Welcome back to Linked by Golf, the podcast exploring the
journeys of people linked by the game.
I'm your host, Josh McGuire, and this week I'm joined by Craig
Watson, a former winner of the British Amateur Championship and
also a former Walker Cup player and captain.
In this episode, we discuss Craig's golfing journey, his
experiences in elite amateur golf, playing at the Masters in
the Open, and what it's like to be involved with the Walker Cup.
Let's go over to Craig. Delighted to be joined by Craig
Watson. Craig, how you doing?
It's been a while. Very well, I've been.
It's been a long time. Hi, a long time.
No see. Good to see you.
Hi Craig, We're going to start with a wee story, so I was just
going to ask, are you the only man who's ever won the East of
Scotland Championship playing seventeen holes worth a wedge as
a putter? Quite possibly could be, yes.
Not one of my finer moments, but I managed to.
I was just to partner with my sandwich anyway, just because of
I don't like to carry too many clubs around these strands, but
that's I was through of about temper.
Unfortunately the first hall in the in the afternoon the club
didn't bounce too well off my foot so I had to use my sandwich
for the rest of their own. And I was reading that David
Patrick had to bring your Potter for the last two rounds.
Is that right? I was I borrowed a Potter from
having the story was I double bogged the 1st and London Links
in the morning and then I bogged the second and then I in the
afternoon I4 parted the first but another double bogey and the
club had to. The club had to go.
It wasn't there was nothing to do with my smooth pot and
stroke. It was it was all to do with the
Potter. So that went over my foot.
But David was very gained and gave me a Potter for the last
two. And you did OK.
What was it, 260 fours You flourished.
Worth was it? 54 to 1 by a shot yeah I judged
that well just spotted spotted grade with this and wedge in the
afternoon mind you hold a couple of 31st so it was good and.
Then Craig, we've jumped in a little bit.
I was going to say this sort of midpoint, your career, you're
still playing, but how did it start for you?
How'd you get into the game? What got you hooked?
I think the everybody was either appeared.
My dad played golf, he was a member E while you remember
Crawford Foster then moved on. When I was born, he moved to the
side side of Glasgow and joined his trend.
So I was very fortunate that I could junior membership.
Everybody was everybody was really keen.
You went up there in the old day, you were spending all day
his trend. You if you went on holiday, you
come back and you're your houses get 5 off our handicaps or six
off our handicaps in your your region because you've been in
holiday for like 3 weeks. So you had to get the handicap
back down. So but we were, I was very
fortunate. Everybody got the handicaps down
and everybody was really keen. So that's how you started?
Yeah. And did you progress quickly
because I mean, I, I met you later, I guess in life, but and
I knew, I knew you were a very good player at that time, but
did you start playing county golf as a junior and and go
through the ranks or was that sort of different progression
for you? No, we played.
Played junior, we by junior. County golf, the boys and then
there was youths but I never come and I get capped.
I never must never played any boys Scottish golf a cap for
their never get capped at use. It was the senior squad I get
first cap so it was a wee bit later probably than than a lot
of them. Wow.
And what kind of what was the change then?
What happened and what kind of events did you start playing?
Better than to get recognized? About the first one I won was
the Glasgow. Glasgow.
I want you to Pollock. I shot 7665 to when when that
that was about 89 and then I did OK, but nothing brilliant and a
few of the events and I think I was getting in line to get
capped. There was a lot for went through
in 91. So like myself, Hey Bryce and
there was there was Wilson Price and there was the five of us get
capped in 91 and I think I went to the European individual
hillside and short 7291. Wow, own 45 own 45 and I was a
low man of our people. The weather wasn't the weather
wasn't that bad. It was OK.
I. Must have cut the air and
carries by Graham Fox in the last two rounds and I was
looking round as you do and you thought some of these guys are
no any better than me even though that that's the European
individual supposed to be the cream of how much a European
golf yeah. So these guys on these guys are
knowing it better than me. That was that was maybe the the
spur that I needed to needed to do a job even better.
Yeah, I mean, you played with some incredible players.
You might have mentioned Graham Fox here and Wilson Bryson, but
you played with folk like Graham Rankin, Bartley Heard as well.
