Perusal of the contenders for recent runnings of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year contest shows that the British find it hard to deliver a single hero in a sport once a decade, let alone a golden generation. Take tennis, where Tim Henman battled alone, to be succeeded by Andy Murray, who will be succeeded by, averages dictate, someone yet to be born. There has never been a gang of contenders - unless you count Buster Mottram and the brothers Lloyd, who were always a better heavy rock group than Davis Cup team. When it does go right for a sport (such as the Ashes defeat of the Aussies) it immediately goes wrong (the team have never played together again, and never will). It's darned difficult, this global domination thang.
The last time the British pulled it off was two decades ago, when Nick Faldo, Sandy Lyle and Ian Woosnam, all born within seven months of each other, combined to win nine majors.
Twenty years on and Lyle is still making the cut and a new generation might be about to bloom. There are three British players in the top 12 and another two in the chasing pack.
Leading the way is Ian Poulter, who followed up his hole-in-one-at-the-16th 70 on the opening day with a 'pink-trousered birdie at the 16th' 69. He said: 'I'm certainly in the best position I've been in after two rounds of any major. I've played really solid.' If he can hold his nerve, then the self-proclaimed second-best golfer in the world may finish above Tiger Woods (the Poulter verdict: 'he's pretty good') and anyone who does that will most likely win the tournament.
Next in line is the very impressive Paul Casey. In his past three appearances he has blown his chances early, with opening scores of 75, 79 and 79. This time he went under par in the first round and consolidated with four birdies on the way back to be four under. 'I played very, very good golf,' he said, beaming. 'I've always liked the more difficult courses. I like the challenge, and I see this as a challenge.'
Also in the hunt is the gang member they call 'Westy'. His second round was upset by a duck-hook at the 13th, leading to a double bogey but, that aside, he is happy with his game. 'I'm quite capable of shooting two 70s, and six under could still win the golf tournament.'
On the same score as Woods after two rounds but available at 25 times the price was Nick Dougherty, despite 'starting to unfold a little bit on 12. I was looking at some serious trouble there. I hit it in the bushes. Hit a provisional which went in the water. Found it myself on like 4.26 [34 seconds short of the time limit of five minutes]. I was a little but flustered, I was also covered in bush.' Net result: double bogey. Showing fortitude, Dougherty birdied the next three holes.
Asked whom he would bet on other than himself he replied: 'Justin. I have a soft spot for Justin because I love the way he plays golf. I think he's a great personality as well. I think his persona, his discipline, he's superb. He's world-class, in my opinion. So if it is not going to be me I would like to see Justin do it first.'
All the guys love Justin Rose, who broke through when he finished fourth in The Open 10 years ago and has been gang leader for much of the time since. For the third time in four visits to the Masters he led after the first round. But having played composed golf on the first day, he came something of a cropper on Friday. His downfall being caused at the 15th by 'a 20-second lapse in concentration - in hindsight, I should have gone for the green. But one of those things, I laid up way too close to that green, I had a bit of a tricky lie and no yardage at all, So that was hard.' Triple bogey eight hard. He started in the lead, he finished 10 shots off the pace.
Such topsy-turviness is all of a piece in this curious town, where you can smoke inside in some bars yet not drink in others - 'We operate a no alcohol policy here at the Cracker Barrel,' says the waiter with a slightly wonky crazed Waco grin. An alcohol-free restaurant - where is the thinking behind that?
Oddest of all was the appearance at the course of a 72-year-old white-suited South African with an orange head and extraordinarily faddish dietary requirements who was playing by different rules from everyone else.
Announcing that par for him at the much changed Augusta was 84, the world's most travelled athlete hit five straight pars to finish on seven under, one shot off the lead and level with Brandt Snedeker. No one had the heart to tell him that he was suffering from leaderboard hallucinations, so there may have been quite some commotion if Gary Player did show up at the first tee to accompany compatriot Trevor Immelman.
