MOST top professional golfers boast pretty strong amateur careers before they take the plunge to try to make a full time living out of the game.
They learn pretty quickly, too, there is chasm between playing to put food on the table and competing for a time-honoured amateur trophy with the security of a full-time day job behind you. Many find the adjustment too much and struggle as professionals. Others grind it out with varying degrees of success and eke out a good living.
However, looking at the career of Eric Routley, who died aged 101 early this year, you wonder why he never had a crack in the professional game.
For confirmation look no further than the 1960 Eisenhower Cup when Eric captained the Australian team against the USA, led by Jack Nicklaus, then 20. Eric played with the Golden Bear in the final round and more than held his own, before Australia finished second behind the US in the world amateur team’s competition.
Eric Routley, one of Australia’s finest amateur golfers. INSET: A revered life member of the Commonwealth Golf Club in Victoria, Eric Routley recently passed away, aged 101.
He was also leading amateur in the Australian Open in 1956 and Australian Seniors Champion in 1983 and 1986.
A revered life member of the Commonwealth Golf Club in Victoria, Routley’s career record in the state is unlikely to ever be equalled.
‘Rout’, as he was affectionately known to his contemporaries, joined Commonwealth in 1941 at the age of 17 and was Club champion 16 times between 1952 and 1988. In addition, he held the course record twice (67 in 1948 and 68 in 1971), was (with various partners) the Foursomes Champion nine times, and the Men’s Seniors champion in 1997.
Between 1952 and 1968 he was Victorian Amateur Champion six times and runner-up on three occasions. With various partners he was a Victorian Amateur Foursomes Champion on five occasions and winner of the Australasian Foursomes Shield seven times. He was runner-up to Tom Crow in the Australian Amateur Championship in 1961.
Routley played Pennant for Commonwealth for 45years (1946-1990) without missing a match, his team winning on seven occasions.
He always hit the ball well off the tee which was exemplified by the only flat spot on the third fairway at Commonwealth (about 230 metres of the tee) becoming known as Rout’s Plateau or Rout’s ledge. But it was his short game and putting which set him apart from most. They were nothing less than superb. His attitude was always positive and his preparation meticulous.
Rout’s legendary comment on one rare occasion then his ball skipped past the pin and landed just over a metre further from the hole than anticipated is folklore at Commonwealth.
“Did you see that? There must have been a splodge of mud on the ball!”, he exclaimed.
Vale to an amateur legend of the game.
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