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Stephen
Ames
Par
for the course
Let
me begin this week’s article by saying congratulations
to George Bovell III and Candice Scott for having won the
first-ever FCB “Sportsman” and “Sportswoman”
of the year awards.
There is no doubt that these two athletes made us all proud
by their performances in 2004 — Bovell through his sterling
achievements in the swimming pool, culminating in his bronze
medal-winning performance at the Olympic Games and Scott with
her equally outstanding efforts at the same forum.
Congratulations are also due to all the other athletes in
their various sports who were nominated by their respective
associations.
At a time when the nation’s youth are experiencing troubled
times, careful note should be taken of the tremendous contributions
made by these exemplars who achieved whatever they did —
not by robbing and stealing and killing one another, but by
dint of very hard work and a commitment to succeed.
I was also extremely happy to see that the Sports Foundation
has recognised the work of Lystra Lewis by naming a new award
for sportsmanship after her.There are very few administrators
in this country, or perhaps anywhere in the region, who can
be compared with Lystra for the excellence of her work and
her insistence on the highest standards at all times. Lystra
has always been a shining example of what a true leader should
be and this country would do well to continue to draw on her
expertise for as long as it is available.
Today it is my intention to ask some questions which many
other persons have been asking without necessarily getting
any satisfactory answers.
What criteria is really used to select the “Sportsman”
and “Sportswoman” of the year?
Do participants in minor sports have a realistic chance of
ever winning one of these awards?
And let me indicate that in terms of T&T and how sport
is assessed in this country by the media and others, golf
is undoubtedly one of the minor sports.
The question I want to pose today is: Why Bovell and not Stephen
Ames?
Let me make it clear that this is not an attempt to detract
from Bovell’s achievements in any way.
But let us look at Ames’ performances in 2004, playing
on the United States PGA Tour, the highest-level of golf anywhere
in the world.
There are four major tournaments on the PGA Tour: The Masters,
the US Open, the British Open, the PGA Championship and two
unofficial majors, the Players Championship, which traditionally
has the strongest field in the world, and the year-ending
Tour Championship, participation in which is limited to the
top 30 money-earners for the year.
Ames played in five of the six.
In the Players Championship, he placed 13th. In the US Open
he was ninth; at the PGA Championship, he again carded a Top
10 finish, placing ninth, while he was fourth in the Tour
Championship.
In every one of those tournaments, the field included Tiger
Woods, Vijay Singh and most of the Top 100-ranked players
in the world.
Outside of these major tournaments, Ames finished in the
Top 10 on seven other occasions, culminating in his first-place
finish in the Cialis Western Open in which he once again beat
Woods and Singh.
In addition, during 2004, his world ranking rose from
100th at the start of the year to 17th at the year’s
end and he finished eighth on the official money list with
earnings of more than US $3.5 million.
And remember that all these performances took place at the
highest level of golf in the world.
Now if, based on his achievements in 2004, Ames was unable
to be voted “Sportsman of the Year,” then I think
I can safely say that a golfer will NEVER win the prestigious
award and those responsible for the selection of the annual
winner will continue to refuse to think “outside of the
box,” as the popular saying goes.
So Bovell is the “Sportsman of the Year.” All glory
to him! He is a young man for whom I have the highest regard
and to perform as he did at the Olympic Games is clearly worthy
of the highest commendation.
But may I be permitted to ask a few questions for consideration?
Did Bovell win?
Did he beat the world’s number one, Michael Phelps? For
that matter, has he ever beaten Phelps?
Did he finish ahead of the American, Ryan Locthe, a swimmer
who, to the best of my knowledge, had never beaten him before?
Perhaps the answers to those questions will help to bring
home the point I am trying to make.
In a related issue, I was disappointed to hear another top
sportsman for whom I have great respect and who has himself
performed at the very-highest level, expressing the view that
Brian Lara could or should not have won because, and I quote,
cricket, while crucial to the Caribbean people and played
with a passion, must be considered merely a Commonwealth sport,
involving less than a dozen countries. Incidentally, that
is a view I have also heard expressed by a number of other
persons.
