26 ISSUE 367 TODAYSGOLFER.CO.UK
Andrew
Cotter
First
Te e
One event captures the true drama of tournament golf... Q School
Part of the BBC commentary team, Andrew Cotter grew up tackling Ayrshire’s links and plays off 3. Follow him on Twitter (@MrAndrewCotter)
’m not going to lie to you – I don’t much care for
November. It has very little going for it. Bright autumn
colours have faded, days are just about as short as they
can be and the countryside seems to be made entirely of mud. It
is the unwanted child of the calendar family. It’s possibly why the
Americans invented Thanksgiving – we’re told it originates in
thanks for a bountiful harvest. In reality, it’s more likely undying
gratitude that this godforsaken month is just about over.
One thing I am certainly thankful for at this time of year is that
I was never that good at golf.
Now don’t get me wrong – I could
play a little bit and hit enough decent
shots now and again. And there was
a time when I would have given
anything to be better at the game.
I would have loved to have been a
plus-handicap golfer. To have
swaggered around the junior or
amateur circuit, feared and admired
by all as the big man on campus.
But I’m glad now that I wasn’t.
Because if I had been better – if I
had been very, very good – I might
have believed that I could make it as
a player. And that way madness lies.
You see, for one particular group of
golfers, November is the month that
really matters. It is the month of
dreams and the month when they are
either realised or shattered.
This is the group of golfers who ARE very, very good and who
travel to the south of Spain carrying clubs and hopes. They are
those who have made to the final stages of The European Tour’s
Qualifying School.
It is, perhaps, the most fascinating golf tournament of the year.
In fact it is a shame that it’s not broadcast live each year because
this is where true drama and pathos can be found. Here, if we dig
a little deeper, we find fascinating back-stories.
There are some who have seen it all and who once had it all –
but poor form, arriving out of nowhere and for no apparent reason,
has seen them lose their card. Then there are those more energetic
and enthusiastic youngsters who believe the golfing world might
one day be theirs. They have no doubt that they are on their way to
the top. And one or two of them might even be right.
Real drama comes not in a multi-millionaire winning another
million. The battle for big trophies and great titles certainly has
its attraction and can be found elsewhere at this time of year.
Instead it comes in somebody who is playing for their
livelihood – and perhaps for that of their caddy. They are playing
for all those who have shown support and backing, both moral
and financial over the years. It must be a pressure unlike any
other in golf.
And it can swing one way or another on the finest of margins
- a putt here or there. That can be the difference between
travelling the world on Tour, or instead returning to the more
mundane duties of a professional – giving lessons or dealing
with members trying on waterproof
jackets, knowing that they will
shortly go and buy it online.
“Hmmmm, feels good... Yes,
DEFINITELY put it aside. Let me just
take a photo of the label which
shows exactly which model it is”.
When we see the very best golfers
in the world, we are full of admiration- for McIlroy’s driving, Mickelson’s
flair or Spieth’s sheer scoring ability.
But there is something about the
grafters that demands more respect.
They might not be the names that
you know too well. These are not the
select few of golf’s glitterati – the big
beasts who command appearance
fees and do not worry themselves too
much with simply making a living.
There is just something more human, more “real” about the
players going through Q School. About their struggle to get there,
or their determination to hang on.
When we play, if we hit a wild slice or miss a three-foot putt we
can console ourselves with the mantra “It’s just a game”. Golf is
about the walk, it’s about meeting friends, it’s about hitting the
odd good shot now and again. Of course, we get frustrated –
sometimes it spills over into cold fury, a solid beating of the golf
bag and then some tears – but after a while we can calm down
and realise that it doesn’t really matter.
So spare a thought for those for whom it actually DOES matter
this month. For them, golf is no longer a game and is not
something to be enjoyed. It is work – and I’m very glad that I
don’t have to do it.
So that is why I wish them all good luck and quietly give
thanks that I was never good enough at golf. Never good enough
for the dreams of November.
- for McIlroy’s driving, Mickelson’s
I
‘There is something more
human, more ‘real’, about
the players at Q School’