I mean, what would those guys like to play with back then?
But, and Barley was, he's been the best amateur I've ever
played with particularly. I mean, Barley are a wee bit
different from the rest of us. They would get to maybe one
under, 2 under, 3 under and then they would go forward where I
was be one under, 2 under and you think, well, I'm having a
good score here. And then half an hour later
you're back to level power. But they were, they were the two
guys that you had to keep an eye on.
They were the ones that you chased because they've kept on
one under 2, under, 3 under 4 under.
They just kept going. So we had to sort of try and
catch up with with you. Yeah.
And then what I wanted to talk. I mean, there's a good few
things we can talk about, but I wanted to jump into.
You obviously played with Scotland, you played home
internationals and things, but I guess your biggest one was the
Amateur Championship at Royal St.
George's, so I'd love to know more about that.
We can have it when and what the experience was like overall.
Well, it was Saint George's was obviously has been no, it's my
always aware it's the furthest 1 Forest Open Championship course
that has we can play and I'd never played St.
George's and Michael Brooks, his father Andrew Brooks had it was
the the throw there and he make always used to play all this the
amateur events and see how good the weather was down in Saint
George's. It was always sunny, beautiful
weather, whereas we're up the open skull and freezing to
death. So that that that was the only
reason I went down because I'd never played the course before.
It was only opening championship course.
I've never played. I've been down with no
expectations whatsoever. It was just to have a couple of
couple of rounds because it was so far, you get the price
rounds, then maybe get into the match play stages.
So that was that was the entire entire aim for the week.
But I was really lucky because we played the price rounds.
Me and Graham Rankin Bartley and Michael Brooks play the price
round, the deal. And it was so windy.
Michael and I just we just chalked it after six holes.
There was a wee a wee bar beside the thing the 14th hole, so we
just went across there and waited for Graham and Bartlett
to continue their own and then combine girls.
And then we played the prize soon at Saint George's and it
was so windy we just chopped again.
Couldn't there was a couple of bunkers of the 7th of par 5
which would have 100 yards off the tee.
I couldn't I couldn't get past them.
So I thought this is just a waste of time.
So we went back again. So and then the most the stroke
play, I think the story goes after I'm not sure, maybe it may
be one of these folklores that people say the American boy
double vogue at the last so let all the 15 sevens and he must
the cut. So I'm in 157 so we qualify just
on the mark. And then the way I've changed,
excuse me, the weather changed completely from 2 windy days to
lovely flight, beautiful weather and the match play stages.
I was lucky with the drawers. I played Jimmy Donaldson in the
first round who was just a young boy at the time, obviously
managed to managed to beat him. And then played the Scottish
boys, David Patrick, Graham Fox and James Clive right.
So nice games because I knew them.
It wasn't a case of do you know this guy, how good are they with
service, chatty all the way around.
And then the the semi final, the quarterfinals, I played James
Clive, I won at the 19 and Bartley was playing Colin
Edwards and Bartley would beat me 7 or 8 times out of 10, no
bother at all. Bartley, good beat.
So suddenly I'm playing Colin Edwards.
He was a nice, nice guy, English boy.
I'm thinking he's no, he's no Bartley.
There wasn't many people like Barley was, so that was the
thing. So that was not so.
The pressure was the pressure was taken off of me from
potential playing Bartley, who I would have had to play Homer
skin to beat. Then you're thinking there's a
better chance here. The fame of of winning.
And then you get to the the managed to win that and then get
to the final and it's 36 holes. It's it's not a Sprint, a Trevor
minimum AM. I right in saying that did
Bartley caddy for you in the final as well?
Bartley Caddy's for me. He was like he was he was more
popular for the TV counters than I was because at the time, at
the time Rangers range, obviously Barbara barley been a
big Rangers fan in Rangers to just won the league right very
recently and they and they've been bite Ibrox for a party.
And there was when Gaza was in the team and Barley's wife and
daughter had gone to party to Ibrox to celebrate and they'd go
out. We love Gaza, so Barley was
weirdness. We love Gazza hat on the in the
final. So at lunchtime, the cameras I
went away from a lunch and barley got interviewed in the
television weirdness. We love Gazza hat, so he was he
was having a great time. That's awesome.
