generation competing compared to seven years earlier. Faldo, Seve, Woosie, Lyle, Langer had shifted supremacy over to Europe.
Working for "Golf Illustrated" magazine by then, so no beer crate needed as press accreditation ensured a view from inside the ropes. Superb week except for the weather. Great to chat to Ealing amateur Ricky Willison after he holed a great putt late on the Friday evening to qualify for the final two days.
Ricky had somehow been left off the list when it came to assigning lockers at the start of the week. When he was finally given a space it was in the Champions’ LocKer Room so he found himself alongside Nicklaus and Player....
On the mag the grand plan was to fly direct to Cornwall to finalise our Open issue after the end of play ....until the weather got worse.
Our light aircraft never left Biggin Hill so we had instead to get a commercial flight from Edinburgh to Heathrow and then drive through the night down to St Ives. Before we left the Press Tent the editor asked me to book the car-hire so I made sure we got the fastest, biggest, most comfortable car available...
Muirfield, July 1992. Faldo in his pomp. Followed him over the last round and never seen a finer finish. His long irons over the closing holes to beat John Cook by a single shot were glorious. Such nerve under pressure.
Mum & Dad were there with me and Mum really thrilled to congratulate Nick Faldo after his win. He signed an autograph and Mum recalls how his hands were still shaking an hour after his victory. Incredible when he had seemed to be so in-control until after he'd holed that final putt.
Superb stuff!
Nic Brook
Memory added on June 30, 2013
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