Back in Australia after commentary duties in South Africa — a trip that disappointingly didn’t include any golf — Greg Blewett’s game was showing a little rust Wednesday at the Willunga Golf Course.
But as always, for the former Australian Test opener who at times plays with a handicap better than scratch, there were occasional flashes of brilliance.
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Enough good golf, at least, to earn himself a spot in his own best ever men’s world XI of cricketers who have excelled on the greens… even if he was still behind Ricky Ponting in the order.
“Who would open … I think Kapel Dev goes alright,” Blewett told foxsports.com.au. “BC (Brian) Lara might have to slot in to an opening spot as well.
“Punter (Ponting) slots in at three. I’ll slot in at four.
“Five, Beefy Botham.
“Warney can bat six.
“I might go Glenn Maxwell as my all-rounder.
“Struggling for a keeper here for a second … I’ll go Rod Marsh, actually.
“Then we’re into the bowlers, Starcy (Mitchell Starc), I know, goes all right.
“Who else is good? John Holland from Victoria.
“Jimmy Anderson’s actually meant to be quite good, so slot Jimmy in there.
“And just because he was a good bloke last summer, I’m going to put Stuart Broad in.”
This week, Blewett, who has claims against Ponting as the best Aussie men’s cricketer to tee up a golf ball, hosts a professional golf tournament in his home state.
This week’s Players Series South Australia sees men and women tee it up in the same event for the same prize money and trophy, with All Abilities players and juniors incorporated over the weekend.
Like Tiger Woods is the official host of the Genesis Invitational, Blewett has the same status at the tournament, which he has hosted since its inception four years ago.
“No. Just a straight no,” Blewett said when asked if he ever envisaged hosting a golf tournament in his wildest dreams.
The tournament also serves as a reminder of just how well he swings the golf club.
In the field are a number of players Blewett has gone head-to-head while playing the elite amateur Interstate Series, representing South Australia.
Those players include Hannah Green’s husband and fellow professional Jarryd Felton, four-time Aussie Tour winner Dimi Papdatos, and former QLD PGA champion Aaron Wilkin.
Blewett, who plays out of Kooyonga Golf Club in Adelaide, competed in the state vs state series in 2012 — a year which saw the Queensland side feature a young Cameron Smith, while Western Australia’s team included NZ Open winner Ryan Peake, and women’s major winners Minjee Lee and Hannah Green..
Despite that elite company, Blewett has always credited Ponting, who nine-time golf major winner Gary Player once told was wasting his time with cricket, as the better golfer.
But the gun amateurs have now cleared the stage in Willunga for the pros, which include Order of Merit leader Josh Armstrong returning to action after missing the WA Open to attend his sister’s wedding.
There is also Jasper Stubbs, who sits fourth on the season long points list, which awards the winner a card on the DP World Tour.
Stubbs is set to compete against his sister and fellow pro Piper in the unique format, with the former Asia-Pacific Amateur Champion in a rich vein of form having finished third in Kalgoorlie, and runner-up to James Marchesani at last week’s WA Open.
AND ON THE CRICKET…
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, while playing alongside pros Steffi Vogel and Jak Carter, as well as his radio co-host and Adelaide Crows legend Andrew Jarman, Blewett also talked cricket, including the decision for Australia to go without Nathan Lyon in the second test.
Adding of Lyon’s omission in favour of Scott Boland: “I didn’t mind that. Obviously, a lot of weather around, and, I mean, the cricket that I’ve seen, the ball hasn’t got off the straight with the spinners anyway.
“I know a lot of people are sort of arcing up, but I think you’ve just got to try and pick the best team for the conditions, and that’s what they thought, yeah, no problems for me.”
Blewett also had some simple advice for the Australian batters in South Africa, which unfortunately came too late after they capitulated on day four to put the three-Test series in the balance.
“I reckon it’s pretty similar to batting in Australia. I really do,” Blewett said of playing in South Africa.
“There’s not that much of an adjustment, really, so it’s just, like, anywhere, get off to a good start, and then if you get in, try and make the most of it.”
Safe to say the 54-year-old is a fairly good source of knowledge on the matter, having recorded his best ever Test score of 214 against the South Africans at Pretoria in 1997.