WHILE I can legitimately claim to have supported the career of Liam Bond for a long time, I can’t blame the guy if I’m not his favourite reporter in the Wales Open media centre this week.

Because while the Argus has always covered Bond, usually with a headline that will leave you shaken but not stirred, an ex-Argus journalist has definitely gone the extra mile.

He shall remain nameless but as a long-time writer of golf in the Principality, he was contacted by event organisers on Wednesday to discuss if any glaring omissions had been made in terms of potential Welsh players in the field this week.

He suggested the in-form Bond who’s enjoyed a really good year in the South West with a couple of tournament victories and the rest, as they say, is history.

For the record, the closest I can come to replicating such a story is by claiming at least a partial assist in Newport County’s signing of the prodigal son Michael Flynn.

I spent the whole of last summer on the phone to Flynn as he pondered his future, doing my best to persuade him to come home. The rest, as they say...

WHEN spiders attack.... your South Wales Argus correspondent in the media centre, he will scream like a girl... and we have an infestation.

Perhaps the spider infestation is no surprise as the media centre yesterday received a double helping of pastries after an erroneous delivery. Not to helpful for some of the more rotund gentleman here.

A WALES Open diary wouldn’t be complete without some Sir Terry Matthews anecdotes, having allowed me 25 minutes in his company yesterday.

Interviewing Sir Terry is one of the greater challenges in journalism and subjects covered in the sit-down (that I didn’t ask about) included organic farming, the rebranding of Newport and Swansea to Greater Cardiff and a explanation of the point where fresh and salt water meet around Usk.

However, eccentric he may be but impolite he never is, Sir Terry giving me an extra five minutes at the end to discuss the housing market and where my partner and I should look to buy. “If you need any more tips, give me a call,” he ended with - a class act.