Q Is former US women’s amateur champion Laura Baugh still involved in golf? —
John Dunnill, Holmfirth A Baugh attracted tremendous attention when she arrived in Britain with the American Curtis Cup team in 1972. She turned professional in 1973 at the age of 17, finished second in her first event and went on to be named Rookie of the Year. She was Golf Digest’s Most Beautiful Golfer in 1972, when she was just 16. As a child, she was forced by her father to play golf every day and her hard work was rewarded in 1971 when she won the US Women ’s Amateur championship. It was little surprise that she was unable to live up to expectations but she managed to finish second 10 times on the LPGA Tour. In 1996 she quit drinking after realising it was killing her. By her own admission, she would think nothing of drinking 20 glasses of wine at one sitting. During a rain delay, she once drank six glasses and returned to the course to birdie the last five holes. Baugh now runs a series of golf workshops, plays on the women’s seniors tour and occasionally works as a commentator. — Dirk St Clements, Southwold
Q How many left-handers have won a golf major? — Raymond Trewartha, Torquay
A Bob Charles of New Zealand, was the first left-hander to claim a major when he won The Open in 1963. It was another 40 years before the feat was repeated, this time by Canadian Mike Weir at the 2003 Masters. A year later, Phil Mickelson came along to win the 2004 Masters and has, of course, just added the US PGA championship to his collection. Successful left-handed golfers remain a rarity; apart from Weir and Mickelson, the only other lefty currently playing on tour who has won a tournament is Steve Flesch. — Arthur Proud, Galway
Q Which is England’s oldest county cricket club? — Tony Lamb, Cheadle
A Sussex, in 1839, was the first first-class county club to be formed. In its early days the club used several grounds in the Brighton & Hove area. The first was land donated by the then Prince Of Wales near to the modern Park Crescent. Sussex also used Temple Fields (now Montpelier Crescent) and the Royal Brunswick Ground before, in 1871, the ground in Eaton Road was acquired. Turf from the Royal Brunswick Grounds was transferred and re-laid on the square. The first county match at Eaton Road was played on June 6, 1872, against Gloucestershire, who were formed only the previous year. These days, Sussex play at the County Ground, Hove, as well as at Horsham, Eastbourne and Arundel Castle. Despite being the oldest club, Sussex didn’t win their first county championship until 2003. The other county clubs, in the order of their foundation, are: Notts 1841, Surrey 1845, Kent 1859, Yorkshire 1863, Hampshire 1863, Lancashire 1864, Middlesex 1864, Worcestershire 1865, Derbyshire 1870, Gloucestershire 1871, Somerset 1875, Essex 1876, Northants 1878, Leicestershire 1879, Warwickshire 1882, Durham 1882, Glamorgan 1888. — Peter Jordan, Bournemouth
Q What was the first event at the inaugural modern Olympics in 1896? — James Lucas, West Bromwich
A American James Brendan Connolly (1868-1957) was the first winner of an event in the modern Olympics, when on August 6, 1896, at Athens he won the triple jump with a leap of just under 13.5m. Connolly was also second in the high jump, and third in the long jump. He ended up being a veteran of the Spanish-American War (1898), and was a candidate for Congress in 1911 for the Progressive Party. He became an author of sea stories, writing 25 full-length books. — Tim Mickleburgh, Grimsby
A James Connolly was the first event winner in 1896 but the first event was the heats of the 100m. The winner of the first heat in the first event was, therefore, Francis Lane, inset, a Princeton student, who won in 12.2sec. In the final, he finished only third, behind fellow American Thomas Burke and Germany’s Fritz Hofmann. — Denise Palmer, Sleaford, Lincs
Q Which is the smallest English town to have had a top-flight football club? — Sayful Abdul, Luton
A Glossop in Derbyshire had a population of around 21,000 when they spent one season in the First Division in 1899—1900. Glossop North End was founded in 1886 and were playing in the Midland League until they won a place in the Football League Second Division in 1898 thanks to the enterprise and financial backing of Samuel Hill-Wood. Glossop duly won promotion but they finished bottom of the First Division with 18 points from 34 games.
Glossop remained in the Second Division until 1915, when they finished bottom, and competition was interrupted for four years by the first world war. Glossop did not re-enter the League after the war and Hill-Wood transferred his backing to Arsenal. The Gunners’ current chairman is Peter Hill-Wood, Samuel’s grandson. Glossop are now in the First Division of the North West Counties League. — Vincent Chapman, Bacup
A The smallest town currently host to a top-flight football team is Blackburn. The local authority area (which also includes the nearby town of Darwen) had a population at the last census of just over 137,000. — Edward Keane, Stockport
Any Answers?
Send questions or answers to Peter Boyle, Q & A, The Sunday Times Sport, 1 Pennington Street, London E98 1ST, or e-mail peter.boyle@sunday-times.co.uk
Q Which sportsman was the Wild Bull of the Pampas? — Alan Peters, Milton Keynes
Q When were World Cup football matches first screened live in Britain? — David Manuel, Dunstable
Q Who was the first goalkeeper to captain the England football team? — G Slater, Canvey Island
Q Did competitors at the world athletics championships receive payment for taking part? — Christine Flitcroft, Stratford, London
Q Who was the first British manager to win a major European football trophy? — Louisa de Fiori, Glasgow
