HEDLEY Muscroft was one of Yorkshire’s finest golfers back in the 1960s.
But he suffered an unexpected setback at a big tournament on this day in 1967, as reported incredulously by the T&A.
Muscroft was the reigning Yorkshire champion and had just finished tied 18th at The Open, so he was arguably in the form of his life.
Here, he was engaged in a tight battle at the prestigious News of the World Matchplay Championship with British Ryder Cup captain Dai Rees.
But on one hole, he missed a simple three-foot putt, as a baby in a pushchair cried out just as he was in the process of striking the ball.
Fortunately for him, Rees messed up an even simpler chance seconds later, despite the accidentally offending baby being quiet at this point.
That left the players on level terms, but it ended up being a missed opportunity for Muscroft to take back the lead he had just lost in the match.
And from there, Rees took charge, going on to win the pair’s encounter 2&1.
Muscroft was soon back in the winners’ circle, claiming the 1968 Evian International in France, before beating Christy O’Connor Sr in a play-off to claim the 1970 Classic International.
He narrowly missed out on selection at the 1973 Ryder Cup, before passing on his talents down a generation.
His two sons, Duncan and Richard, were also professional golfers.
The former won the Northern PGA Championship in 1983, while the latter played for England in Men’s Home Internationals.
Share