Youngsters need idols and golfing giant Peter Oosterhuis was one of mine

I am referring to Peter Oosterhuis, who passed away last week the day before he was due to turn 76, leaving many people, myself included, feeling sad but, at the same, recalling two separate careers in the sport of a true giant of a man and not just because he stood at 6ft 5in with a frame to match.

Oosterhuis was European No 1 from 1971 to 1974, winning seven times on what is now called the DP World Tour. He finished second to Gary Player in the 1974 Open at Royal Lytham before ending up as the bridesmaid again, this time to Tom Watson, in the Claret Jug event eight years later at Royal Troon.

A Londonder, he’d partnered Ronnie Shade in two sessions in the 1967 Walker Cup at Royal St George’s before going on to play in six Ryder Cups, all of which came during the height of US dominance in the biennial contest but, nonetheless, Oosterhuis won six of his eight singles, including a famous 3&2 victory over Arnold Palmer at Old Warson Country Club in Missouri.

It could be said, of course, that Oosterhuis – the name incidentally, came from his father being Dutch – lived a bit in the shadow of Tony Jacklin as his compatriot won two majors and then changed the history of the Ryder Cup through his magnificent captaincy, but they drove each other on. “We had great times together,” said Jacklin in expressing his sadness and it was telling that Rob Oosterhuis, Peter’s son, was quick to acknowledge that “dad looked back on his time competing with you as some of his greatest memories”.

It was through his second career in the game that I also had a soft spot for the man known as “Oosty” because, as a commentator, initially for Sky Sports then as lead analyst for the Golf Channel’s coverage of the European Tour before joining CBS Sports in 1998, he had one of those iconic voices and, for me anyway, it was up there with the one and only Renton Laidlaw.

Which is a nice link, actually, because Laidlaw was there that night at Augusta Country Club in 2016 when, at annual dinner during Masters week, Oosterhuis was made an honorary life member of the DP World Tour, joining a list of golfing greats as he became just the 49th person to receive that accolade. He’d retired from broadcasting by then, having hung up his microphone the previous year after announcing that he suffered from the early onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Even at that stage, it was clear to see how the condition was starting to affect him, but, helped by prompts from his beloved wife Ruthie, he delivered an emotional and heart-warming speech that left this correspondent feeling lucky to be in the same room on such a special night.

"I have to be honest and say that I am completely overwhelmed by this award and the reception you all have given myself and my family this evening,” said Oosterhuis. "To join the list of great names who have been given honorary life membership is very humbling and I thank the European Tour from the bottom of my heart."

A month ago, I stood a few feet away from Ben Crenshaw, my main golfing hero as I grew up hitting that wee white ball at either Dunbar or Eyemouth, as he chatted to a small group of golf writers at the back of the ninth green at Augusta National at the start of Masters week and here’s hoping that youngsters today still look up to people as idols because, even close to turning 60, I felt excited to have that particular opportunity.

So the full picture of Scotland’s latest ‘Festival of Golf’ this summer has become clear after Dundonald Links was announced as the host venue for the Women’s Scottish Open for the third year in a row.

Before it takes place on 15-18 August, we’ll already have had an exciting run that takes in the Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club, the 152nd Open at Royal Troon and the Senior Open at Carnoustie in successive weeks. Oh, and let’s not forget the Scottish Challenge at Newmachar in early August.

The Women’s Scottish Open will then be followed the next week by the AIG Women’s Open at St Andrews, meaning it’s another stretch of tournaments that everyone who is truly passionate about the game in the country should feel very lucky indeed to have on offer on their doorsteps.

Geographically, it’s got a nice balance and, of course, it was announced by The R&A last week that a whopping 250,000 fans, which represents a 77,000 increase from 2016, will be at Royal Troon for its tenth staging of The Open. In contrast, there will be a fraction of that a few miles up the Ayrshire coast four weeks later for the Women’s Scottish Open before the AIG Women’s Open will attract a bigger attendance over on the other side of the country.

However, the Women’s Scottish Open is an important event, especially at a time when Scottish Golf is about to embark on a bid to grow the female game, and here’s hoping it attracts the same family feel once again at Dundonald Links, which has became a nice home for an event that has grown in stature since becoming part of the LPGA schedule and, quite frankly, should never be given up in terms of that particular status.