2004 - Murray Reid (again)

Being entrusted with the cup and Jacket for the past 12 months I was proud to wear the Jacket at every and any opportunity I could, I wanted the whole world to know that I had climbed my Mt Everest and succeeded where so many others had failed. But the time had come to put it all on the line again but as a past winner the handicapper wasn’t about to let me get under his guard.

My starting handicap was 7, my club handicap was almost double this. They say that golf is 50% mental and the other 50% is in your head. That was the case with me on the Saturday. I had resigned myself to not having a chance on Saturday.

I started badly losing a ball off the first tee and never recovered to post 22 points. It wasn’t the worst score thanks to Andrew Placek, Dave Fitz, and Neil but it was by far my worst Score. We went to the club that night and I contemplated not playing on the Sunday and just taking the Video camera around and filming some other champion rise to the top.

I drowned my sorrows and decided that I would enjoy the night and just see what tomorrow would bring. There were even jokes around what lucky golfer would or even could win the cup twice and that should that ever happen the handicapper would attack them with a vengeance never before seen on or off the golf course.

After some late night shenanigans Sunday morning arrived and despite the best endeavors from some, all players fronted up on the first tee.

With 22 point on Saturday I was one of the first away. With a hangover (a proven winning formula from past champions) and a “snowflakes chance in hell” attitude I proceeded to shoot the lights out. Playing off a revised handicap of 14 I finished with a 6 over par 78 and 44 pts. For a total of 66pts for the weekend.

I could only wait and see how the front runners were going to see if it was good enough to succeed. The leaders after Saturday included JB, Peter Fitz and Muf all with scores in the low 30 pts.

Its funny how the demeanour of a man can tell so much about his performance. Watching the last group walk up the 17th hill I could tell that there were no great scores in the group, but were their scores good enough to rest the jacket away from the current owner. Muf faltered with rounds of 30 and 27. JB could only dream of what could have been (again) with rounds of 33 and 29. Fitzy was consistent with two rounds of 31 but that left 66 as the winning score and that most unlikely of wins to secure the back to back victories.

In the eight years we have been contesting the cup there were now seven winners, I had another year to proudly wear the Jacket to every function, dinner , BBQ or just to bed.

That mountain I had climbed just 12 months ago for my first win had again succumbed to the determination and passion that is required to succeed at this most elite level of sport.

Written by Murray Reid