Corrigan On Rhys Enoch, Butterflies And A Shot At Hoylake

Thanks to reader Moises for James Corrigan's excellent story on Open Championship qualifier Rhys Enoch carring the spirit of his late younger brother Ben, killed in a car accident and a fine golfer in his own right.

Please go read the story, it's powerful. Just one of the great passages:

In fact, Ben’s influence was certainly a positive force at Woburn. In a three man play-off for one spot, Enoch holed out from just over the back of the first extra hole. “I had this strange feeling I was going to chip in,” Enoch said. “I can’t explain it, but when I looked up, it was dropping into the centre of the hole – perfect. Initially, I was like: ‘Wait a minute, does that mean I’m going to Hoylake?’. It was surreal.

“But then, I had the feeling I’d make it all day. My mum is quite a spiritual person and since his death has associated Ben with butterflies. On the 11th, which was my second, just as I was about to hole a long putt a butterfly landed by the cup and sort of perched on the edge. Obviously, that made me think of Ben and spurred me on.”