My golfing weekend

After a few frustrating weeks when my pick just finished outside the each way positions I was delighted to record a win on Scottie Scheffler in the Dell Matchplay championship in Austin Texas.

I had backed Frenchmen Matthew Pavon and the in-form Romain Langasque for the Qatar Masters but neither finished up the leader board in a tourney won by a Scot, Ewen Ferguson.

So on Saturday I adopted a tactic used by my dear and departed friend Arthur Davidson QC – namely to back a leader after the third day at short odds.

The Racing and Football Outlook had recommended Scottie Scheffler who was in form and born and bred in Austin.

He was therefore familiar with the Pete Dye-designed course and finished runner up in this tourney last year.

I enjoy match play as a golfer has to put pressure on his opponent more than in stroke play.

At one stage Scheffler was five up after 11 holes in his semi final against Dustin Johnson but the mercurial South Carolinian fought back to be one down with 3 to play.

A sumptuous long iron on the 16th resulted in a birdie for Scheffler and Johnson missed a tiddler, so the Texan won 3 & 1.

In the final he met that canny old pro Kevin Kisner and easily beat him 4 & 3.

Scheffler is now world number one and a good bet for the Masters (which would be his first Major victory) coming up in a few weeks’ time.