Mighty close but no cigar!
QUESTION Which great golfers have been forgotten because they never won a major championship?
DUE to a painful neck condition, Doug Sanders had a short, flat swing. But it was highly effective, winning him 20 PGA tournaments. However, he didn’t win any major championship: the Open, the US Open, the Masters or the PGA.
In the greatest choke of all time, he missed a 2ft putt on the 18th hole of the 1970 Open at St Andrews that would have won him the tournament. That opened the door for Jack Nicklaus, the toughest competitor in the game, to win the play-off.
When Sanders was asked if he remembered the putt every day, he replied: ‘No five minutes ever passes without me thinking of that putt.’
Wearing the boldest of colours on the course, Sanders was dubbed The Peacock by the press, but failed where it really counted. He finished second in the US Open, PGA and The Open (twice), and fourth in the Masters.
Henry Edward ‘Harry’ Cooper was born in Leatherhead, Surrey, in 1904 and moved to Texas as a child with his golf pro dad. Dubbed Lighthorse Harry for his fast style, he was one of the most formidable players in the US, establishing the record for the most PGA wins – 27 – without a major.
At the 1927 US Open, he lost a play-off to Tommy Armour. He was second again in 1936, and twice runner-up at the Masters in 1936 and 1938.
Cooper coined the golfing aphorism: ‘First you’ve got to be good – then you’ve got to be lucky.’
Scottish-born Macdonald ‘Mac’ Smith emigrated to California in his teens in search of golfing opportunities. His brothers had won the Open, Willie in 1899 and Alex in 1906 and 1910. Mac was seen as the more talented player, but never won a major. He won 25 official events on the PGA tour and was in the top ten of major championships 17 times.
Colin Montgomerie has the dubious distinction of being the PGA tour pro with the most second place finishes at the majors – five – without winning one.
Les Walters, King’s Lynn, Norfolk.
CANADIAN golfer Moe Norman was described as the greatest ball striker, but he does not have a record at the highest level because he chose not to play in championships. He felt he could not compete under the greatest pressure.
Thanks to his unique swing, his accuracy was bewildering to other players. Guy Jibson, Mountsorrel, Leicester.
QUESTION How can sailing boats travel faster than prevailing winds?
THIS is possible because of what is known as the aerofoil effect, which is the same phenomenon that allows aircraft to fly.
It may be thought a sailing boat would travel at its fastest when the wind is directly behind it, but this is not the case. The driving force of the wind is reduced by the resistance of the water through which the boat travels.
However, with a side wind, the shape of the sails helps the boat to move faster than the wind.
The sail becomes an aerofoil, a shape similar to an aircraft’s wing. This reduces the air pressure on one side of the foil and increases it on the other side, creating lift.
As the aerofoil is in the vertical plane, the lift acts sideways rather than upwards. The rudder is used to keep the boat straight, but the sideways lift allows the boat to move forward faster and exceed the speed of the wind.
This effect is marginal in boats with fabric sails, so racing yachts have replaced one or more sails with more efficient aerofoils made from carbon compounds.
These are augmented by fabric sails when the wind direction is directly behind, which reduces the aerofoil effect.
In addition, aerofoil-shaped hydrofoils are mounted on hulls of racing yachts, especially catamarans, which creates a similar effect under the waterline, increasing the boat’s speed. Other hydrofoils are used to raise the hull out of the water to reduce drag.
It is thought the boats that contested the America’s Cup last month can reach speeds of up to 57 knots, which is faster than some powerboats as well as the wind speed on the days of the races.
Rob Woodford, Northampton.
QUESTION Was there a German Number One about Gross Domestic Product?
NO, the biggest hit by Geier Sturzflug (Swooping Vulture), a German new wave group, was Bruttosozialprodukt, which means gross national product (GNP).
It was Number One for four weeks in Germany and topped the charts in Austria.
Singer Friedel Geratsch wrote the song about the ‘crazy’ German work ethic, inspired by his time working for an electrical wholesaler:
When Grandpa jumps on his bike on Sunday And sneaks into the factory Then Grandma is afraid that he’ll break apart Because Grandpa’s working an extra shift again today Yeah, now it’s time to spit on your hands We’re raising the gross national product.
According to Geratsch, no irony was intended: ‘Everything in there is experienced. There were a few who took early retirement, but couldn’t stop working.’
GDP measures the value of goods and services produced within a country’s borders. GNP measures the value of goods and services produced by a country’s citizens domestically and abroad.
Simon Barnes, Harrogate, N. Yorkshire.
QUESTION What else has pianist Colin Sell been doing when he’s not being insulted on the BBC Radio 4 comedy show I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue?
THE host of I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue introduces the piano accompaniment by Colin Sell in a lessthan-complimentary manner. For instance: ‘We’ve just heard some great news – I’m very pleased to announce the BBC has arranged a special collection of Colin’s entire work... they’ve bagged it up, and the council are sending some men round for it on Tuesday.’
Sell studied at Bristol University where he wrote music for revues. He joined I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue in 1974. He struck up a good relationship with contestants Barry Cryer and Willie Rushton and toured with their Two Old Farts In The Night show. He is a long-term collaborator on Barry Cryer’s stand-up show.
In the 1980s, Sell freelanced as a music teacher. In 1990, he took a full-time role as head of music at Rose Bruford Drama College.
He was head of music at East 15 Acting School from 1998 to 2015. His skill, particularly in the I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue game One Song To The Tune Of Another, has resulted in him providing musical accompaniment for the Comedy Store Players improv team.
Jane Sullivan, Wells, Somerset.
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