Jan 30, 2009 - Sweet Swingin' Sam Richardson

I write this blog item to apologise to Sweet Swingin' Sam Richardson. Sam, if I remember correctly, was professional golf champion of Australia in 1936 - two years before I was born. But when I was 19 (1957) I had a bit part in a business venture which Sam was negotiating with Kay and John Ryan, for whom I worked in a delicatessen shop called Parramatta Delicacies.

But a bit more about Sam. He was truly a sweet swinger. The closest you would see today would be Robert Allenby or Ernie Els. That beautiful rythmic stroke that seems so effortless but from which the ball projects like a missile from the Gaza strip (not many golf courses there). Jack Nicklaus always says that a golf swing is like the pendulum of a clock. Sam Richardson would have got on well with all of them. Even from the grave, holding a hickory shafted club, Sam would have spoken their language.

Anyway I was a little upstart - at nineteen I thought I knew everything about everything. Sam, in his kindness, tried to tell me that I needed rythmn in my stroke. Being young I wanted to hit the ball out of sight. I was quite a good golfer. I was in the junior Pennant Team at Ryde-Parramatta Golf Club with four future Australian Champions - Teddy Ball, Alec and Dave Mercer, Johnny Barrass. I had played against Bruce Devlin, Bruce Crampton, Ian Chaplin and Barry Deitz. I was friends with Bill Kaye-Smith, Billy Holder and Ron Menzies. I had won the B Grade Championship at Ryde Parramatta in fine style. I was up myself.

So Sam, here's my apology. When you tried to help me develop a rythmic swing I was too bloody young and arrogant to take it in. But now I am in my seventies, I have to tell you - you were so right. Every time I get into the rythmic zone I burn the course up. Thanks for trying. I wish I had listened to you earlier.