In-flight musings

Fergus has far too much time to consider not very much on his flight to Detroit

Fergus Bisset
By
published

With a long way still to go on our long haul flight to Detroit, I had a long time to consider the best method to deal with spending an exceptionally long time in a big metal tube hurtling through the sky at 500mph, 40,000 feet up.

Neil and I have slightly different techniques. He opts for the sensible way regularly changing his situation getting up for a walk, watching a film, reading a few pages of his book etc I suppose this method should, theoretically, cause time to pass more quickly. I reject that philosophy. I go for stony-silence, sitting absolutely still and staring straight ahead, not getting up at all (not even to go to the toilet.) It s a sort of gritty Scottish approach to travel relying purely on will power to get you through. I m sure this is the technique Monty would have been using had he been on a trans-Atlantic flight this week.

But, as Monty s non-inclusion in this year s Ryder Cup team proves, inordinate amounts of grit and determination can only get you so far. And, I must confess, six hours through this flight I m getting a little bored and really need the loo.

Fergus Bisset
Fergus Bisset
Contributing Editor

Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He has also worked with Golf Monthly to produce a podcast series. Called 18 Majors: The Golf History Show it offers new and in-depth perspectives on some of the most important moments in golf's long history. You can find all the details about it here.

He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly.

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?

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