THIS column is generally reserved for tales of slices, duffs and tantrums – but in the light of events at Merion last weekend, I’m dedicating this week’s article to someone who plays the game somewhat better than me.

Much has been written and said about Justin Rose in the light of his fantastic victory in the US Open, but my story is actually 15 years old.

Unlike many other people in north Hampshire, I have never actually met the man, apart from at the odd press conference, but he is the person responsible for sparking my interest in golf over the course of an amazing July weekend in 1998.

I had just finished my GCSEs at the time and, with nothing else to do, I sat down to watch pretty much all of the Open that year.

I had played the odd round in the past but didn’t own any clubs and had certainly never paid too much attention to the sport on television. In fact, I don’t remember watching much of any previous tournament.

As is often the case, I needed someone to capture my attention – and watching the tournament unfold from my parents’ house in Farnham, that person was a 17-year-old from just down the road in Hook.

I was glued to the sofa for most of the weekend, despite having previously shown little interest in the sport, and I then read every word I could on Rose in the Monday papers.

After that, while I wouldn’t say that I was hooked, I did make a point of watching golf on television whenever it was on, especially the Open, and began playing more often, though it would be several years before I started playing regularly.

So, Mr Rose, you must take a proportion of the blame for my habit of walking around the countryside swinging metal objects in the general direction of a small ball.

There is a serious side to this though, in that I’m sure thousands of other teenage boys were equally inspired by Rose’s exploits that weekend, going on to play much better golf than me.

Even already talented players like Stuart Archibald have said that they saw Rose as something of a role model, showing them what was possible with lots of talent and hard work.

Now, with all of the publicity surrounding his first major win, hopefully another generation of young golfers will be equally inspired.

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