Two Gloves deserves a big hand
UNGAINLY Gainey” might be a better nickname for the lovable man they call “Two Gloves”, but there was no debating that the manner with which he claimed his first PGA Tour title on Sunday was extraordinary.
Tommy Gainey, whose unique swing is once seen and never forgotten, shot a 60 in Sunday’s final round of the McGladrey Classic in Georgia to overhaul a huge seven-shot overnight deficit.
The American, 37, is great to watch – he feeds off the crowd, bowing to all four corners of the green when he holes a putt – and will be delighted to break his duck.
Doing so in a field with the likes of David Toms and Jim Furyk is impressive, but elsewhere it was great to see Paul Casey finish in the top five for the first time in almost a year in Australia, after injury.
Well done also to Scotland’s Scott Jamieson, who carded the same score as Casey at the Perth International, lifting him six places in the Race to Dubai to 54th, with a top-60 spot needed to reach the lucrative end of season showpiece.
On a similar note, this week sees the Grand Slam of Golf, although the absence of Rory McIlroy and the injured Ernie Els takes off some of the sheen. I think the four-man competition in Bermuda, designed to include only the year’s Major winners, is a wonderful idea.
However, it suffers slightly from being part of a very busy calendar, especially this year, when the world’s best have also had a Ryder Cup.
Sam Torrance OBE is a multiple Ryder Cup-winning golfer and media commentator. Follow him on Twitter @torrancesam