And then you mentioned that you played Trevor.
I'm moving in the final. Trevor I played seven in the
final. He was just a envoy 17 years old
and the weather in the morning was flat calm.
It was beautiful, but it was it wasn't a suitable to me up later
to where one day, but he was seems to up with two up after
18. It was it was cruising.
There was a it wasn't even a close two off.
And then the winds got up in the afternoon, which was ideal for
me because I would never update many holes.
I was never, I never want to go down a lot, shoot a lot of
bodies. I could do the pars no bother,
see, Just chando pars. The weather was perfect for me
one day and it knocked him off his straight a bit.
And it's such a tough course as well, Craig.
I mean, I know that from brittle experience played in Saint
George's for the last those that maybe haven't played it, you
know, some of the the holes on Saint George's are so tough,
like forced cardies, just incredible shorts and the
greens. And then it's like buried
elephants everywhere in the greens as well.
It's edible place. Nobody's in the final, but it
wasn't a case of unlucky. I was never even close to any
bodies. And then I went down.
There was the amateur was played a few years later and I went
down again and played. I thought, my God, how difficult
was this course? I mean, it just shows you how
good professionals professionals are.
The mid courses look easy but this was it was too difficult
for me. It was certainly too difficult
for me. She oh, not very trapped.
You saw it first time. But yeah, that was that was
incredible. So when you were playing against
Trevor, was the Masters and the Open, were they on your mind at
all? Were you thinking about it or
did you did you just stay away from that completely?
Well, while you were playing. Fortunately, I know that that
was. I don't even think about these
things. I've always thought it's a win.
The amateur again would be more difficult than when in the first
time maybe because you know you would get out of it.
You would get a trip to the Masters, you would get a trip to
the Open, you would. Well, I was fortunate because it
was a Walker Cup year, so and I used to Walker Cup, but I was
completely oblivious to all the things that you could get over.
It was only driving up the road after the final when barley
barley mentioned you'll get you'll get the master's.
That's knowing you'll get get the open and you'll potentially
walk a cotton there in. I think to myself, Thank God, I
didn't think of that. One must three footer up the
hell at the same. Well, that's awesome.
And was it 90? It was 97 year one, right?
Is that correct? Yeah.
So was that would that have been made time for the the Army?
For the tournament and. You played the open straight
away at Royal Train as well the next month.
Well. Unfortunately if you if you go
to the Fathers golf course from the amateur of Saint George's, I
go the nearest course of the house for the Open.
So you get there, you get that courtesy car to the door instead
of having to find some accommodation for the week.
So yeah, I got to go out soon, which was, which was fantastic.
And what was that open like clay?
Because I mean, I went to see it and I saw you coming off.
I think it was coming off 17 clean.
I was there with some of my pals.
But what was that experience like?
I was, I was really good. So I mean, obviously played soon
playing at times anyway, but to play it with all the the crowds,
all the stands was great. I finished up.
I finished, but I was playing I'd not be allowed short.
I could have hit it left. I could have hit it right.
I very rarely did I hit it straight, but I was getting up
and down from everywhere for early.
I think after between after 27 holes, I think had about 20
single putts. I was Jeff Miger.
I don't think was very complimentary about my my game,
my button after the first round. I think he he mentioned
something that if I wasn't pointing well, I would be
somebody else. I managed to hit one of my pals
and I think it was the 14th. I had to one of these ones.
I had to dead straight left over the middle, walked up to me,
walked up to my ball and my mates standing there going who
you hit me in the bike there. Hope he stopped if it going the
Bush. No right in bed, but I finished.
But I finished Boogie Double boogie boogie to Massacre by
two. No, I didn't realize it, but I
don't remember. I must have it was, it was
because obviously it was one day in the first day and everybody
was shooting low in the first round.
Yeah, it's good. Low in the front front nine and
then holding it together in the by 9.
But I was thought the weather would say I thought the scoring
would be lower than it was so I finished.
I played a stupid shot to say Steven took bogey and then
double bogged 17 and bogged the last to miss a big two, which
was unfortunate. And that was that same was that
that was the kind of Barclay that I mean, why barley I
didn't, yeah. It did see that fantastic guy.
