Australia’s legendary five-time Open champion Peter Thomson was not above offering a barbed opinion, be it of a golfer, a golf course or the golf swing.
Of Tiger Woods, he once said, “I wish he’d smile more. He injures his image by being morose and petulant. There is also very little consideration for the fellow he is playing with. He could show more humility.”
Of the iconic Road Hole, the 17th on the Old Course at St Andrews, he said, “As a planner and builder of holes worldwide, I have no hesitation in admitting that if one built such a hole today, he would be sued for incompetence.”
Our man “Thommo” left little room for ambiguity, notably when he boiled down the complexities of the game to simple truths. When he was asked for putting advice once, he said simply, “aim at the hole and hit it.”
So, there you go. When all else fails and you’re next faced with another knee-knocker, channel your inner Thommo and just keep things simple.
