FROM DUNDEE TO CANADA AND BACK AGAIN, THE OLD COURSE CADDIE WITH CLASS AND CHARACTER AIMS TO WRITE FAIRYTALE STORY AND QUALIFY FOR THE 150TH OPEN
THE 150TH OPEN, FINAL QUALIFYING PREVIEW PART 1 BY MATT HOOPER
27 JUNE, 2022 - "RATS HAVE CHEWED THE WIRES FOR OUR TELEVISION SO WE ARE WITHOUT A TV AT THE MINUTE, SO WE ARE WATCHING THE GOLF ON OUR MOBILE PHONES" HE SAYS TO ME WHILST WE ARE ENJOYING A DRINK IN THE ONE UNDER BAR AT THE RUSACKS HOTEL ADJACENT TO THE 18TH FAIRWAY OF THE OLD COURSE. ALAN BERRINGTON IS AS NORMAL A GUY YOU COULD CARE TO MEET, WITH A UNIQUE CHARACTER AND INSTANTLY RECOGNISABLE FACE. HIS RELAXED DEMEANOUR, SENSE OF HUMOUR AND DOWN TO EARTH ATTITUDE ISN'T FOR SHOW, OR TO HIDE HOW MUCH PRESSURE HE IS FEELING AHEAD OF FINAL QUALIFYING FOR THE 150TH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP ON TUESDAY.
THE LIGHT HANGING ABOVE THE CENTRE OF OUR TABLE IS SHINING A SOFT, DIFFUSED LIGHT ON ALAN'S FACE, AND THE CHARACTER OF THIS LIKEABLE BUT CONFIDENT AND DETERMINED GOLFER SHINES THROUGH. HE ISN'T JUST A CAREER AMATEUR, ALAN COMES ACROSS AS A REAL HUMAN, WITH ALL OF THE CHALLENGES WE ARE ALL FACING DAY TO DAY RIGHT NOW, SO TO HIM, WHILST BEING AN ENORMOUS EVENT IN HIS GOLF CAREER, FINAL QUALIFYING FOR THE 150TH OPEN ISN'T SOMETHING TO BE FEARED, BUT RATHER EMBRACED.
ALAN WAS BORN IN DUNDEE TO A SCOTTISH MOTHER AND CANADIAN FATHER, AND AT THE AGE OF JUST 11 MONTHS THE FAMILY MOVED TO CANADA, HENCE THE CANADIAN ACCENT. IT WAS IN CANADA WHERE ALAN'S LOVE OF THE GAME WAS BORN AND FLOURISHED. ALAN FIRST BEGAN Hitting A GOLF ball when HE was 2 and a half and STARTED PLAYING IN tournaments AT around THE AGE OF 11, AND IT WAS CLEAR FROM THE OUTSET HE HAD TALENT, GETTING HIS HANDICAP DOWN TO +2 at THE AGE OF 14.
HIS FATHER GOT HIM INTO THE GAME, ALAN SAYS HE WAS "GOLF DAFT". AND ALAN WENT ON TO PLAY MUCH OF HIS GOLF AT TWO GREATER ONTARIO COURSES - DOON VALLEY, AND GALT COUNTRY CLUB. ALAN'S FATHER, BILLY, WAS A PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALLER FOR 12 YEARS, AND CONSEQUENTLY THE FAMILY MOBED BACK AND FORTH THROUGHOUT THE FIRST 27 YEARS OF HIS LIFE, BEFORE SETTLING IN DUNDEE AROUND 15 YEARS AGO. THE BERRINGTON FAMILY'S SPORTING PEDIGREE DOESN'T END WITH GOLF OR FOOTBALL THOUGH, WITH ALAN'S BROTHER, PAUL, PLAYING PROFESSIONAL ICE HOCKEY FOR THE LIKES OF THE DUNDEE STARS, AFTER 7 YEARS PLAYING IN CANADA. PAUL ALSO WENT ON TO CAPTAIN THE BRITISH ICE HOCKEY TEAM.
ALAN'S LOVE FOR GOLF GAVE HIM A COUPLE OF OPPORTUNITIES TO CADDIE WHILST HE WAS IN CANADA, BUT SOON AFTER MOVING BACK TO THE REGION HE MOVED FULL-TIME INTO CADDYING, ON THE WORLD FAMOUS OLD COURSE, HOST OF THE 150TH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP. FROM THERE CAME OPPORTUNITIES TO CADDIE ON TOUR FOR LUCA GALLIANO AND BENEDICT STABEN ON THE EUROPEAN TOUR INCLUDING EVENTS SUCH AS THE PORSCHE EUROPEAN OPEN, CZECH MASTERS AND ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP. IT IS VERY CLEAR THAT ALAN LOVES THE GAME OF GOLF AND HAS PASSION BUT PERSPECTIVE.
Doon Valley
Galt Country Club
ONE OF THE CHALLENGES ALAN HAS FACED, LIKE ALL OF US, IS THE COVID19 PANDEMIC. THE PANDEMIC WAS CRIPPLING TO THE ST ANDREWS CADDIE COMMUNITY, FORCING ALL OF THEM TO SEEK ALTERNATIVE EMPLOYMENT, OR CLAIM UNIVERSAL CREDIT FOR THE BETTER PART OF TWO YEARS. WITH GOLF COURSES CLOSED DURING LOCKDOWN, AND THEN INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL FORBIDDEN OR EXTREMELY DIFFICULT FOR MUCH OF THE LAST TWO YEARS, VISITOR NUMBERS TO THE ST ANDREWS LINKS TOOK A MASSIVE NOSEDIVE AND CONSEQUENTLY THE WORK DRIED UP FOR THE 100+ CADDIES.