So he was he was unfortunate he was he was only amateur amid the
cut. So I could have had a week game
with him and say their last two lines of admit the cut but
wasn't it to be? And my right said it was back in
the days when equipment was what's the water with juice?
I quite a lot of equipment gonna go now each day under the golf
bags. I think it was a name.
I there was there was a few once you got into these there was a
once you get into the harbour asking for clubs, then once you
once you once you started asking for clubs then it was difficult
to but I've a good note. I think barley following almost
at least least 1617 clubs every day.
Yeah. But no, I was, it was that many
of the equipment, I mean the reps were quite keen for you to
use anything that innocent they were.
Yeah, absolutely. And then Craig, I was going to
ask you about the Walker Cup that year as well.
So what was the walk experience like after that?
That was fantastic. By winning the amateur I sort of
get in in the back door to the Walker Cup.
I was never considered for the I wouldn't.
I was in a few squads but you wouldn't have record and rate me
when making any of the teams. So getting one in the amateur
got me a saw in the back door. But I did I would, I had a
slowly great time. I I thought to myself I'm going
to enjoy it. I'll probably not get a chance
to to do this again. It was over on the States which
was even better. It was fantastic and there was 5
scores. Me, Graham Rankin, Barley,
Steven Young and Michael Brooks qualified that year.
Wow. So we thought we'd we thought
we'd have played a good team. That it was.
We got annihilated 18-6, but I had a good time.
Incredible was 5 Scots and I thought I was going to say it
was 4. I knew there was definitely 4,
but the five said Oh no. There was 5 as so the 18-6 that
finished eighteen 6. I had to add them and I had a
great time. I thought I'm going to enjoy it.
They they experienced the the course of set up their U.S.
Open course. So it was really like rough
around the greens, but something we'd never I'd never thought
thought about it got the experience of playing I'd I
really enjoyed myself and did OK Consider them.
The team could be 80 and 6 was it am I used to win my son.
I won my singles and half my singles.
Was it Quaker actually just played out that year?
Is that right? Just across the road from Wing
through New York. Right.
Well. It wasn't the longest course.
I can't really remember the the yardage, but it wasn't the
longest course, but it was it was sailed just like an AUS open
course, which was which was you'll I've never experienced
that sense. So there was good to to try your
game and and that sort of stand up.
Yeah, and I guess Justin Rose was seeing that team as well.
Is that right? He was only he was only 17.
I think he was still into the space kettles.
He will say he was in the team high.
So obviously there's something he was one he's or they want to
win or anyone. It's coming that either the two
teams that you've, I mean you see obviously that some of the
teams that you've had amateurs that have gone on to do well and
the American side and the brave side.
Justin's the only one that's coming of our teams that has
been named been obviously very good.
Yeah. And I mean, I guess I just
summarize you so tough as Craig as well, between moving from the
amateur game and the professional game, even if
you've got a huge amount of talent, it's never a sort of 11
relationship being an incredible amateur and going to the pro
game and some amateur, no, not right at the top.
And they go in the pro game and they they come on a ton.
And then other amateurs are really at the top and it just
doesn't happen. There's never a easy way to
predict. No, it's not It's some and it's
obviously a boost. You'll, you'll be more known
when she if you're if you're a Walker Cup in the turn pro, then
you've got a wee bit more people maybe know about you more.
But there's certainly no, I mean, Justin was, I think he
missed his 1st 20 cuts when he turned pro.
Yeah, that's right. So but no, it was it was a
fantastic experience. I thoroughly enjoy that.
Unfortunately I would not never have Was half reserve for 2001.
Right. But I never got to play again in
the walk, which was, which was unfortunate.
If you've been enjoying the show, please do remember to
follow on your favorite podcast platform and share it with a
friend. Now let's get back to the pod.
You have to get something to soften the blow, though.
We need to get to the next part. You played in the open in 97.
And then, yeah, what in the British armature, or I should
say the amateur? Of course not.
Can't correct. Yeah, they'll be on me for that.
You then went to a little place called Augusta.
