Quintin Jardine's blog

That’s what they called it when my kids were small. Today it’s Child Benefit and it’s causing a hell of a stir in the UK, given the Government’s intention to remove it from people who are higher rate taxpayers. Sorry, but isn’t that a no-brainer? Isn’t a benefit system meant to underpin the needy in our society, rather than dole out cash to categories, regardless?

I kept a promise to myself and watched Gran Torino last night on Sky; enjoyed it very much. Clint Eastwood says it’s the last movie he’ll appear in. With that in mind, I saw a strong nod towards one of my all time favourite movies, The Shootist.  John Wayne’s swansong, in which he played an old time gunfighter in early 20th century America, dying of cancer and going out in a blaze of glory. In GT, Clint’s character is a Korean War vet in Detroit dying of cancer (Hope he isn’t) and the similarities go on to the end. A further connection; The Shootist was directed by Don Seigel, who did a couple of Clint’s early pieces, including Dirty Harry and Play Misty for Me, and who must have been something of a mentor in his directorial career, although Clint went on to greater success.

This is my day for being a clever bastard . . . God Bless and keep Ian Dury. Watched George Gently on Sunday and my pet theory paid off. Go through the cast, work out which guest star (i. e. non regular) is being paid the most, and that’s who done it. In this case, it was ****** ******; funny, when he isn’t playing *******, it usually is.

The Kindle device is working well, for all my misgivings. It discourages users from flipping a few pages forward, and makes them rely on their own deductive skills. I’m pretty chuffed with myself; I wasn’t much more than halfway through ‘Bloodline’, when I’d worked it out without a single flip ahead. (However, I am, as they say, in the trade.) Nice one, though, Mark. I’m still waiting to find out how it goes with Tom and Louise.

Incredible comment. Thank you very much.

Thank God the Ryder Cup isn’t an annual event. The nation’s collective heart couldn’t stand it. I am by nature a fatalist; all day I could see a 14 — 14, USA retain the cup, result, looming, but GMac booked his place in history and Hunter Mahan wound up in tears at the press conference. Yes, it’s a team game, but Mr Mahan will never quite see it that way. For every hero, there has to be a fall guy, and the greater the triumph on one hand, the greater the humiliation on the other. On the other side of the coin, Graeme McDowell seems crowned already as Sports Personality of the Year, but will it work out that way, or will voters realise that the recognition really belongs to the guy who had the guts to send him out there to settle everything with a single stroke of his putter and a shot straight and true, when it really mattered?

It will be interesting to watch how careers develop after this. Will Ricky Fowler win a major next year, or is he one of those guys, like Ian Poulter, who is more suited to match play than medal play? Will Mahan ever recover? Has Tiger found his game again? Will Monty get his back, now that he’s freed to the burden of continental expectation? The next two year cycle begins on Thursday, with the Links Championship. During that period all these questions will be answered, and many that haven’t even been raised yet.

Sir Colin Montgomerie in the New Year Honours List? Now there’s a thought.

I’ve been away for a few days, but it’s been worth it. Primavera 3 is finished and off to the book factory. The publication date is January 5, 2012, by which time I’ll have finished Primavera 4, but all that’s way in the future. Now I have time to clear the decks, rearrange my office and start to plan for the Vancouver International Writers’ Festival, where I am looking forward to meeting up with old friend and making new ones.

I’ve rarely seen anyone who’s as good a television interviewee as Sir Terry Matthews, the owner of Celtic Manor, the man who brought the Ryder Cup to Wales. With Chris Hollins on BBC Breakfast yesterday, at 7:30 BST, under grey skies but in dry conditions, he sparkled as he told the viewers of the three principles that had under-pinned his new course’s construction. ‘Drainage, drainage, and drainage,’ he said. ‘And if in doubt, put a little more drainage in.’

With those words, he demonstrated just how hard it can rain in Wales, for a couple of hours later, play had to be suspended because the course was waterlogged.

But even half a day’s suspension couldn’t kill the atmosphere of the competition. If a sporting event can have charisma, the Ryder Cup has cornered the market. Some years are better than others but very few area total bust, such is the commitment of both teams. Having the right captain helps, undoubtedly. Two years ago, the USA did in Paul Azinger. Europe didn’t, in Nick Faldo. In truth he was never wanted in the role and never welcomed, that he was given it only because the selection committee didn’t have the balls to reject him. (And why should it have? Faldo played in more Ryder Cups that anyone else in history, and scored more points.) Even then he’d have retained the trophy for Europe if his three top players had done what was expected of them.

No problems, it seems, this time. Win or lose . . . and the first four matches aren’t even finished yet, nobody knows how it will pan out, but already the two captains have caught the eye, Corey ‘Crazy’ Pavin for his courageous pairings, and Colin Montgomerie for his attention to detail. The rain delay helped the USA for sure, as they are notoriously poor starters, but that has simply levelled the playing field. Lee Westwood looks hungry, Tiger Woods has his game face on, and we are in for fun.

I’m off to watch it.