2019 - Peter Fitzgerald

The lead up to the 2019 Cup was very similar to recent years - happily doing a lot of organizing so to limit the amount to be done on the weekend. But there was one difference this year. Ali Fitz had set up our own website - www.mollymookcup.com.au, which had been populated with its history, old photos, and stories from past winners.

And most importantly, access to our live leaderboard, so the results could be followed by anyone located anywhere. So the likes of David Fitz in London and Todd Placek in Morocco could at least be a bit connected to the weekend they were missing.

In a golfing sense, pretty normal also, a mixture of good and bad golf leading up to it, but nothing consistent. I did feel I was close to playing better, so organized for a lesson with John Hufton on the Thursday before the Cup. This was a follow up to a lesson a couple of months earlier, which had been helpful but hadn’t quite nailed it.

Come Friday, I spent the 18 holes trying to get the right feel following the lesson. I scored 33 points, but didn’t feel I played very well and I knew I was going to need to play better on the weekend to have a chance.

Playing off 19 was a bit embarrassing, but 20 years of limited success proved that this was my correct handicap for Mollymook, and the faceless men thankfully agreed. And plenty of previous winners have played off generous handicaps, which they seem to have forgotten. Like John Barrett off 29, Barry Formosa off 33, Ian Poole off 19, Tim Fitz off 27, Jason Reid off 32, Peter McGovern off 23, and Mark Placek off 25.

Saturday morning was the usual routine at the park for breakfast and reveal of 2019 shirts. The general consensus was that they were our best ever shirts, a nice mix of blue and pink.

Playing in the fourth group with Muz, Andy Gray and Dan Barrett, there was a lot of focus on the teams match. My front nine was bogey golf for all but the 8th hole on which I had a par. That was good enough for 20 points without playing great, but not making any mistakes. And on the 7th hole I hit a cracking drive which reminded me of the main points from Thursday’s lesson, and after that I hardly hit a poor shot in either round.

The back nine was a mixture of 4 pars and a couple of double bogeys for another 20 points. I figured 40 points would be leading or close to it, but didn’t know because I hadn’t looked at the live leaderboard until after I had finished. Murray was terrific to play with, we combined well to win our match and he kept the scores to himself knowing I didn’t want to know. Turns out I was a 6 shot leader from Ross White, with Tim Fitz and Col McGuinness a shot further back.

Saturday night was at the Mollymook Bowlo. I consumed a reasonable amount of grog, knowing the barbs would be there about not choking and don’t do a Greg Norman. Unusually none of it worried me then or the next morning. We had a not too late game of cards and then had a terrific night’s sleep.

Sunday morning was low key, and I wasn’t feeling any real nerves. I was more focused on playing the way I had on Saturday, and extending my lead so that all chance was taken out of it. I was paired with Ross, Tim and Col, with most thinking Ross was under most pressure should he knock off his father in law!

My first drive sailed down the middle, second shot on to the green about 15 feet away and two putts for a 3 pointer. So after one hole my lead was now 8 shots. Didn’t play the second great but got away with a bogey for 2 points. When I parred the next three not so easy holes my lead was out to more than 10. From there it was easy sailing, only having a couple of not so good holes but also having a birdie on our 13th hole for a 4 pointer.

At that point when I suggested to Tim that I was probably a fair way in front, he said I could wipe the last 4 holes and still win comfortably. And so it was that I won by 13 shots from Col McGuinness to become the 20th individual winner who could now sign off as Mollymook Cup winner XXIII. And I did it playing my best ever golf at a Mollymook Cup, bettering my previous best score by 9 shots.

Being able to play the last hole with that lead was very enjoyable, and being greeted with genuine good wishes from all the other guys after putting out on the last is a memory I will cherish for a long time.

Written by Peter Fitzgerald