So I'd love you to talk about it, not just Augusta, but how
you got there. And I think a number of people
when we and what the whole experience was like just getting
ready for it and and going to Augusta in the end.
Well, I think getting ready for it was, I think I'd say I went
to Australia in January. I think it was a must.
I think it was a really cold winter I think here.
So I went to Australia. I played in the lake, Lake
Macquarie in Australia. The thing is the beginning of
January and then basically put the clubs away for a wee while
because it's the weather was just rubbish here.
So we went to like invited the story was that there's American
boy who's over in the amateur in 93 Portrush and the the winner
of that year thing was it can't remember who's it who won the
Amateur in 93, but he invited the amateur in 93 to come across
the week before the Masters to play at Golf Club of Georgia.
Right. So, and I just did that seem to
carry on through the through the next few years and it's still
it's still still to this day, I think it's still the amateur
champions that has invited the Golf Club of Georgia.
The boy phoned up said would you like to play against Matt
Kutcher, who he was the US Amateur champion at the time and
he played his card. He played his college golf at
the Golf Club of Georgia, right. So it's like, why not?
What I would tell I would enjoy. I gave my, my, my so that.
So this was the week before the master.
So we went out, flew to a Gulf of Georgia.
Our clubs and clothing never arrived until later on in the
the the same day that we arrived.
It was a bit later. So we get to the Gulf of Georgia
and you walk in, say hi to the receptionist, blah, blah, blah.
You can at the pro shop and all these things are there's
slightly open courses, you know, against the clubhouse and
there's flags with golf, Georgia cup owner bags with Georgia cup
on it, head goers with Georgia cup on it.
So I said to the the floor for such Georgia culprits.
He says so nice, but you're playing against Matt tomorrow
and sorry, OK, I thought I was just having a be friendly game
with them. That's that's the and it's no
that that was the first year of the Georgia Cup was and there's
no I think it's on the Golf Channel.
So this was just this was the week before the Masters that I'm
just having a be friendly game, which Mike Kutcher.
But no, it's not it's it's a full blown US amateur champion
versus British amateur champion. So Needless to say, Needless to
say, he, he beat me 3 and 1. So but I couldn't, I couldn't.
So that was a week before the masters.
So then you get down to the masters and you check in.
And we were, I was always told when you check in, when you get,
yeah, you get a car, you get a courtesy car.
Yeah, there we, we badge off the courtesy car.
So we get get the car keys and you say, right, OK, there's your
car and the whole field of white cars.
So I get into the first car, I see they already start trying to
start the engine and nothing's happened.
Oh, God, I've broken this car already.
I've now you moved it. Yeah.
And I can't even any worker for you look up.
But you look up into the windscreen.
It's got different numbers on it.
And the car I was supposed to be looking for was 61, but I wasn't
in 61. I was in A1296161 was a car next
to me, nothing affected. That's that's a week started
started great already. I can't even get an A car
though. But I mean the gusto is I mean,
it's like what you see in the television.
You can play Open Championship courses and don't really
recognize some of the holes with when the crowds not round them,
when the the the stands are not round them.
Yeah, you can't. Sometimes it's difficult to
imagine this course after seeing it in the television.
That's the last place was identical to what you see in the
television apart from the slopes, the drop from the 10th
tee to the 12th queen as incredible.
You've you've played Craig Miller.
It's similar to that. So, yeah, although I would
never, I know I like Craig Miller, but we never put in the
same categories as Augusta. It's not quite there.
No. Just seem about the world.
I've done bear around actually. Well on now then then Augusto so
so I played to played for phone moves Sandy Lyle which was today
an experience. They tried to keep some sort of
connection I think between I won my amateur at Saint George's.
He won the it's open isn't George.
Yeah. I think they're late to try and
keep some sort of some sort of not see, not a coincidence, but
that's sort of thing for the different because Gary, I think
the South African played with another South African, one of
the amateurs. Nothing to try and keep keep
people together. So yeah.
But then they were still doing the redraw after the first round
or did they? Sorry.
They were doing a redraw for TV purposes after the first round.
So all the rubbish scores went out first and the good scores
were cared for the TB. So I managed to play well on
power on the second round. Wow, when did you?
Which in itself. Would you find overnight?
