- SA golf legend John Bland, 77, died from cancer on Tuesday.
- Veteran golf writer Grant Winter recalls Bland's heroics in the 1991 Dunhill Cup.
- The SA team upset a powerhouse US outfit before reaching the final at St Andrews.
Veteran golfwriter Grant Winter remembers some Dunhill Cup magic from John Bland, who died aged 77 on Tuesday after a stellar career on the fairways of the world.
After 11 yearsof isolation, South Africa returned to international team golf in the 1991edition of the 16-nation Dunhill Cup at St Andrews. Gary Player, John Bland andDavid Frost were chosen to represent South Africa with the United States dreamteam of Curtis Strange, Fred Couples and Steve Pate the top seeds.
READ |SA golfer John Bland dies after battle with cancer
This writer was theArgus Group's golf writer at the time and, super excited, was sent over toScotland to cover the tournament - a momentous occasion in the history of SouthAfrican golf.
However, the excitement turned to gloom as early as the first roundon day one when it looked like the South Africans were about to be sent packing back homeby lowly Switzerland.
Then Bland, golf pundits called him the Old Fox because he was such a shrewd shot-maker, holed two ofthe biggest putts of his long career to keep South Africa alive on a chilly,wet day with the Grand Old Course enveloped in mist.
Playing against PaoloQuirici, who had achieved little of note on the big stage, Bland had to knockin a pressure-packed, slippery 12-footer at the fiendishly difficult Road Hole(No 17) to save par. If he had missed that putt South Africa would have lostthe tie against the Swiss, who had to pre-qualify just to get into thetournament.
The twoplayers then went on to complete their rounds in two-over-par 74s, which meantthe tie going into extra time as Player had lost his match and Frost wonhis to leave the score riding on a knife-edge at 1-1.
The firstsudden-death hole was halved in par-4s, as was the second - and it was herethat Bland became the day's hero. Facing a monstrous 35-footer with a big breakto again keep the match alive, South Africa's chances looked decidedly dim.
This writer was watching at greenside, thinking 'surely he couldn't hole this one?'... this was a bridge too far and our long-awaited return to internationalteam golf appeared to be ending in deep disappointment as early as round one.
But the wilyOld Fox, with the touch of a magician with putter in hand, had other ideas.After confidently asking caddie Michael Clough to remove the flagstick herolled in the difficult putt amid near-hysteria from a small, cheering band ofSouth African supporters, including team-mates Player and Frost. When Quiricibogeyed the next, the golfing Boks were home and dry.
The next dayBland continued his heroics, as South Africa faced the hot-shot, top-seededAmericans in the morning quarter-finals.
In better weather, Couples eased pastSA captain Player 67-74 under the medal match play format, and Frost edged outPate 70-71.
That was 1-1 and meant that Bland's superb 68-69 victory overtwo-time US Open champion Strange, a giant of the game in those days, saw SouthAfrica home by a 2-1 margin.
In the afternoon semi-finals, Player's men rolledover a powerful Scottish line-up comprising Gordon Brand Jnr, Sam Torrance andColin Montgomerie.
Player beat Brand Jnr 70-74, Frost crushed Sam Torrance 64-70and Bland downed sweet-swinging Monty 69-72.
South Africa had reached the finalof the Dunhill Cup on their long-awaited return to team golf and the fans fromour country over there for the tournament (including this reporter) were prettyfestive in the ancient old town's pubs that night. It was a case of "You're theman Blandie!"
The next day SouthAfrica lost 2-1 to Sweden in a closely-fought affair but their return to thefold had still been a pretty satisfying one and Bland, with his magic wand of aputter, had undoubtedly been the key.
South Africa,incidentally, would go on to twice win the Dunhill Cup - in 1997 and 1998 -before it was last held in 2000.
