It Ain't What You Do (It's The Way That You Do It)

Tonight's blog is something of a miscellany but first to the title which is from a song first written and performed in 1939!  The version however that I am using is that recorded and performed in 1988 by The Fun Boy Three and Bananarama. The words were amended very slightly and it actually reached No 4 in the UK singles chart. What's crucial here are the song's lyrics that follow the title and they are "that's what gets results."

You must wonder in some of my musings if the heat of Dubai is having a detrimental affect on me but no, the choice of title tonight is very much a reflection of Jenni Hoskins, the Chief Marshall and the team of people that she has working all around her. No I'm not being sycophantic (an impressive word for someone from up North) to try and gain advantage and be given the best jobs!  It doesn't work with Jenni and rightly so but when I consider the component parts of the total volunteer army, I simply wouldn't have her job for a king's ransom.

There are scorers, static marshals, roving marshals, spotters and buggy drivers to name just a few and they all have to be organised on a daily basis. This is further complicated because some can only work early in the day, some from lunchtime. Others can only work one day, some all four.  Some of course don't even turn up as promised. The permutations are endless and it can create a logistical nightmare for Jenni and her team.  Of course she also has to deal with the egos and the prima donna volunteers like me but that's another story!

Through it all, she appears to remain calm on the outside (although it must be hell on the inside) and everything seems to run smoothly and provide the European PGA the support it needs to run such a major tournament. All I can really say is nice one Jenni, all your support team and all the volunteers who give their time so freely.

As far as today was concerned, compared to yesterday, it was an absolute breeze as I acted as scorer for Bernd Wiesberger and Darren Fichardt and you should try saying those two names after a few beers!  No comms or machine problems which was a touch disappointing after my adventures of yesterday and my first foray into the world of radio speak.  Perhaps tomorrow I will be able to get the words "ten four good buddy" into a transmission somewhere!! Anyway, both players improved considerably over my charges of yesterday by shooting two under and four under respectively although if Darren had putted better he would have been close to the leader, Henrik Stenson.

As a slight aside, I must also make mention of my score board carrier today, a truly delightful schoolgirl called Diva who was born in Bali and was frighteningly intelligent for one so young. For someone who did not know the game, she was right on the mark with all the scores and was often changing the board before I had had chance to ask her to do it. She had done such a great job that after we shook hands with the players on the 18th I happily carried the very heavy board back to the scorer's hut and she carried my clipboard.

One final item tonight and that is my fellow Skipton members Amanda and Paul.  Everyone who comes into contact with Amanda immediately falls in love with her and everyone who comes into contact with Paul wants to adopt him!  They are a joy to be around with the exception of our contrasting accommodation.  They are staying in one of the finest and most expensive hotels in Dubai, the Palm Atlantis while I am staying in the Premier Inn.  All 60 players are staying in their hotel and every night they rub shoulders with these leviathans of the game.  Amanda of course plays down the luxury and the standing of this Dubai icon....NOT,  but do you know what?  It doesn't have free wifi and in this day and age that's a real bummer.  Next year I have a feeling that they will be trading up to the seven star Premier Inn.

A few photos tonight including one with the "Caddie of the Year"Craig Connelly (he is on Martin Kaymer's bag), 2011 Masters Champion Charl Schwartzel and some other famous faces that the golf fans amongst you will recognise including Chief Referee of the European Tour, John Paramor. Oh and one of me Chief Marshal Jenni and another with some of her team.  Finally of course, a photo of a couple of sun baked Skipton members.