Craig was on the Thursday night you found out.
I probably the Thursday night, I think there was the weather was,
was wasn't very good on the Thursday so that there was a wee
bit delayed. So we played three balls in the
second round, right, which fortunately, fortunately was
playing with a yes, young Swedish boy as well.
So it wasn't me, just Arnold Palmer, Mullen, there was
somebody else as well. It was a fantastic experience to
play with somebody is as great as that and it is loved around
the Guster as yours. And that's incredible because
the coincidence there is Gary Wilson on played to Arnold
Palmer as well and now in the Masters after after an amateur
champion. Yeah, I so I, I don't know what
age it was. It was obviously getting on in
age. So any, any scored and obviously
wasn't as good as what it used to be.
So there was more chance maybe of that happened than they would
have been in the elder years, I think.
Yeah. And what was the experience of
the course like? I mean, you mentioned the
slopes, but what about the crowds and just the atmosphere
that was there as well? What was that like compared to
what you'd seen or even at the Open the year before now?
The excitement is I had you anticipate once you get to the
once you know you're playing the masters, you anticipate the the
the first hall and it was everything I anticipated.
I had to like it. I like a thief or and tap in for
a sex at the 1st. Wow.
Everything either the partner stroke at the hour and I never
like to put in the fast greens, right?
You can just see the partner partner stroke descended here in
front of you. The figure of eight is more
exaggerated after a wee while and then follow through is less
so, but that so I took double will get the first I played.
When I played, the front 9 hadn't been covered in the TV.
Right. The bike 9 was always the ones
you've seen in TV, so the front 9 was a wee bit more of AI, was
a wee bit more of a mastery. Right.
And I spent the front 9 trying to hurt.
The fair is fine, but having to hurt on the trees to carry
bunkers and things. I was only 42 in the first round
and I get to the 10th T and this there's a big scoreboard at the
the 18th of just for people coming through the 17th.
So I'm sex over thinking, oh, this is well, this is going to
be one more nightmare. And I saw in the big scoreboard
Ben Crenshaw through 1710 over and I was thinking they come on,
come on, you get something to go for here.
You've got to beat you got to beat 10 over.
But if the by 9 had been covered by the television so you base
you could pace basically play what you'd seen in the
television. Yeah.
And that that's all I did apart 9/9 through to 9 through 17 and
a three white the last. Just for a good measure.
For a 79 and that was just purely because I'd never seen
the front 9 before, but I'd seen the seen the bike name.
And I think if you'd, if you've seen, seen a whole or of course
in the television, then you can, you can judge how everybody
plays, plays a whole. I mean, it was the 11th was a,
was a whole. I'd always thought, Oh God,
there's, there's water from the left.
And so he's what happens if you had to know and there's it's a
long haul, but there was, there was 3 knobs, just short, short
rate. So if you have a last club had
to override, you've got a chance of bouncing on the green.
So it was used to be things that you knew what to do.
It was just a case of trying to trying to do them.
I mean, the pressure was off, your sex over after 9, the
pressure's off. You might as well try and enjoy
the back nine. Yeah.
And that's what I did. And then the front the same
round was exactly the same. I don't know anything in the
front 9. I played it just the same
rubbish I had in the first round.
I was. Able to do exactly the same as I
did in the by 9 and I managed to get a couple of bodies as well.
So short 7. One experience.
So I go to Augusta and just get that chance that well, first of
all, I play with Sandy, who's Scottish, right?
I mean, to play with some around Augusta.
Weirded one must have been just awesome.
And then you played. Did you not have a practice
round as well? We got a player and Jack
Nicholas. We had a it was it was really
through Stephen and dad's when the amateur 92 right and he went
across and he's cardio. Stephen played the highest
castle which is just down the road from me.
It's a caddy Lays McLaughlin. Yep.
Who who he took over. Yeah.
If you don't know Lays, you'll probably help them.
So she went across and caddied for and try and organize the
price rounds. Right.
So the the sound of the price here and the organized price
rounds, Les was a parliament. He came out to caddy for me as
well. I thought I'll get him to OK,
I'm the caddy for me because he's done it in.
He should know his way around blah, blah, blah.