BUT ALAN TURNED A HUGE NEGATIVE INTO A HUGE POSITIVE, FOCUSING MORE UPON HIS GOLF GAME. AFTER REACHING +2 AT THE AGE OF 14 ALAN MOVED OUT TO A HANDICAP OF 1 OVER THE YEARS BUT HE USED THE ENFORCED LAYOFF DUE TO THE PANDEMIC TO REDEDICATE HIMSELF TO THE GAME, AND INCREDIBLY MOVED TO +4 IN ONE SEASON. THIS YEAR ALAN HAS BEEN COMPETING ON THE BUNKERED TOUR ACROSS SCOTLAND WITH VARIOUS SCOTTISH AMATEUR AND PROFESSIONAL GOLFERS, PLAYING AT THE LIKES OF FORTROSE, CASTLE STUART, SCOTSCRAIG, CARRICK AND MURCAR. REMARKABLY ALAN TOPS THE OVERALL ORDER OF MERIT 5 EVENTS INTO THE 14 EVENT SEASON.
ALAN CLEARLY HAS THE GAME TO COMPETE, AND HIS ROUND OF 67 TO FINISH IN A TIE FOR THIRD AT PANMURE AND PROGRESS TO FINAL QUALIFYING IS A GREAT ACHIEVEMENT IN ITSELF. HE SAYS HIS DRIVING IS A STRENGTH, DESPITE ADMITTING NOT HITTING THE BALL AS FAR AS THE MODERN, YOUNGER GOLFER, BUT THAT DOES NOT DETER HIM. IT IS ALSO CLEAR THAT THE HISTORY OF CADDIES SUCCEEDING IN THE GAME OF GOLF IS NOT LOST ON BERRINGTON. "I WANT TO HIT MY FIRST TEE SHOT (IN THE OPEN) WEARING MY CADDIE BIB" HE SAYS. MANY OF THE EARLY OPEN CHAMPIONS HAD BEEN CADDIES INCLUDING OLD TOM MORRIS AND YOUNG TOM MORRIS, AND ALAN HAS THE FULL SUPPORT OF HIS FELLOW CADDIES IN THE SHACK SITUATED ADJACENT THE TO 1ST FAIRWAY OF THE OLD COURSE. "I THINK THERE WILL BE A LOT OF GUYS FOLLOWING ME ROUND GIVING ME SUPPORT" HE SAYS.
ALAN IS DETERMINED AND HAS A STRONG BELIEF IN HIS OWN GAME, A BELIEF THAT IS CLEARLY ACCURATE GIVEN HIS REMARKABLE HANDICAP PROGRESSION AND FORM ON THE BUNKERED TOUR THIS SEASON. ALLIED TO THAT BELIEF, HE SEEMS TO BE INDESTRUCTIBLE!! "I HAVE BROKEN 18 BONES, INCLUDING 7 RIBS, 2 LEFT CHEEK BONES, RIGHT COLLAR BONE, MY NOSE, 3 IN MY RIGHT HAND, OH AND I HAVE HAD 10 CONCUSSIONS AS WELL" HE SAYS LAUGHING. ALL I CAN SAY IS WHAT MUST THE OTHER GUY LOOK LIKE! IN ALL SERIOUSNESS, WHEN YOU HAVE HAD THE LIFE ALAN HAS HAD, QUALIFYING FOR THE 150TH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP, ON THE COURSE YOU HAVE CADDIED ON HUNDREDS OF TIMES, IS NOT REAL PRESSURE (YIKES!)
"My ambitions are to let it take me as far as possible and enjoy the journey on the way" HE SAYS. WELL TUESDAY IS THE NEXT STEP OF THE JOURNEY, MAYBE ONE WHICH WILL TAKE HIM ALL THE WAY TO THE 150TH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP.
ON THE TEE, ALAN BERRINGTON.
ALAN POSES WITH THE CLARET JUG ON THE OLD COURSE AHEAD OF THE 144TH OPEN IN 2015
ALAN WILL PLAY ALONGSIDE AUSTRALIA'S JAY MACKENZIE AND AMERICAN AMATEUR AUSTIN LEMIEUX TEEING OFF ROUND ONE AT 0750 OFF THE 10TH TEE, AND THE SECOND ROUND AT 1.35PM OFF THE FIRST TEE.
I'LL BE AT THE FAIRMONT ST ANDREWS ALL DAY TO COVER THE ACTION INCLUDING ALAN, JOHN PATERSON, CHARL SCHWARTZEL, ALEX NOREN AND AARON RAI AMONG THE 73-PLAYER FIELD. THERE WILL BE UPDATES ACROSS FACEBOOK AND TWITTER, WITH A REPORT AND PHOTOGRAPHY ON SHANKMEDIA.CO.UK/THE150THOPEN AND FACEBOOK ON TUESDAY EVENING
