Ian Davis along with his common taking part in companion Peter Senior.
FACING 150kmh thunderbolts from a battery of West Indies quick bowlers within the late-Nineteen Seventies didn’t give Ian Davis, aka Wiz, a lot time to consider taking on the gentler sport of golf.
It was pre-helmet days and the trendy opening batsman was too busy keeping off bouncers ensuring his head remained firmly on his shoulders.
However in the present day golf occupies a lot of the area in his head as he works on methods to enhance his golf sport.
A late entrant to the sport after retiring from cricket, maybe prematurely, on the age of 28, Davis needs he had found it earlier in life.
“I solely began to play golf after I was about 30 and that was after I had retired from cricket,” mentioned Davis, who performed 15 Exams together with the well-known 1977 Centenary Check in opposition to England.
Davis and spouse Libby fortunately settled on the Gold Coast.
As we speak, Davis, who performs off a 9 handicap at Sanctuary Cove on the Gold Coast, is making up for misplaced time by taking part in as much as 3 times per week alongside good buddy Peter Senior.
“I’ve been up right here (Gold Coast) with my spouse Libby for eight years and find it irresistible. I used to be at Macquarie Hyperlinks and Liverpool Golf Membership earlier than that,” the 71-year-old mentioned. “I play golf with Peter (Senior) each Wednesday and Saturday and he continues to play terrifically effectively. He’s a freak.
“I’m hoping to study one thing from him. Peter at all times offers me recommendation and says I ought to attempt to be a greater putter.
“He tells me to decelerate my placing, however I simply rise up and go ‘bang’ as a result of I’m an impulsive individual.
“I used to be even like that with cricket. I didn’t attempt to hit the primary ball for six, however I used to be at all times aggressive.”
A rustic child from Shoalhaven in NSW, Davis was a proficient all-round sports activities fanatic who performed elite-level rugby league and tennis, earlier than gravitating to cricket the place he discovered fame.
In junior cricket he as soon as averaged 315 and was dismissed solely as soon as within the season.
“I used to be 20 after I first performed for Australia in opposition to New Zealand in 1973-74,” he recalled.
Later, Davis joined Kerry Packer’s World Collection Cricket (WSC) and was, with David Hookes, the youngest members of the squad to enroll together with the Chappells, Denis Lillee, Doug Walters, Jeff Thomson, Max Walker et al.
“Hooksey and I have been the youngest gamers to signal, and we took a threat that would have destroyed our careers,” Davis mentioned.
“We have been 23 and banned from taking part in Check cricket for just a few years, however wanting again we have been higher off in financial phrases as a result of again them we have been paid $50 a day to play Exams.
“With World Collection Cricket I received $22,500 every year for 3 years regardless that we solely performed two. Packer even paid a fourth lot of $22,500 as a thanks for making myself accessible for first-class cricket once more from 1979.”
Davis performs a straight drive throughout his cricketing days.
At the moment, Australia took on the highly effective West Indies, England and a World XI. His finest rating got here in opposition to the World XI when he made a helpful 84.
Davis says going through the world’s quickest bowlers was, at occasions, scary however coping with Kerry Packer too was scary.
“The Australian Cricket Board spoke to me, David Hookes and Mick Malone and wished us to interrupt our contracts with WSC,” Davis mentioned. “Packer came upon about it and gave us a serve in England. He advised us nobody breaks a contract with Kerry Packer.
“He was full-on and I felt he was me the entire time and I felt like sliding down my chair. I received a little bit of a shock how sturdy Kerry could possibly be. It was scary and it was a battle I used to be going to lose. That took just a few years off my life,” Wiz laughed.
Nonetheless, going through the likes of West Indians Andy Roberts, Joel Garner, Michael Holding, Colin Croft and Wayne Daniel, England’s John Snow and Lillee and Thompson in pre-helmet days, was daunting.
“All of them shocked 150kmh, however Thommo was the quickest and deadliest,” Davis mentioned. “We confronted Thommo in a Protect sport in 1976 when he was at his peak.
“It started to drizzle and he was frighteningly fast. I used to be scared stiff and I by no means had been extra grateful to be caught within the gully.”
In retirement, Davis went on to assist develop protecting gear together with helmets.
I requested Ian how his moniker Wiz or Wizard took place.
“On my first journey away with NSW, Doug Walters and Brian Taber gave me the nickname after the comic-strip Wizard of Id,” he revealed. “My initials are ID and so they referred to as me Wiz and it’s fairly effectively what I reply to day by day.
“I used to be even recognised in New Zealand by a stranger who walked previous me and mentioned, “Hey Wiz, how’s it going?’ which was bizarre as a result of I didn’t know the individual.”
One of many highlights of his profession was being chosen for the Centenary Check in opposition to England the place he scored a helpful 68 runs within the second innings to assist Australia defeat the Poms.
“It was my first time in opposition to England and it meant rather a lot to make 68 when it actually counted,” he mentioned. “I used to be shocked how fast Bob Willis was. I’d seen him bowl however had by no means confronted him beforehand.”
Davis charges his 105 in opposition to Pakistan in 1976 as his finest Check innings.
A montage of Ian Davis images.
“I went from 94 to 100 with a six, which sailed over the Victor Richardson Gates,” he mentioned.
Davis feels he retired from cricket far too early. He was 28 when he determined to stroll, maybe just a little disillusioned with politics in cricket circles after WSC.
Nonetheless, cricket’s loss was golf’s acquire.
After hanging up the bat, Davis went to work for Dunlop Slazenger, the place he rose to turn out to be basic supervisor, and it was the place he fell in love with golf.
It was additionally the place he met with Don Bradman to assist develop a spread of Bradman bats.
As we speak, Davis spends a lot of his time taking part in golf and dealing on honing his new craft.
When he was just a little youthful, Davis, by means of laborious work, managed to cut back his handicap to 3 and proudly boasts a finest rating of one-under par at Liverpool GC. His one and solely hole-in-one was achieved at Macquarie Hyperlinks many moons in the past.
“I drive the ball effectively and my iron play is sweet, however my weak point is chipping and placing,” he revealed.
And his dream fourball taking part in companions?
“My dream fourball companions can be Peter Senior, as a result of he’s a incredible bloke, Freddie {Couples}, who has a stunning swing, and Steve Stricker.
“As a lot as I take my golf critically and attempt to do effectively, I additionally prefer to have enjoyable. Peter Senior is a man who I assumed can be actually severe, however he’s a whole lot of enjoyable … and a humorous bloke.”
Let’s hope Davis’s {golfing} group doesn’t rise up to a few of the antics his fellow cricketers did when he was in his prime.
Wiz takes up the story.
“We as soon as performed on a wicket at Mt Sensible (New Zealand) that was lined with coir matting,” he mentioned. “I used to be subsequent man in and needed to go to the bathroom, which is difficult to do if you’ve received all of your gear on.
“Subsequent minute, Mick Malone caught a heap of penny bungers below the door and my pants and pads have been all burnt. The boys liked it.
“In these days, our heat down was a few beers – not an ice tub like in the present day.
“However I really like and revel in my golf. I’ve had hundreds of golf classes, tried each membership on the earth and I work very laborious on having a great method.”
Off the fairways, Davis does some work with Cutter and Buck (attire) and likewise arranges leisure for Sanctuary Cove.
“I do possibly 4 or 5 reveals on the golf membership yearly,” Davis mentioned.
“I’ve had Normie Rowe there and some bands like The Eagles Tribute Band and an Elvis impersonator – that type of factor.”
