WATCH: A golfing trip down Magnolia … sorry, Nostalgia Lane

WHEN Ben McGill left South Africa for Mud Island in 1999, he had three bucks to his name and was known as the 1-iron.

Eighteen years later, he’s done ‘ok’, married a girl way out of his league, produced three surprisingly handsome sons, and beveraged his way to the status of perhaps Hybrid.

He’s a good son, so has returned fairly often to visit the folks and in-laws, but hasn’t beaten the pill around Port Shepstone Country Club’s famed layout for a while.

Last time he was here he spun two off the side of the club, deep into the mangroves off number 10. Unsurprisingly, he really doesn’t remember that.

However, on that day he did predict Jaco van Zyl would make it to the Top 50 in the world, so hasn’t been too far off.

With the Masters and Green Jacket front of mind, a quick nine holes was a must at his old stamping grounds, with even older mate, yours truly (David Rush).

This time Benny wanted to play for cash, so it was obvious he had played at least a few rounds in the preceding months.

He lobbed a few yellow Srixon ‘goons’ in my direction. “These are courtesy of JVZ,” he said.

His first tee shot was a shocker. It looked like Jim Furyk trying to take a hockey penalty flick, aiming low, for the left corner.

To his credit he did eventually up-and-down from the trap for double bogey. “Still no lip in this bunker,” he marvelled.

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Hole lost to a bogey: 1 down.

On the second he doubled his distance, but scared the daylights out of a labour of moles (yeah, that’s the collective noun, thanks Google) which must have thought the Botswana quake had reached the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal.

The hole is 332m so he had 3-wood in, maybe more.

“No way Davey, must be a 3-iron,” he said, carving it way right, and way short. Bogey.

Hole lost to a par: 2 down.

Then he seemed to find his groove and was on for two on the tricky 3rd but three-putted. “Gotta remember it’s not the Berks,” he said in terms of green speed.

Hole halved: 2 down.

Finally, he made par on 4, telling me just how gifted Jaco van Zyl really is, and hoping he can get across the line and win a very big one soon.

Hole halved: 2 down.

Then he turned Desert Fox and up-and-downed on 5 from the sand, all the while telling a funny story about Garth Mulroy.

Hole halved: 2 down.

On the 6th it got messy, with too much talk about neck and back injuries.

I hit two left of the PAC, Benny two right of the Big D.

So, a wedge-out from 100m ensued. Ben made 8 (counting the lost balls) which was good enough to win the hole!

Hole won: 1 down.

Finally a par five arrived and Benny smoked a huge drive but finished a foot off the fairway in a gnarly chunk of turf specially exported from Oakmont for that exact spot in Africa.

He bludgeoned a five iron out just short of the green, displaying deceptive power from forearms that won’t be confused with Rafa Nadal’s left lasher.

“Should have chipped and putted for birdie,” he muttered, starting to talk like a proper golfer again.

Hole lost: 2 down.

On the 8th, a par three, he played a glorious in-out cover drive over the trees and almost into the bush.

“Do I get a drop from this?” he asked hopefully.

From a nasty, dusty and very tight lie he recalled the ghosts of Seve and squirted it under the branches, across and through a hollow, pitched it against a bank and watched it leap up like a leg-spinning long-hop in Mumbai and land gently about six foot from the stick. Of course he knocked it in.

Unfortunately, Dave had hired Jordan Spieth to jump out from behind a plant and take over the Scotty Cameron, holing a 30-ft monster for bird and closing out the game.

Hole lost: 3/1. Game over.

As a follow up, on the 9th Ben boomed his best drive of the day, with a fierce flash with full flourishing follow-through that would have been the envy of the Northern Irishman.

As for Augusta, Ben is hoping Lefty can add one more Jacket, and that Freddie will bring out the Rolls for its usual weekend drive-by.

Realistically, though, he suspects Rory may complete the Slam.

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