Jack the gent..

[brendy]

I Found a nice story between our Club/one of our members and Jack Nicklaus today while having a party for two of my daughters in the clubhouse.
I was organising the upstairs function room with balloons etc when I noticed a few pics of a local guy who pretty much accomplished everything an amateur can hope to, Garth Mc Gimpsey. He was stood shaking hands with Jack Nicklaus during the week of the Masters.
Then looking at the rest of the frames on the display (and a little tinternet digging), It turned out that He played in the same Practice fourball as Jack.

(I apologise for the quality of pics, taken with my iphone in low light.)

Jack Nicklaus had a season of poor results with papers and magazines writing him off as another has been. This year he decided to go for it as he really didnt have much to lose with the effort. The media provided the motivation for him.
click here for more on the actual tournament and Jacks win.
Garth was playing as an invited amateur on the Masters.

So thats what the invites to play the Masters looks like!

After the practice round, Garth had beaten Jack and a few days later back home This letter appeared in the post.

along with this cheque.

The memo on the cheque made me smile.

 

[Atticus_Finch]

That's quite something Brendy. It shows the class of the man.
Bet that cheque's worth a lot more than 4 bucks nowadays!

 

[madandra]

Ah, that's when golf was played by gentlemen who had respect for those not as fortunate. Nowadays those not as fortunate are regarded as carpet for the arrogant erseholes to walk all over.

 

[Smiffy]

Ah, that's when golf was played by gentlemen who had respect for those not as fortunate. Nowadays those not as fortunate are regarded as carpet for the arrogant erseholes to walk all over.

Couldn't have put it better myself...

Great story though. Thanks for sharing

 

[Ethan]

1986? I think the rest of Masters week went well for Jack that year.

An example to Tiger why there is more to greatness than the number of wins.

 

[Boabski]

great wee story mate,i love things like that

 

[drawboy]

Thanks for sharing that, it's nice to see stories like this, makes the stars seem more human somehow.

 

[RichardC]

Great story.

How good would it be to play with one of the true golfing greats.

 

[Macster]

Excellent, a real example of why I, given the chance, would rather play a round with Jack, Tom Watson, Greg Norman, Seve, & a host of others, before the likes of TW.

Different class.

 

[SammmeBee]

Wasn't McGimpsey accused of being some kind of drug lord?

 

[brendy]

Cheers lads.
He was accused mate, a package of drugs turned up on his doorstep post from amsterdam or somewhere I believe. He was arrested and questioned (as you would expect) but was found to be innocent and pretty much fitted up by someone. To be honest, if he was guilty, I would not have posted this up.

Forgot to mention, the guy hits a rediculously long ball too.

 

[SammmeBee]

Didn't Jack Charlton used to do a similar thing with cheques? Walk into a pub, buy the whole pub a drink, then pay by cheque knowing the cheque would end up in a frame behind the bar rather then in the bank?

I assume he (GMcG) won The Amateur then in 85?

 

[Dodger]

Why does the invite say 87 when he played in 86?

Great story, that cheque made me laugh.

 

[clubchamp07]

Great story, I played against Gareth a few seasons ago, I was well and trully stuffed. I blamed the foursomes that we played that day, but he is still a top bloke.

 

[John_Findlay]

That's a grand story. It just shows the calibre of the man (Jack). Just those little touches that take a bit of effort but make all the difference, eh?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Brendy,

You should have a chat with MikeH. That would make a cracking piece for the Augusta issue or post Masters. I wonder if one of the GM team covering the event could ask Jack if he remembers it!

 

[brendy]

Why does the invite say 87 when he played in 86?

Great story, that cheque made me laugh.

He got an invite back the next year (ended with the same score too), I guess the '86 one is framed in his own house.

 

[brendy]

Sammmebee, yea he won the British amatuers in '85

Garth McGimpsey of Northern Ireland defeated Graham Homewood of England, 8 and 7, and won the British Amateur golf title today. The final had been scheduled for 36 holes.

His victory at Royal Dornoch gave the 29-year-old McGimpsey places in the British Open, United States Masters and World Series of Golf later this year, and a virtual lock on a berth in the Walker Cup competition with the United States in August.

 

[Ethan]

Sammmebee, yea he won the British amatuers in '85

Garth McGimpsey of Northern Ireland defeated Graham Homewood of England, 8 and 7, and won the British Amateur golf title today. The final had been scheduled for 36 holes.

His victory at Royal Dornoch gave the 29-year-old McGimpsey places in the British Open, United States Masters and World Series of Golf later this year, and a virtual lock on a berth in the Walker Cup competition with the United States in August.

The Amateur Championship, if you don't mind.

 

[brendy]

Just quoting the website matey, its The Open to me also.