It’s Usually Customary To Present The Visting Media With A Gift – $200?

 

For some reason, I missed the inaugural 1998 Qatar Masters and won by Scotland’s Andrew Coltart.

It was a double celebration for the affable Scot who awoke on the Sunday morning having been confirmed as the 1997/98 Australasian Tour No. 1.

Coltart had travelled to Australia in the weeks leading up to the 1997 Christmas festive season and pulled off a second ‘Down Under’ triumph in three years in capturing the 1997 Australian PGA Championship at the famed Alister MacKenzie designed New South Wales club laid out at the entrance to Botany Bay in Sydney.

The Scot maintained his lead atop of the Australasian Tour money list into January 1998 and stayed atop of the pile with a T4th in the co-sanctioned Johnnie Walker Classic, and also a fortnight later with a T15th at the similar co-sanctioned Heineken Classic.

The final Australasian Tour event was still to be played and with Coltart weighing-up the option of either returning to Australia or competing in the first hosting a brand new European Tour event in Qatar.  The decision was made easy for the Scot after a top-20 in Dubai and then facing just a very short flight to Doha for the inaugural hosting of the Qatar Masters, and on the only golf course then in Qatar – the Doha Golf Club.

On the flipside of the coin, was the thought of a 13-hour or so flight ‘Down Under’.

Andrew Coltart carves out a unique slice of golfing history – Winning the 19997/98 Australian Tour OOM and then later that day captures the inaugual 1998 Qatar Masters

Coltart etched his name into European Tour history winning by two shots to cap what, in fact, was a triple celebration for the Scot as in topping the 1997/98 Australasian Tour order of merit he also earned a tee time into the 1998 Open Championship at the Home of Golf.

Around a half-a-dozen UK-based media were in attendance to report on Coltart’s then fourth victory of what would be five pro career victories in his career.

I am not sure of the exact circumstances or where the following comment emanated that week in Doha but the following remark had the desired effect“It’s customary to present the visiting media with a gift”. Well, the visiting media were each handed an unmarked envelope that contained $US 200 in cash.

However, I am aware the Press Association’s Mark Garrod declined to accept the payment as it was against company policy but not for my fellow freelancer, Norman Dabell.

When I heard the tale a few weeks later, I thought to myself I should have made the effort to attend though really not for the money but for the stories my colleagues shared with me of this new Tour destination, and hence why I madke the effort to be present in 1999.

The new 1999 European Tour season dawned, and after reporting on David Howell’s Dubai Desert Classic success I joined Norman in boarding the short flight from Dubai to Doha.

The Sheraton Grand in Doha – Looks like something out of Star Wars

We stayed the week in Sheraton Grand Hotel and then the only hotel on the Corniche in Doha.  The hotel is distinct given its pyramid-like shape, and it really looked like something out of Star Wars. I recall it also boasted a four-lane, tenpin bowling facility in the lower floors. I know that as I had a game one night.

Nowadays, you would miss the Sheraton Grand given the entire length of the Corniche is dotted with stunning new hotel complexes.

The Sheraton hotel made news headlines early in 2020 hosting hundreds of guests to witness the signing of an accord expected to lay the groundwork for U.S. and Taliban officials that would eventually lead to a drawdown of American, NATO and foreign partner troops from Afghanistan after more than 18 years of war.

In 1999 the Doha Golf Club, and much like the Sheraton Grand, was also lying by itself and well away from the city limits.

I arrived at the course mid-morning for the final round and Norman made the comment:  “I wonder if they might give the media a gift like they did last year?”  I naturally thought the same myself and thinking what I could do with an envelope containing $200.

Yes, we received a gift but it wasn’t $200 nor was it $100.  We were each handed a wooden model of a Dhow, an Arabic fishing vessel.

An Arabian dhow.

Scotland’s Paul Lawrie raised the mainsail and took full advantage of the Shamal, and the winds so common in the Arabic and Persian Gulf, and after posting scores of 68, 65 and 67 he whipped-up a final day 68 to win by seven shots, and in what is still the biggest winning margin in 15 pro career wins.

Lawrie’s win was great for myself as I was filing at the time to three Scottish newspapers so they lapped-up the copy while the win would lead to Lawrie then completing the biggest final round comeback in major championship history a few months later in July when he captured the 128th Open Championship at Carnoustie and just around an hour’s drive from his beloved Aberdeen.

The morning following Lawrie’s Qatar win, I made my way to the then ‘old’ Doha airport and boarded a flight for the long journey home to Australia for a few weeks break.

Packed into my suitcase was the wooden Dhow.

I had arranged to fly to Melbourne and then transfer on a domestic flight to Sydney but upon arrival in Melbourne the customs queue was horrendous, and just what you did not welcome after a long overnight flight.

Those who travel to Australia will know all too well how strict the authorities can be when it comes to bringing food stuffs, plant life or anything wooden into the country.   The immigration officials will even inspect golf shoes and take them off you for cleaning should you have dirt on the soles.

Naturally, I had ticked the appropriate form on my immigration entry card to declare ‘yes’, I was carrying wooden objects though for a then unknown reason, I was singled out for a full luggage search.

“Could I politely ask why I am being subjected to a full baggage search when I ticked the box for wooden objects,” I said.

The unforgettable reply:  “Oh, we saw you on the queue and you looked figgerty”.

I said nothing and just literally bit my tongue.  I did recall thinking:  Yes, you would be a bit figgerty if you had been sitting in ‘cattle class’ for some 14 hours. I got through the inspection, had my passport stamped accordingly and found my way eventually to Sydney.

And you know, more than 20-years on, I still have that wooden Dhow presented to us on the morning of the final round of the 1999 Qatar Masters.

I also think back, and with a rye smile on my face, that is more I could have said had I been presented with $US 200.



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