There was a magical moment of sporting commentary on television many years ago when Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus were engaged in an epic, titanic battle at the top of the leaderboard of the Open Golf Championship in 1977, a battle that became known as the “duel in the sun”. They were playing scintillating golf, being spurred on by the other’s brilliance, matching each other shot for shot. As they came to the final holes, Tom Watson played a stunning iron shot to the green which landed just a few feet from the hole, at which point Peter Alliss, the television commentator, simply but naturally said, “Elementary, my dear Watson!” This was, obviously and beautifully, a delightful reference to the favourite response from the great literary detective figure, Sherlock Holmes, to his sidekick, in explaining his methods of reasoning and deduction. Elementary, my dear Watson.
Tom Watson, one of the world’s great golfers, demonstrated how he became so successful in that one shot, played under enormous pressure. He kept it Elementary, by which we mean it was straightforward, basic, uncomplicated and fundamental. That shot, as with all his shots, was Elegant, by which we might mean it was smart, well-designed, neat, well-controlled. We can discover too that he played his golf Economically (carefully and prudently) and Eloquently (with feeling, fluently), Enterprisingly, Expectantly (eagerly, excitedly, keenly, in anticipation) and Eminently (exceedingly). His golf was Educated (knowledgeable, considered, understanding). As a result he played Effectively.
In short, he made it look so easy (yet any of us who have tried to play golf know how difficult it is to do)! He did it with such ease because he did it with such Es, as highlighted above – it was elementary, elegant, economical, eloquent, enterprising, expectant and eminent. As golfers will know, there is a popular saying among golfers about to play their shot – they like to remind themselves that their golf swing is a matter of ‘ease and grace’. Ease and grace! Ease and grace! Watson certainly played with ease, with Es, but what about grace?
We could see such grace when he played with dignity in the way that he treated his opponents as well as spectators. He played with humility in thinking of his opponents before himself. He played in a calm manner and with a genuine charm. Grace was very much evident in his quiet, soft, confident, serene, seamless, relaxed and honourable approach to the sport, to competition and to results. We saw such grace through his poise, finesse, balance, rhythm, fluidity and beauty. Furthermore, grace was evident in his joy and delight in being able to play such a noble sport, in his forgiveness and gentleness when fate and the elements seemed to work against him, and in his courtesy and civility.
Interestingly, thirty two years later, at the age of fifty-nine, on the very same Turnberry golf course, Watson almost won the Open for a record-breaking sixth time, only to be caught on the final hole to tie the match and to lose the match in a four-hole play-off. At the beginning of that week, Watson had told reporters, “I have no idea what I’m going to do.” Following his astonishing near miss with an unlikely victory he simply and graciously said, “Hey, this ain’t a funeral, you know. I take from this week just a lot of warmth,” adding that “If you get beat, you tip your hat to the guy who beat you. If you can’t do that, there’s something wrong with you. After all, you lose in this game more often than you win. A lot more often. I’ve always been able to take defeat or disappointment and make lemonade out of it.” Once again, he displayed extraordinary, amazing grace in his reactions and in his play.
‘Ease and grace’ undoubtedly is the best advice for how golf should be played. A player who plays with such ease and grace makes golf the winner. However, ease and grace should be applied to all sport and our children should be brought up with such a mantra ringing in their ears and pulsing in
their hearts from the youngest age. Ultimately, though, and again as with all sport, ease and grace is the best advice we can give to our children for facing the conditions of every aspect of life. Ease and grace! The television commentator who came up with that line, “Elementary, my dear Watson” showed extraordinary ease and grace in coming up with such a comment at such a key time. We would do well to follow his example – and we do not need to be Sherlock Holmes to work that out.
