IT was a dawn gamble that paid off with unlikely praise from America's First Golfer. Tony Blair, a man usually more preoccupied with the Third Way rather than the fairway, tried his hand at golf yesterday.
Bill Clinton dragged the Prime Minister out of bed at 6.30am for a quick few holes interspersed with power politics at the Ellesborough Golf Club next door to Chequers, where the two were staying.
Mr Blair, a football fan who has so far managed to avoid the rigours of a sport Mr Clinton has made an emblem of his presidency, left the driving to his friend but demonstrated a sure hand with the putter.
The twist in the Bill 'n' Tony love-in was seen as a new metaphor for the US-UK relationship - America providing the power, leaving Britain to finesse the details.
They played just four and a half holes, but it was enough to have Mr Clinton raving about his pal's prowess with the six iron. ''It was embarrassing how good he was,'' he said later.
Mr Blair three-putted four holes, and missed only two. ''Either he is an unbelievable athlete or I have a career as a golf instructor. One of the two things must be true,'' Mr Clinton said.
Mr Blair looked embarrassed, and put it down to beginner's luck. ''I haven't played golf before, but I had the best instructor I could possibly have. It's not everyone who's been given golfing lessons by the President of the United States of America.
''But we will put it down to beginner's luck, a bit like politics.''
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