Simon Hobday, one of the most charismatic golfers in South African history, has died at the age of 76.
Hobday won 17 times on the professional circuit, and among his victories was the 1971 South African Open. He also played as a Senior on the US Senior’s Tour where he won five times, including picking up the 1994 US Senior Open. He is pictured with the trophy (above).
A Great Friend and Fellow Professional Hobbers your life and Friends in golf will remember your passion Laughter and presence forever ?? https://t.co/p9Z3s9Ktgl
— Selwyn Nathan (@Natethegate) March 2, 2017
#RIPSimon https://t.co/fo9gVmof18
— Roland Schoeman (@Rolandschoeman) March 2, 2017
Very sad to hear of the passing of Simon Hobday. A great character, but an even greater gentleman of the game. #RIPSimon
— Michael Vlismas (@MichaelVlismas) March 2, 2017
Woke up to the desperately sad news that SA great Simon Hobday passed away last night. Rest In Peace, Boss Man.
— Brendan Barratt (@CompleatGolfEd) March 2, 2017
Known for his wit, here are some of his famous quotes:
‘Golf giveth and golf taketh away. But it taketh away a hell of a lot more than it giveth.’
‘ I get pissed off. I simply do not understand someone who hits a ball that lands behind a tree and can look at it and say, “Well, that’s golf”.’
‘After hitting two balls into the water … By God, I’ve got a good mind to jump in and make it four. ‘
‘The difference between now and when I played during my younger days is my drives are shorter and my short game is longer.’
Here is an extract from a recent book, penned with Dale Hayes and Denis Hutchinson, The Hole Truth (and other mostly true stories), as told to Brendan Barratt.
Hobday: ‘I was playing in Switzerland one year and I was rooming with a fellow called Mike Schewitz. We decided we were going to go out for a drink, but of course it was bitterly bloody cold out there in the mountains. I put on a lot of gear, you know, shirts and jerseys and waterproofs and all sorts. Anything to keep me warm.
‘We ended up in a pub called The English Pub. I was sitting in the corner and of course inside the pub it was suddenly rather toasty. I started to take off some gear and I built up a pile of clothes on the floor next to me. We had had a couple of drinks when Sam Torrance bet me five pounds I wouldn’t take all my clothes off – for 15 minutes. That was the deal.
‘Well, when you’ve had a few drinks, you become bulletproof, so I took all my gear off. I was behind a pillar in the corner of the pub, so not a lot of people could see me where I was sitting. The barmaid and her husband owned the joint and they thought it was funny, but she came over and said I should at least put on my underpants. I put them on my head like a scrumcap and said, “Okay, now I’m wearing my underpants.”
‘I got free drinks there for at least five years after that. Every time I walked into the bar someone offered to buy me a beer.’
#RIP Simon
