In anticipation of Sky Sports’ coverage of the Ryder Cup, the NOW TV team decided to celebrate by bringing three golfing legends together at the Sky Shot Center. Ryder Cup winner David Howell teamed up with golfing guru Simon Holmes to give Soccer AM legend and all-round good guy Tubes, a masterclass in the sport of Kings.
Although he was as game as ever, even Tubes was a little nervous about this assignment and who could blame him. It’s not every day that you get the chance to have your golf swing analysed and deconstructed by a two-time Ryder Cup winner and Nick Faldo’s former coach.
While professing to all and sundry that his skills at golf were on a par with his rapping, Tubes brought out his [t]rusty 7-iron and got into his stance, so far so good. He then teed up his ball and before anyone could shout ‘Fore’, he’d smashed it a few hundred yards straight down the fairway, much to the surprise of the two pros.
“I thought you said were you were rubbish”, enquired David. “Beginner’s luck”, replied Tubes.
Without missing a beat, Tubes then whacked four more shots the same way as the first and left David and Simon looking ever so slightly gobsmacked by the smoothness of his swing and clean follow through.
The two then decided to have some fun. First they gave Tubes a huge wooden driver and then some tips on his grip in an effort to take him out of his comfort zone. Their plan succeeded in making the previously faultless Tubes slice his shot, blazing the ball inches past Simon Holmes’ nose. A close a shave but a one-off as Tubes then rattled off five more shots straight down the line. Suitably impressed, David replaced the wooden driver with a 5-iron while Simon asked the simulator engineer to bring up the final approach shot to the 18th to the screen.
With Holmes acting as commentator and Howell providing ‘psychological’ assistance to the intrepid Tubes, they did a great job of building the scene…. “Thousands of people watching your every move”… “Millions of viewers holding their breath”… “This shot to win the Ryder Cup”… You could have sliced the tension with a swish of a sand wedge.
The air stood still as Tubes approached the ball. Fully focused, Soccer AM’s finest planted his feet, teed up his shot and then smoothly swung his club through the air. The 5-iron connected with the ball with a sweet ‘ping’ and lofted it skywards. We all followed the trajectory of the ball on the screen as it arced elegantly towards the green. The ball landed a few yards shy of the pin and then rolled forward and finally came to rest two feet from the hole, leaving a short putt to finish.
Tubes had won the Ryder Cup.
And here’s how he did it… www.youtube.com/embed/UTHlelqKVak
