Last night over a few drinks, the discussion flowed on many topics. There were the merits of Ian Botham’s greatness; the womanising of George Best; the chances of Ricky Hatton in his upcoming fight against Manny Pacquiao and the ability of Angel Cabrera to hold off the field and claim his second Major Championship at Augusta National.

Champion storyteller, Bill Elliott, revealed a disappointing tale about the Argentinean, from a pro-am event at Wentworth some years ago. Apparently the big guy wasn’t the most accommodating to the young amateur who had won the honour of sharing his time. We then moved on to some of the bad eggs we have come across in professional sport, guys who treat the media with disdain even when respect is offered...

From the golfing world, it is pleasing to report that there is a healthy level of interaction with the players and media. Just this week alone at Augusta, the players take their time to feed the waiting hacks with adequate quotes for you, the reader, to enjoy.

There can be no better example of this than Jim Furyk, who is thoughtful and meticulous in his approach to dealing with questions. He remains honest, realistic and far from bullish about his chances. Furyk comes across as quite an ordinary guy – I guess that is what people like about him.

Whatever happens on Masters Sunday, the American is player I have come to greatly admire this week. For that I take my hat off to him. Just make sure you keep yours on, Jim…

From Augusta

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