Laidlaw: A kind, master craftsman

I CAN still remember walking into my first European Tour media tent long ago in my early twenties, knowing no one and frankly terrified at the thought of rubbing shoulders with a gathering of journalists, many of whom were household names. One man rose instantly from his chair and made his way over to greet me. ‘You must be Dai Davies’s replacement at the Birmingham Post,’ he said. ‘I’m Renton Laidlaw and let me introduce you to everyone. Will you join me and a couple of colleagues for dinner this evening?’ So it began, a journey of nearly 40 years where the most influential golf journalist of all still found the time to keep in touch, just as he did with everyone else. When I had run-ins with the Tour and the R&A over the years, Renton would be there with encouragement. When I was in hospital with Covid-19 in January, despite his own health troubles far greater than mine, Renton (below) was still there once more, ringing my wife regularly for updates. ‘I don’t want to disturb him,’ he said on one occasion, when I had left the hospital but was barely able to speak. ‘Renton, if there’s one person he will want to try to talk to, it’s you,’ she replied. She was right about that. As I’m sure you’re aware, Renton passed away last week, at the age of 82. As all the many splendid tributes have pointed out, he was a titan of broadcasting, a master of newspaper deadlines, and a man who all but kept the Association of Golf Writers together for a decade and more. Above all that, though, he was the greatest of us in one other regard as well, the most important one of all. He was, quite simply, the nicest, kindest journalist I’ve met in 40 years.