While at St Andrews last weekend, my attention was grabbed by a delightful story in the Daily Mail regarding Brenda Blumberg, the doyenne of South African golf administrators. It arose from her presence at the final Dunhill Cup, four months after undergoing major heart surgery.

For those who may not be familiar with her in this part of the golfing world, she is the widow of George Blumberg, who played a significant role in launching Gary Player to international prominence. In the event, it seems that her surgery involved the insertion of a pig's heart-valve into her thoracic region.

All of which prompted her to engage in some mischievous speculation regarding her future status in the predominantly Jewish, Houghton GC in Johannesburg. "I've written to ask whether I am still eligible for membership,"

she said with a chuckle. One imagines it won't be a problem, provided she promises not to hog the medical stories around the 19th.