So he organized a price round and Gary Player said to him, I
remember you, you caddy's for you caddy for Stephen Dundas.
So Les was he was made-up with all that series just chopped.
So we played. So I played Daddy player,
ballast savvy, savvy played and flying noble.
Oh goodness. So that was what was.
AI was a fantastic board ball I had.
Water. Savvy.
Savvy wasn't playing well. I mean, Elvis, he was, he was
going through his struggles at that point and so he didn't play
quite well. But Frank Noble, it was pretty
impressive. It was a fantastic, fantastic
experience. Seen you almost knocked in the
hole at sex on the party in the practice round.
Probably not I'm. Sure, I saw if I deal with your
hat in a short play close was that?
Set that was someday. I was.
I was before AI wasn't me. I'll not take quite close at
4:00 maybe and the same. Yeah, that's been up.
The same and I'm not quite close for slap and say the same round
the the the Tees were off the the the sort of front Tees.
It was a little easier say no. I was fantastic and I thoroughly
enjoyed myself. Yeah, and then cake.
I mean, we'll run forward a wee bit here.
So we've talked about one in the amateur in for, you know,
Scotland a little bit. You talked about the Walker Cup,
but then later in life you got the honor to captain the Walker
Cup team. So how did that come around and
and what was it like actually taking the team half and beat
someone that played before as well?
I mean, it was, I think they've since changing now because I
think Dean's, Dean Robertson's the captain now.
But before that, it was, I think they had the criteria that you
had to have played in it and you were still an amateur.
So right. There's very few, very few of us
probably left. I mean, from my team, I think
there was probably only myself. It was maybe still an amateur
because Graham Graham is Graham Rankin's back amateur.
Yeah. Yeah.
You hit on pro. Gary Wolfman would turn through.
He went to the seniors seniors tour.
So there was very few of from my team that was still an amateur.
And I think this this since followed down the line like
Stuart Wilson's team. There's there's very few still
amateur. So they were they were probably
not that there was no not many candidates probably.
So I'd been fortunate captain Scotland team.
So I'd probably have experienced a captain team.
So that's how I got to selected for the Walker Cup team.
It was unfortunately I took over after after Cape and given given
America doing it. Love them.
Right. So one for unforthly had I'd say
that's that's follow on, but I again, it was a great experience
of of seeing what more more so the background of whatever goes
into the background like like the clothes and you get to like
the clothes and you go and watch all the boys playing.
Although I'm not great, I'm not a great one for watching golf.
I'd rather have a, if I'm watching golf, the remote
controls not very far away so I can change you into something
more interesting. So I had to sort of gear myself
up for so watching guys, which wasn't sometimes it was it was a
lot of hard work sign of watching people when you think I
just want to get a club myself and have a goal.
Yeah. And what's the selection process
actually like? I mean, what kind of things are
going into obviously results, but what other kind of
conversations would you typically have without giving
detail on players obviously, but what kind of things would you be
looking at with players? I think you just go in and there
was, there was 4 selectors and then you just go to all the, all
the events and, and obviously results have got a good bearing
on, on who's doing what. But you're just trying to try to
see guys, get to know, get to know some of the guys.
There's a, they've always got, there's an Order of Merit and
things. So you're always sort of keeping
a good eye on the automatic, maybe the top top half a dozen
are always going to bend your thoughts and then you're just
sort of trying to find other guys or maybe been unlucky or
whether they're the whether they're capable of Steph or not
to the to that sort of liable. But so I've always just gone for
for results maybe. But you if you get to meet them
and you can see what good, but it's going to be results at the
end of the day. Yeah, absolutely.
And then what about yourself in terms of still playing?
Do you get out much these days, Craig?
And the last time I played was August the 24th at Glasgow Open
at Glasgow Gales. I was measurable and I've put my
clubs away in the Shed and 1/2 for the last of sort of six
months. You've even played county stuff
in the one time you'll be playing that I.
Don't get I don't get selected for these things.
Don't say it's too cold anyway, you don't want when our greens
and holidaying greens and so about bringing the clubs back
out there. But this is this is end of
January. So bring the clubs back out in
March. I think I've entered a couple of
seniors events so I've got but that doesn't the first one is
not on me for me. So let's talk about playing.
