An Ode To Golf
Game of games, above them all,
Historic and incomparable,
You’re a riddle, a temptress, a trial, a test,
Compulsive at worst and beguiling at best,
Heroes and fools will face you squarely,
Some with gusto, others just barely,
But you treat them the same and you treat them fairly,
You offer yourself but give yourself rarely,
There’s beauty in your form and flow,
A shot at glory with every blow,
So often though, a sting in the tail,
A chance to succeed but the freedom to fail,
Whether on moor or heath, on park or sands,
Whether at home or in far distant lands,
Just put that club into my hands,
My heart yearned but now it demands,
Game above games, you stand alone,
You set the example, the standard, the tone,
It may be an exercise in total futility,
But you teach us of patience and, above all, humility.
Fergus wrote this poem while attending the 14th Asia Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC) at Royal Melbourne GC. The AAC was founded in 2009, a joint venture between The R&A, The Masters Tournament and the Asia Pacific Golf Federation. The event has played a significant role in growing the game in the region and around the world. 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama is a two-time former champion and 2022 Open champion Cam Smith is an alumni of the event.
The winner of the AAC earns a place in both The Open Championship and The Masters Tournament plus an exemption for The Amateur Championship, the runner up or runners up gain a place in The Open Qualifying Series.
