If Queen Elizabeth II played golf: rated 75, best at nerve

Queen Elizabeth II as a golfer: scouting report

Queen Elizabeth II served as monarch for seventy years, the longest reign in British history, and composure was her trademark throughout. That makes nerve the top of her golf card. Picture her standing over a four foot putt on the final green with the whole gallery holding its breath, showing nothing at all. Her course IQ is nearly as strong. Decades of state visits, ceremonies and meetings with world leaders taught her to read a room, and she would read a golf course the same way.

There is a lovely irony in where her game falls short. During the Second World War she trained as a driver and mechanic in the Auxiliary Territorial Service, yet driving is the weakest part of her golf card. She will not be long off the tee. Her putting makes up for a lot of it. It is the best of her scoring skills, and her short game and iron play are solid enough to keep her near the greens. She was also a lifelong horsewoman who rode well into her later years, and that patience in the saddle carries over to a slow, grinding course.

The Links Open is her best major. Firm British turf, wind off the sea and a premium on keeping the ball low and under control suit a player who never panics. The Long Course Championship is her worst fit, because long carries and big par fours take her putter out of play. Draft her in the later rounds as a calm, dependable scorer, and pair her with a long hitter who can handle the long weeks for her.

Plays like A composed veteran who never lets one bad hole become two

Put Queen Elizabeth II in your lineup

5 rolls, a team of five, four majors. Can you win the Grand Slam? Free, no account.