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We won’t let golf glory drive wedge between us

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Author: Michael Blackley (mblackley@edinburghnews.com)

IT has been a common passion that has brought Bob Robertson closer to his 20-year-old grandson Daniel.

The 51-year age gap between the two has not stopped them becoming close competitors on the golf course, where they do battle at least once a week.

But when Mr Robertson made it to his first competition final, he never expected to be pitched against his grandson for the prestigious trophy.

The pair, who both have a handicap of 11, beat off competition from 80 other golfers to take their places in Merchants of Edinburgh Golf Club’s B Championship final at Craiglockhart.

Daniel, a manager in a Pizza Hut restaurant in the Capital, led by five holes after the first round of the final on Sunday but heavy rain meant the second and final round had to be called off.

The vital last 18 holes, which will settle who wins the trophy, a small cash prize and the all-important family bragging rights, are now scheduled for July 22.

Mr Robertson, a 71-year-old retired car salesman, admitted he is in two minds about whether he wants to defeat his young protege. He said: “You have to go out to win, but if I was on the last green with a three-foot putt to win, my wife probably wouldn’t talk to me again if I putted it to beat our grandson.

“But golf is golf and you have to always try to win - I don’t think Daniel would want it any other way.”

He says that Daniel has come on strongly in the last two years after switching away from football to focus more on golf.

And he admits the game has made their relationship better than most grandads and grandsons enjoy.

He said: “When you get to my age and he’s only 20 we don’t have all that much in common.

“We like music but it’s entirely different music. So to have something like golf is fantastic and it’s great to be able to spend a lot of time together and enjoy ourselves.”

Mr Robertson, who lives in Craiglockhart, first started playing golf with Daniel when he was 12 and passed on many of the tips he has learned in nearly 40 years of playing.

Daniel, from Morningside, is hoping he will be able to hold his nerve come the second round of the final next month.

He said: “He’s the teacher and I’m the pupil. He’s showed me how to improve my game over the years so it is strange playing against him in a final.

“I gave him a bit of a hammering on Sunday but he had a bad game so I’m not 100 per cent sure I’ll manage to hold on if he plays like he can.

“There will probably be quite a lot of people watching, especially family, so I’ll need to try to hold my nerve.”

There are also split loyalties for Brian Robertson - Daniel’s dad and Bob’s son. Although Brian acted as his father’s caddy on Sunday, he insists it was only because Bob had a hip replacement and can’t carry the clubs himself.

Brian, a 50-year-old solicitor, said: “I pulled the clubs but I made it clear I was not his caddy and gave him no advice. I have a top with “Robertson” on the back so I wore that and was a keen supporter of both.

“It was the first major final for both of them so I was proud of them for that. My dad knows he’s not getting any younger but he wants to encourage Daniel as well. He thought at the start of the tournament that if anyone got far it would be Daniel.”