My reflections on 2020, between the ropes and in our lives,

I was reflecting back on this bloody awful 2020. 

It's been a long haul in my career, since 1975 as the Assistant GM at the Commonwealth Games Complex at Meadowbank half way around the world and back until my semi retirement these days.

All of it involved in sports at home, and internationally, one way or another, surviving a brain aneurism, a daily battle with diabetes, been broke and have managed to save a few bucks, won and lost at love, met a lot of idiots, and a lot more wonderful friends, some very well known, lots just ordinary folks.

This year has been different and dangerous, like no other for us all. At my age I've been put in the 'at risk' category so have been very careful as we all should be.

I don't remember much of the pre COVID golf season, except for Nick Taylor's wonderful week winning at Pebble Beach in February, and Mac Hughes T2 at the Honda Classic in mid March. 

I was against golf returning after it all closed down, my stance was that this evil virus from China was infecting and killing millions around the world, staying away from each other was way more important than anything else, never mind a select few very rich golf pros.

Well the rest is history, first the PGA Tour at the Charles Schwab Challenge, eventually the European Tour at the Austrian Open. 

Watching golf is very boring to all but golf fans, watching it in dead silence with no fans was worse, but we got used to it. It's slow pace and over analysis wasn't as bad as basketball or hockey coverage turned out to be.

The highlight of it all for many including myself came beginning August 20 at Royal Troon and the AIG Women's Open.

I know the course and the town well, on one round there in 1987 my pals and I won the jackpot in the members lounge slot machine to the disgust of several old members having their daily liquid lunch.... until of course we announced "this round on us!!" to ensure we escaped safely.

In a howling (but not unusual) gale and driving rain a little known German born, Arizona resident Sophia Popov, with no status on the LPGA Tour, survived the first two days better than most, then outplayed them the next two, to steal our hearts in cinderella fashion, and the title, as she collapsed with tears in her big blue eyes, into the arms of her boyfriend/caddy, and into golfing immortality.

There were other highlights, DJ swept the board as player of the year and won the Masters, while Lee Westwood rolled back the clock, becoming Europe's #1 for the third time at 47, losing the DP World Tour Championship to Matt Fitzpatrick but winning the Race to Dubai in the process.

I followed Canadian Aaron Cockerill's journey on the European Tour, along with Mac Hughes, David Hearn, Roger Sloan, Michael Gligic, Adam Hadwin, Nick Taylor, Corey Connors, and Taylor Pendrith over here, they all had their moments.

I enjoyed following Brooke Henderson and Alena Sharp on the LPGA Tour. Brooke or Nelly Korda should have won the ANA Inspiration, until yet another in the long line of South Korean women who dominate this tour, Mirim Lee chipped in 3 times, including from across the green on the last hole to catch them and then win in the playoff.

Alena's highlight was recently getting married to her long time partner/caddy Sarah Bowman. She was stellar in bad weather at the AIG Women's Open, just needed a few more putts, and finished her year last week with her best, -8 64

So those are some of my reflections as we stagger locked down into these not so festive Christmas holidays, with COVID back again as bad as ever, but with the great news that vaccines are on their way which will eventually get to us in the general public, and hopefully back to "normality"

However the damage has been done. With Christmas Eve upon us, I think of all those who have lost loved ones, those who have lost their jobs or their business, their livelihoods, or had their life savings wiped out, those anxiously awaiting test results, those whose depression has deepened under these lockdowns and can't get solace from their visiting family.

Yes it's been a bloody awful 2020.

It will be better in 2021...

All the very best to you all and your families.

Bryan Angus