A star-studded field gathered for the sporting event of the year and the crowd was abuzz with excitement and anticipation. After the frustration of what seemed an interminable lockdown, sporting enthusiasts flocked to the course to take part in a gala event.
Readers could be excused for thinking we're referring to some international event at a racecourse, say, Flemington, but in fact we're referring to the event of the year, the Friday Club Golf Championship played at legendary Long Reef Golf Club.
This year a hot field assembled for the running of the championship. And, by hot, I mean everybody was hot (it was 34 degrees!) but there were some fancied runners there too. The smiling assassin, Neville Crealy was a popular pick, while Ross Guignon was in rare form.
There were whispers that dashing Doug Mansfield had been seen practicing and more rumours that last year's winner, yours truly, might be worth a flutter (I started those rumours myself!). The irrepressible Sally Hill and classy Valerie Wilson headed the ladies' challenge, while Wayne Grundy, a refugee from the wrong side of Spit Bridge, was also in rare form. Expecting photo-opportunities later on, Wayne had a haircut and beard trim especially for the event.
In the end, it was another golfer from the dodgy side of Spit Bridge who triumphed.
Enter Patrick Ford, our international man of mystery: a financial genius toying with the markets some days, and a superhero struggling to change into his lycra leotard, in a phonebox, on others (it's not that easy!).
Pat has just been allowed to return to Long Reef after being in lockdown in Mosman. This was possibly not as bad as it sounds. Our new champion was married only six months ago, so the enforced confinement would have allowed him plenty of time to open the wedding presents and write the thankyou notes.
Very elegant would be one way to describe Patrick. He hits a long, straight, ball and his course management is excellent. He's also a master strategist. In order to make a memorable return to the Friday Club, he joined Royal Balgowlah Golf Club (within his LGA ) to fine tune his game.
Pat won the Friday Club Championship with a spanking 81 off the stick for a net 66 strokes and, in so doing, his became the 50th name to be engraved on our historic solid silver trophy.
Despite a mini-heart attack on the 17th, where Pat had a rather ugly seven (could have been eight!), he had two strokes to spare over 2014 champion, Peter Burke. Pete put together a make-you-smile round of 84, for a net 68, while plucky Ross Guignon rewarded the each-way punters with third place, two shots away.
Congratulations to our championship winners and place getters.
(Readers please note: no golfers were injured in the running of this event.)
In the weekly competition, new kid on the block Doug McGrath, having taken all the cookies in the division two cookie jar just two weeks ago, did the same thing to the serious golfers in division one with a rather nifty net 73 strokes.
Division two this week was won by Paul Garrod with a very smart 71 and Sally McHugh-Warner had too much style and flair for everybody else in division three and took bragging rights with a neat 73.
Despite the rather testing conditions we had 86 starters last Friday, an excellent result and members will be delighted to know that we'll be back to stableford games for the rest of the year.
Perry Yeldham | Friday Club President
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