Grand Slam ‘special’ golf addict Boycott
Geoffrey Boycott believes that anybody who doesn’t take the opportunity to go to the PGA Grand Slam is ‘wrong in the head’.The year’s four major winners, Charl Schwartzel, Rory McIlroy, Darren Clarke and Keegan Bradley go head-to-head at Port Royal Golf Course next week and Boycott is expecting to see something special.Better known for his opinions on the state of the England cricket team, Boycott is also a big fan of golf, a game he was only able to start playing once he retired as one of the best batsman England and Yorkshire have ever produced.While he might not be in the same league as fellow television commentator Peter Allis, Boycott knows what it means to be a young and hungry professional sportsman.“You’ve got three young kids (Schwartzel, McIlroy, Bradley) who are ambitious, trying to win, trying to be great players. I don’t think they’ll just be coming for the money, they earn a lot of money anyhow,” Boycott said.“I know when I was young all I wanted to do was win, you want to get your place in history and these kids do, you see. They’re all major winners and the young ones will want more wins, more titles.“ This year, I think anybody who misses it, you’re wrong in the head. If you’re a Bermudian you want to come, this is special. I think Darren Clarke will have his hands full, he’ll need a lot of cigars.”No stranger to Bermuda having toured the Island several times in his playing days, the same could not be said for Boycott’s relationship with the Island’s golf courses. That’s something he put right during his visit with MCC recently, and while he didn’t watch much of the cricket he got to see all the golf courses he wanted.“I never played golf when I came before, I just came for the cricket,” he said. “Most of my life since I have gone into commentary, talking about cricket, which I absolutely love and adore, but playing golf is quite nice because you can play against the course, you don’t have to talk a lot, you’re in the fresh air.“I’m not a pro, I’ve done all that playing for my living as a cricketer, I don’t want to play for money . . . just to enjoy the fresh air and the scenery.”Delighted by the views that playing Bermuda’s courses provided, which included the obligatory stop and picture on the 16th at Port Royal, Boycott was also impressed with the par-three course at the Fairmont Southampton, where he stayed during his visit.“I played the 18-hole at the hotel, which is absolutely spectacular. You think of a par-three as all wedges, a little Mickey Mouse course, it’s not at all. No, no, no, it’s fantastic, I tell everybody, go and play.“I’m told that it’s the fifth best (par-3 course) in the world. I know it’s good publicity to say that but I wouldn’t disagree. I think we all know that the Masters par-3 is a bit special, but if there are three others in front of it (Fairmont Southampton) they must be bloody good.”