The intense competition continues, but going into the last day of the tournament the UK/British Isles team has won the day with 13 points. The US and Continental Europe are tied at 7 points. We have now played 3 British Open courses and learned an immense amount about the history of golf while also exchanging cultural and intellectual ideas across a dozen or so countries (based on our discussions I’m still not sure we should count the US or UK as one country each!).
This seals a remarkable record for the Cup — the home team has won every match. Its hard to believe cardiologists would be so nice as visitors, but this is what has happened.
During off time there have been “Beatles tours”–its true that Ringo grew up in a 2 room house without plumbing. And some members of the entourage came across an unexpected museum that contains both the Titanic museum (the Titanic was built in Liverpool) and the International Slavery Museum (many of the slave ships were built in Liverpool) reminding us that the worst of humanity is often due to primordial human failings shared across geography.
Brian Maurer, an icon of Irish cardiology, reviewed the history of the tournament, and recited the following poem from the former poet laureate of the UK that sums up golf for those who love despite their incompetence at the game:
Poet: John Betjeman
Poem: Seaside Golf
How straight it flew, how long it flew,
It clear’d the rutty track
And soaring, disappeared from view
Beyond the bunker’s back -
A glorious, sailing, bounding drive
That made me glad I was alive.
And down the fairway, far along
It glowed a lonely white;
I played an iron sure and strong
And clipp’d it out of sight,
And spite of grassy banks between
I knew I’d find it on the green.
And so I did. It lay content
Two paces from the pin;
A steady putt and then it went
Oh, most surely in.
The very turf rejoiced to see
That quite unprecedented three.
Ah! Seaweed smells from sandy caves
And thyme and mist in whiffs,
In-coming tide, Atlantic waves
Slapping the sunny cliffs,
Lark song and sea sounds in the air
And splendour, splendour everywhere.