Good luck charm

With just over a month until the Open Championship returns to Carnoustie, thoughts return to some of the golfing folklore that surrounds the course. One man ingrained in the history of Carnoustie is legend Tom Watson who won his maiden Claret Jug there in 1975.

But does anyone know the identity and whereabouts of the person who brought a surprising intervention to proceedings ahead of his play-off victory over Australia’s Jack Newton?

“A little girl came up to me in her bare feet on that cold rainy morning and gave me a good luck charm,” Watson said in an interview at the 2015 Open in St Andrews. “It was a piece of white heather wrapped in aluminium foil. I kept it in my golf bag for well over a year.

“It helped my understanding of what golf is in Scotland. People embrace it, they respect it. They will give you a round of applause that acknowledges how tough it was. That is just part of the fabric of life here.”

The Courier would like to hear from the ‘little girl’ who presented the heather to Watson in 1975. Anyone with information, please get in touch with Michael Alexander at malexander@ thecourier.co.uk

A reader has sent in this picture of accordionist Jimmy Shand with his band, but unfortunately, we have no idea about the occasion of the date. Anyone have any suggestions?