Royal Birkdale is a stern links test
On the eve of the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, it’s a good time to reflect on my lone visit to that storied links course in England. It happened in 1989.
I made plans to cover the Ryder Cup at the Belfry Golf Course outside of Birmingham, in the West Midlands region of England.
Not wanting to leave my clubs forelorned back in Michigan, I wrote young course architect Tom Doak, living in Traverse City, about course recommendations. High Pointe GC, his first design, had opened that summer, and I knew Doak had traveled throughout England and Scotland in his early years and possessed intimate knowledge of links courses.
A few weeks later, I received a large manila envelope from Doak, and in it was a Michelin road map of England’s northwest region. Doak had written an attached note and kindly circled the recommended cities and villages where favorite links courses were located. Among them were Royal Birkdale, Hillside, Formby, and Royal Lytham St. Annes.
Next, I wrote a letter to these courses on my Michigan Golfer stationery introducing myself, listing my handicap, and requesting a tee time the week after the upcoming Ryder Cup.
In my letter to the secretary of Royal Birkdale, I specifically requested a knowledgeable and experienced caddie.
Fast forward a few months. I flew to England and covered my first Ryder Cup overseas. Team USA, captained by Ray Floyd, ended the matches tied with Europe, and thus Europe, captained by Tony Jacklin, retained the cherished Cup which they had won at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio. I covered it which included Michigan’s Dan Pohl. Those dramatic matches got me hooked on the Ryder Cup and the spirited competition and pressure unique to the game.
Accompanied by Tom Cleary, a writer for Michigan Golfer who joined me at the Ryder Cup, we drove first to Royal Birkdale, where I had booked a morning tee time. At the club we checked in, unloaded our clubs and a course official directed us to the first tee where he said our caddies would meet us with our bags.
Under cloudy skies, I began walking to the first tee, filled with anticipation for playing one of the premier championship links courses in the world. I was also anxious to meet my caddie, because overseas caddies add so much to one’s experience.
As I neared the first tee, I noticed a caddie holding my clubs and nicely dressed with a blue jacket, dark sweater and tweed cap. Immediately, I recognized him from previous televised Opens. My God, I thought to myself, it’s Alfie Fyles!
For the uninitiated, Fyles is one of the most famous caddies in the long history of the Open Championship, first played in 1860 (before the U.S. Civil War!).
Tom Watson with Alfie Fyles
The long-time caddie of Tom Watson, Fyles was on his bag for all five of his Open victories—1975 (at Birkdale), 1977 (Turnberry), 1980 (Muirfield), 1982 (Royal Troon) and 1983 (Birkdale).
Alongside Fyles was another local caddie holding Cleary’s clubs. After introductions, we headed to the tee and Tom and I made our usual friendly wagers. But inside my head, I knew Tom had no chance that day. I had Alfie Fyles as my caddie.
Alfie was a joy both as a caddie and a companion, informative, encouraging, and committed to his craft. Luckily, I had brought a microcassette recorder in my bag, and I used it to record our conversations as we walked the course.
Like most caddies, Alfie was proficient at pointing out preferred lines off the tee and in the fairway. Birkdale was a stern, unforgiving links test, but with Alfie’s guidance I avoided big numbers and played well. Meanwhile, Tom struggled and confided several times he received bad advice from his caddie. As I said, the poor guy had ‘no chance.’
Alfie regaled me with stories about “Tom” and also Watson’s young son, Michael. I could tell Alfie had a special affection for the Watson family. He cherished his legacy with the five-time Open champion. He also proudly guarded Watson’s caliber as a legendary player.
Fyles with the author’s bag in 1989
After I hit a long drive that seemed to run endlessly down the firm and fast fairways, I turned to Alfie and asked:
“So how did that drive match up with Watson in 1983 when he won?”
“That was a good strike, Terry, but Tom still outdrove you by thirty yards.” Pointing behind us, he added: “He hit a one-iron back there from the championship markers.”
In other words, compared to his beloved Tom Watson, I had no chance.
Images courtesy of Liverpool Tourism, Royal Birkdale, Caddy Hall of Fame and Terry Moore
