Golfer ‘Moggo’ finds silver lining in runner-up spot
It's best not to leave a golfer's name out of the results column.
IN his heyday Mike Matthews of Umhlali Country Club was a superb striker of the ball and a feared matchplay opponent.
“Should have played for his province, definitely,” muttered Brian Dougherty once, when asked by this journalist how good Matthews was or had been. “He hit it great, really solid.”
That was quite a long time ago and ‘Dogs’ has probably forgotten the comment.
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However, it seems the competitive fire still burns for Matthews.
Most golfers know about the comment made by Gary Player many years ago in connection with finishing second in a tournament.
“Only your dog may care … and that’s if he’s a good dog,” he said. Something like that.
But Player didn’t account for the likes of ‘Moggo’, who was most proud of his runner-up finish at his recent club champs.
And therefore not so chuffed that yours truly omitted it from the report last week.
It was actually a tie for second, with the up-and-coming Thabo Magwaza, and eight shots behind the winner Kevin Ullyett.
Let’s see how he goes in the matchplay…
Having said all this, Mike is arguably one of the best golfers not to have played for KwaZulu-Natal.
He did play plenty country districts golf in his time and has won the Umhlali club champs at least five times.
Anyway, this runner-up stuff got me thinking a bit.
Which of the big name players has the most runner-up finishes in the majors?
Perhaps you already know it’s Jack Nicklaus who had 19 runner-up spots to go with his 18 majors.
In second is Phil Mickelson with 11 seconds, six of which came at the US Open. He’s won five majors but not his national open.
Arnold Palmer had 10 seconds, to go with his seven majors. In some ways Phil is the new Arnie. Or tries to be.
Sam Snead had eight second place finishes as did Tom Watson and Greg Norman, some spectacularly unlucky.
Watson won eight majors and then, incredibly, nearly a ninth at the Open in 2009 at the age of 59.
Slammin’ Sammy racked up seven majors to the Shark’s two Claret Jugs.
Snead, like Mickelson, has won three of the four, but not the US Open.
Four players had six runner-up placings: Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Ernie Els and Tiger Woods.
It feels like Ernie blew plenty and the others just never missed out … so that’s an interesting stat, skewed by emotion.
Hogan (9), Player (9) and Woods (14) all won the slam, as you know, Woods three times over.
Els is one of the few to have a Runner-Up Slam and Woods could still add to his stats.
What this article doesn’t say is how many third and fourth place finishes they racked up, and also if they were really in contention when finishing second.
That’s probably why the likes of Palmer, Norman, Mickelson, Els and Mike Matthews’s stick more in the memory than the others.
Okay, maybe not Mike, but he’s not far off becoming a flag-bearer for ‘ballies who can still play a bit!’
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