The Scottish Seniors Golf society you're playing with for
those. Yeah, I've been dragged into
that. It's like a good we suck it.
They've got a lot of good competitions.
And then obviously I know a lot of the guys like as you said,
Ronnie, you've you've spoken to Ronnie, Derek, Pete and I know a
lot, so a lot. I know a lot of the guys.
So it's our big just trying to get back into the swing of
things since since I was captain my golf, I've not really played
an awful lot of golf zone since then.
So I got I got a new set of clubs and and 16 I've still got
the same grips as I had on them at the start.
So, so I'll need to play a little bit more and sort of
where the the grip son. Yeah, well, I've got a
significant bust in the summer, so I may be able to get we gave
me in the summer. There you go.
I'll just I'm going to join the society as well.
Fill out man. I'll be a young of course I'll
be excluded from a lot of the the bike.
You can't equal the bike teams. 5I qualify a card in the club,
something would be more like, yeah, I'm looking forward to.
I think there's some really good events and looks really well
organized and you know, Ronnie's talked really positively about
it. Kenny Garkin as well, and Johnny
Johnston, they said they've had a great time on that Scottish
soccer. I mean, Kenny's been playing
really good for the last couple of years.
I've played with Kenny last year, yeah.
And he's been really enjoying himself.
So I mean, it's a good, good soccer, a lot of good courses.
So I this seems to be well organized.
I need and to be fair, you don't see that.
I mean, we when we were younger played in the all the 36 holes.
It was a great there's X hole soccer, but now that's I mean
you hardly a lot of their sex all over got eighteen holes now.
Yeah, and even the. So they've all struck on as
well. They can't get fields.
It's crazy. All right, even they've all
they've all fallen away, you know, so it'd be nice to get
back into competitive golf again because it has been a wee while
since since I've bothered doing that so.
And we'll enter some of the national events then beyond the
sort and. I don't think so.
I think I'll I've entered 3 events this year, but I'll
probably I'll probably be I won't bother.
I don't like to travel for the these things now, so I'll
probably give the the national events that I'll let Ronnie
continue with them. So he seems to be doing all
right. I can't hear as.
Well, great amateur as well. So he maybe never had to never
get into the the, the squads that that we did when Ronnie was
in a few squads before as well. So, but I've been great players
and and they probably had to further than they did when they
were top amateurs younger than the younger days.
That's The funny thing though, isn't it?
Those guys finding that the golf game is as good, if not better
than when they were basically even in their 20s and 30s.
It's incredible. I played Ronnie last year as
well and he had said I think he must set up between yard swell
and he did when he was younger. Yeah, I saw them in the
technology and of the fitness, although I'm not really bothered
under the no end of the fitness. As long as I can walk eighteen
holes I'm quite happy. So I don't bother.
I don't bother go to the gym around and so on.
But no, they're all very keen enemy and as a really organized
was really well organized circuit not going.
Yeah, absolutely. OK, Gloss, and thanks for
joining us. It's been great to see you again
and hopefully I'll get to see you in the summer and and I will
end up no doubt carrying your bag rather than playing against
you. But it's been great to have you
on. Thanks so much for joining.
I will look forward to that. Thanks very much.
Cheers. I'd like to thank Craig for
joining me and sharing your stories about his own golf and
his experiences in the Walker Cup.
If you enjoyed this episode, please follow Like By Golf on
your favorite podcast platform, leave a review and share with
someone who loves golfing people's journeys.
You can also find the show on Instagram at Linked by G2024.
For future episodes, clips and insights, I'm Ross McGuire,
thanks for listening. Loman Golf Tours have helped
thousands of guests build bespoke golf trips to create a
magical experience. Travel in style with their
executive chauffeur travel. Whether it's golf on a major
championship venue or one of our hidden gems, 5 star
accommodation or a boutique bed and breakfast, or is it whiskey
tasting on a private boat, Loman Golf Tours are here to help
build the tour of a lifetime. Whether you're celebrating a
special occasion or ticking it off your bucket list, Embarking
a trip that you'll remember forever?
Visit www.lomangolftours.com.