The implication, therefore, is that Lara’s 400 not out
against England, brilliantly compiled over three days, and
the fact that in 2004 he became the fastest player in the
history of Test cricket to achieve the milestone of 10,000
runs, was not worthy of consideration.
What foolishness!
If that kind of thinking continues to prevail, then heaven
help participants in non-frontline sports like chess, taekwondo,
archery and squash.
Let me indicate that while all three — Ames, Lara and
Bovell — turned in sterling performances in 2004, the
order
in which I just placed them is, in my opinion, the order in
which they should have been placed.
Now let’s head for the 19th hole.
TOURNAMENT
INFORMATION
The
St Peter’s Primary School held its fifth annual golf
tournament on Sunday, March 20, on the Pointe-a-Pierre Golf
Course.
The results of the two-ball better ball tournament were as
follows:
1st — Elliot Connors and Martin Haynes (Schlumberger
T’dad Inc.) — 63.
2nd — Heeraman Baldeo and Vishnu Beharry (General Earth
Movers Ltd) — 63.
3rd — Dennis Layne and Farouk Ali (National Gas Company)
— 64.
April schedule
Saturday: Monthly Medal (strokeplay) — Pointe-a-Pierre
Golf Club.
Sunday: Soroptomist Club’s annual tournament (better
all) — Pointe-a-Pierre Golf Club.
Sunday: March Monthly Medal (strokeplay) — Chaguaramas.
Saturday and Sunday: Sagicor St Andrews Invitational
(strokeplay) — Moka, Maraval.
Thursday, April 7: Derek Phang Invitational (stableford) —
Moka, Maraval.
Friday and Sat., April; 8 and 9: Sun. 10: Carnation Caribbean
Ladies
Open (Strokeplay) Moka
Sunday 10: Monthly Medal (Strokeplay) Brechin Castle
Wednesday 13: Cotton Tree Foundation’s annual Charity
(Better Ball) Moka
Saturday 16: Monthly Medal (Strokeplay) Moka
Saturday 16: Annual General Meeting Chaguaramas Golf Club
Sunday 17: Monthly Medal (Strokeplay) Usine St. Madeleine
Tuesday 19: Scotiabank ‘Women on the Move’ (Better
Ball) Moka
Sat. 23 & Sun. 24: St. Andrews Corporate (Better Ball
Stableford) Moka
Sunday 24: April Monthly Medal (strokeplay) Chaguaramas
THE
LIGHTER SIDE OF GOLF
Greenberg
was a highly successful businessman who had clawed his way
to the top of his profession, riding on the backs of many
unfortunate employees in the process. He had never played
golf and knew absolutely nothing about the game. However,
he decided that he should pick up the sport, because that
is what all successful businessmen seemed to do.
So he purchased a brand new set of clubs, joined the local
club and arrived at the first tee on Saturday morning in a
stunning new outfit.
“Sir,”
said the caddy, “may I suggest that you start off using
your driver?”
“Look,
young man,” said Greenberg, “I’m a very successful
man. I worked myself from the bottom to the top. I don’t
take advice from anybody. Give me the putter.”
Greenberg took an enormous swing with the putter and hit the
ball 186 yards to within an inch of the hole. When they arrived
at the green, the amazed caddy said, “Sir, why don’t
you use your putter again?”
“I
told you before, sonny, I don’t take advice from anyone.
Give me the driver?” screamed Greenberg.
This time he made an almighty swing at the ball and missed
it completely, but the force of the wind carried the ball
into the cup.
“Now,
young man,” said Greenberg, addressing the caddy. “I
told you I usually don’t listen to anybody. But once
in a while I do take a little advice. Tell me, what club do
I use to get the ball out of the hole?”
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