How quickly the year has passed as half of 2013 is behind us while we’ve witnessed three of the four Major Championships this season.

Hereunder is my monthly medal winners for the month of July, 2013.

BEST TOURNAMENT OF THE MONTH – Media v Fortrose & Rosemarkie Members.

Forget the four European Tour events staged in July as the best event in July was the Scottish Open media -v- the members of Fortrose and Rosemarkie Golf Club outing on the eve of the Scottish Open.

The James Braid course was playing as how it was intended to play – hard and bouncy.

Everyone involved enjoyed the encounter so much in the end we don’t know who ended up winning.

Thanks so much again to Fortrose Secretary and good friend, Mike McDonald for his three years of organising and to the members of the club in hosting members of the media attending the Scottish Open.

GOOD REASON TO TEE-UP IN THE SCOTTISH OPEN AWARD

Here’s a telling fact!

The last three winners of the Open Championship have competed the week prior in the Scottish Open

The much-acclaimed Gil Hanse designed Castle Stuart has hosted the Scottish Open since 2011.

Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke captured the 2011 Open Championship at Royal St. George’s after having played at Castle Stuart.  Last year Ernie Els won a second Open Championship last year after having played a week earlier at Castle Stuart.

Now Phil Mickelson has become the third straight winner, and also the third straight over-40 year old, to capture golf’s oldest major having played the Scottish Open the week prior.

MISCHIEF MAKER OF THE MONTH – Sue Page, Callaway Golf.

Alistair Tait was one of the most respected golf journalists covering this year’s Open at Muirfield.

Sue Page is the PR manager for Callaway and she mischievously devised a challenge for the star Callaway players who attended the now annual Meet the Players night.

Twelve months ago Alistair was the ‘smash’ hit when he thinned a shot from a greenside bunker clearing an adjoining tee, the practice putting green, tables and chairs in front of the clubhouse and smashing a window in the host clubhouse.

So Sue went to great expense to set up a challenge this year for the players – the Alistair Tait Window Challenge.

Naturally, Alistair was very red-faced when asked to play a wedge shot over the mock up of a clubhouse window.  But to his credit the Woburn golfing wonder cleared the panels of glass (or in this case tough plastic) and unlike some of the stars of this week’s 142nd Open Championship.

Well done Sue – one of the greatest and more elaborately arranged wind-ups ever perpetrated on tour.

FATHER OF THE MONTH – Hunter Mahan

Hunter Mahan was the 36-hole leader in the RBC Canadian Open but raced home before his Saturday tee time to attend the birth of his first child – a daughter, Zoe.

Mahan led after rounds of 67 and 64 at Glen Abbey Golf Club, two shots in front of the field, when his wife, Kandi, went into early labour.

He was warming-up on the practice range and about an hour out from his tee time when agent Chris Armstrong handed him his mobile phone.

Mahan immediately stopped everything he was doing and rushed to the airport catching a private flight home to Dallas to be with his former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader wife.

EXCLUSIVE GOLF COURSE ACCESS AWARD OF THE MONTH – La Reserva, Spain

It had been many years since I last played La Reserva that overlooks Valderrama on Spain’s Costa del Sol.

So in the company of good friends and colleagues, Michael Court, Barry Gentle and Paul Bennett we played a number of courses in the week following the Open Championship.

On the day we played La Reserva it was again clear blue sunshine.

We arrived in readiness for our 11am tee time to notice just three people on the practice range but then some four hours later we did not see one other golfer on the course.

The scenario quickly reminded me of the Mastercard TV advertisement – priceless!.

Many thanks to La Reserva Director, Jose Manuel Ocana.

CRAZY HEADGEAR AWARD

Ian Poulter got a laugh when he saw one of his many fans turn up to Muirfield and the Open Championship wearing a windmill over his head.

Poulter took to Twitter following his opening round in this year’s championship posting the following comments:- “Unfortunately the guys this afternoon will struggle with a few pin positions. 8th hole is a joke, 18th needs a windmill & clown face.”

BEST MEDIA TEAM – R & A Open Championship Media Team

I am biased here but the best media team in the month of July was the R & A media team running affairs at Muirfield.

Well done to everyone and thanks to Malcolm Booth, Lynn Wallance and Mike Woodcock for the opporunity to work with a professional outfit.

The only major disappointment was good friend, Trevor Peake being axed from the team.

Trevor was sorely missed.

However looking forward to Hoylake.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH – Rory McIlroy.

Double Major winning Rory McIlroy posted his second worst Open Championship score of 79 on day one of the 2013 Open Championship and then admitted he’s been walking around for the past six months – brain dead!

McIlroy posted just two birdies but also six bogeys and a pair of double bogeys in a score that was just one shot less than the 80 he posted on day two of the 2010 Open Championship at St. Andrews.

“But sometimes I feel like I’m walking around out there and I’m unconscious. I just need to try to think more. I’m trying to focus and trying to concentrate. But I can’t really fathom it at the minute and it’s hard to stand up here and tell you guys what’s really wrong.

“It’s just so brain dead.

“Seriously, I feel like I’ve been walking around out there like that for the last couple of months. I’m trying to get out of it. I just don’t quite know why.”

BIG MAC AWARD – Padraig Harrington

Triple Major winning Padraig Harrington certainly suprised patrons in the local McDonalds in Inverness during Scottish Open week.

Harrington and long-time caddy, Ronan Flood dropped in for a McFlurry but Harrington found himself the centre of attention with Highland golf fans wanting the Irishman’s autograph and also a pic with the popular Irishman.

And while Harrington confessed it was the first time he’d ever queued in McDonalds he likened it all part of the buzz of the Scottish Open.

“I was trying to keep a low profile but that didn’t happen,” said Harrington.

“But I ended up signing a few autographs and having a few pictures taken.”

BEST FUNCTION OF THE MONTH – AGW Annual Dinner

In recent years, the AGW annual dinner during Open Championship was leaving everyone a litte sick in the stomach.

Something needed to be done to inject a new lease of life into the evening.

BBC Five Live’s Ian Carter, and Deputy Chairman of the Association, stepped forward and with the committee’s sanction turned the evening into an enjoyable occasion.

No more boring speeches, no more boring tales from AGW members and no more boring past Chairmen turning the evening into another chest-beating exercise.

Instead, Ian helped turned the evening into a slick occasion with his Q & A session with a number invited player.

BEST SLEEVE OF GOLF BALLS GIVEAWAY – Pennsylvania State Police.

If you click on Life on Tour and read the story of our drive from Philedelphia to Akron you will know where I am coming from.

I told the story a few times while present here in Akron and each time it gets a good laugh.