This is Alun Evans' eighth GOLF MAJORS book. Critically acclaimed as the definitive, ongoing record of golf's premier Championships, the 2013 edition has been further extended by some 30 pages to provide more sections and greater depth to the most recent Majors, whilst still retaining the fullest historical record of these events. The natural progression and extension of the awesome From Old Tom to the Tiger (2011), Alun Evans' The Golf Majors Book, 2013 continues the story, comprehensively recounting the 2012 Championships and looking forward to those of 2013. It tells of the new American breed: the breath of fresh air that is new Masters Champion Bubba Watson; and the young star Webb Simpson, who collected the US Open title, only his third success on Tour, all coming within a 10-month period. It recalls, too, the return of the glory days for Ernie Els, an Open Champion again after a ten year period without any Majors success; and the feats of a genuine contender for the crown of Tiger Woods, Ulster's Rory McIlroy, who picked up the year's final Major, the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island, his second Major title in as many years. Packed with facts and stats, yet highly readable, this is the only book anyone would need on THE GOLF MAJORS
Alun Evans was born on the last day of 1949 in the historic Welsh coal-mining valley of the Rhondda. He attended the Rhondda (Porth) County Grammar School, and represented it in rugby, cricket, athletics and diving, before going on to Bedford College, University of London in 1968, to gain colours in football (he captained the college team for two years), cricket and rugby. Three years later, armed with a BA honours degree in Geography, Alun married long-time girlfriend Caryl, and they would go on to have two great daughters, Joanne and Katy. He only began writing when his 20-year career in financial services ended abruptly after two ankle operations went wrong. His Golf Majors odyssey began in the early 90s when his recuperation coincided with a Welshman, Ian Woosnam, winning the Masters in 1991. Alun had rarely played golf - he was just getting into it when the ankle problems started; and although pretty mad about most sports, golf and its history were of no particular interest to him at the time. But that would change in the aftermath of that Masters Tournament. Alun felt he needed to know more about the significance of Woosnam's achievement. But the more he tried to put it into perspective, the more frustrated he became. The Masters, of course, is one of golf's four 'Majors', a term kindled around 1960 by Arnold Palmer; but nowhere could he find anything which conceptualized the Majors as a collective. All he found were writings concentrating on the individual events. So, eventually, in this absence any published documentation of note, he decided to put all four Majors together through his own research - hopefully one day in a book, but initially for his own satisfaction. His voyage of discovery had begun. Nearly 20 years on, this is his eighth book on golf, and the Majors are either the subject of these, or feature very strongly in them. Alun is also a crossword setter and his puzzles have appeared in the Financial Times, Guardian, Independent and Observer, among many others, often under his pen-name, Axe. Today Alun and Caryl still live happily together in Milton Keynes. Both daughters are now married: Joanne after spells at the LSE and Sorbonne, is a successful political lobbyist, whilst still bringing up our first two grandchildren, Eva and Tom; Katy graduated at Sheffield, and not to be outdone by her sister, she doubled the grandchildren count in one day...and what a day. Jackson and Billy Friday were born on a Friday - 11/11/11!
