Yesterday and Saturday I attended the President's Cup golf matches at Royal Montreal Golf Club. It was a great experience, regardless of the fact that the international team got obliterated. Mike Weir's stunning Sunday performance against Tiger Woods will undoubtedly go down as a Canadian golf history highlight.
It was a big event for Montreal and Quebec and Canada and the players were all raving about the hospitality and the support from the fans. This was the first time I had watched a professional tournament live since the 2003 Masters, which was won, of course, by Weir.
However, those who were watching on their TV sets unfortunately missed what I think was the best part of the weekend: the closing ceremonies. I can't find much media coverage except for this; suffice it to say, it was a very emotional event. An amphitheater was set up near the clubhouse. Jean Charest spoke, but the speeches by team captains Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player were absolutely outstanding.
In his remarks, Nicklaus remarked that Gary Player was his best friend in golf, and that it had been an honour to be opposite him in three straight President's Cups. Jack's voice was cracking and Player's eyes welled up with tears. These two men, two of the five individuals ever to win all four of golf's majors, realized that this could be their last showdown.
You could have heard a pin drop in that amphitheater. The appreciation and respect these greats have for each other was palpable. Player remarked that one of the great things about golf is that unlike other sports, you can play it past the age of 30: These two have known each other since 1958, and they're still going!
In my humble opinion, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus are two of the greatest sports personalities of the 20th century. I fear the sports personalities of today will not have this same kind of rapport 25 years from now. It is sad to think the sun is setting on the careers of these giants, and I'm grateful I was able to see in person what was quite clearly one of their proudest moments. You just felt you were witnessing something special.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 5:52 PM
