PDC International 2009

Dear comrades

Where to start the tale of this epic golfing weekend? So many highlights to report. A week has passed and I am still tired!

Friday night feast of fish, pasta and multiple beers and wine and general chit chat was a terrific start.

Video footage commences from round 1, Steve and myself on the delightful par 3, 7th, at 13th Beach, still covered in thick fog (please add your ratings and comments on the YouTube vids for prosperity...). Slide to round 2 and enjoy watching the Chief and Schnapper on the same hole and also Chief remove himself from an outrageous hanging lie in the bunker on the par 5, 14th. Craw found Saturday all too much and collapsed after dinner - at the kitchen table.

Day 2 started badly for everyone as Shirls paraded semi-naked. I think there was general agreement that the Creek Course was not a pinch on the Beach course, but still enjoyable. From memory, Doc and I played mostly like axe murderers on the front nine (6 down at the turn, I think), although Doc was a bit worse than me (sorry, champ, but that cold-top-shank on the 9th was very shabby, I think the woo-woo bird went further!). Doc's drive on the 7th (?) was an obvious exception, and to his great credit he dug very deep and found some form on the back, culminating in binning a slippery downhiller on the last for a par to halve the 9 and salvage some pride. I think we lost 10 holes to Craw and Damien!

I admit to being a little weary on Sunday afternoon and I didnt think Barwon Heads would match 13th Beach for sheer golfing enjoyment. I was pleased to be wrong. What a super course! Bellringer's birdie on the 1st after snap hooking his drive into a house was any early highlight. Holes 4 thru 10 completely brilliant, with the 9th a show-stopper. Here Shirls tonks off down the hill on the par 5, 5th. The par 4, 15th an absolute cracker too.

Beers, dinner and fine wine in the clubhouse was a top way to end the day - the hardy ones kicking on for snooker.

Monday dawned cool and fine. I really should start the long drive home, I thought, four rounds is plenty. Bloody whoosbag! Again, very glad I played. Shirls and I had a bonza match against Barnsey and Tim Cole - Shirls' handicap shots on 17 and 18 the difference, especially after he smashed a 4-wood to 7 feet on the 15th for an easy par to draw the match level. The par 3, 13th is a lovely hole looking back towards the territory we conquered (?) on the weekend and some footage available of Tim, myself, Barnsey and Shirls.

Well done, Damien on the great victory. Well done the 'Evens' in the team championships, bad luck the 'Odds'.

Look forward to doing it all again next year!

PS All my photos are available from this album. I'm happy to upload and or link from the blog any other pics or video you have.

Hugs
Fergus

PDC 2009

Sourced from post-event emails, to assist future historians...

Round 1 - 8 August 2009

The front nine was very "unPDCish". Micky was on fire (2 under after 5), Bellringer & the Craw -1. Nothing was going to hold Micky back as he turned in 38 (I think). The Craw was +1 and it looked easy! Bellringer hit a few greens, stayed out of trouble and turned -1.

Bellringer moved to -3 after the first 2 holes of the blue monster (red) with a get out of jail free card chip-in from behind the green. The Craw was on the train and feeling unlucky (4 in a row). Micky's day was going down hill and was uncharacteristically doing the "2 S" (swearing & swordfighting). The Craw pulled out of the tailspin with some solid pars and closed out a good round. Bellringer limped home with 3 bogies, but holed a glory putt on the last to stay in the red.

Leave passes confirmed for the boys this Saturday. The PDC will be a fight.

Bellringer is due to face the judiciary after the second round for disciplinary action. He is definitely in trouble because he doesn't have the appropriate uniform (black suit, bad tie or even black sun glasses).

Bellringer 71/70 (leading gross score in the clubhouse, both PDC and for the other competition as well); Craw is one shot behind (77/71). Chief may have to read the little red book this year after 85/79.

Round 2 - 15 August 2009
Well the 2nd round of the PDC had its ups and downs!

Micky started the day for the second week in a row in the red with a regulation birdie to jump out of the blocks on the green nine. The nine was there for the taking with conditions being ideal. The craw had a couple of wobbly holes (doubles) but showed newfound poise to shrug this off and turn in 39. Micky was 38 and Bellringer 37.

At this point the PDC looked very much in the balance between the craw & bellringer.

Bellringer started with a blaze of glory with a 6 iron to 8 feet on 1 and was putting for eagle. Alas no joy, but had his nose in front with craw taking 6.

From then on it was all two way traffic. Bellringer having hundreds and the craw playing impressively steady golf.

In the end it was a one horse race - The craw! (first time winner) with 71 + 75 for a 144 PDC net a deserved winner from Bellringer 70 + 80 (Harrington is useless in comparison at racking them up!) for 150 + The Chief 154.

Another year. Another victor. Well done Neil - Deserved winner! Could be a threat for the international!

Comments from the humble victor:

At last I can get the PDC monkey off my back and as the perennial last place getter I can finally hand Harvey over to someone else - more specifically Mick. But before any more talk about 'hot form' I have to advise that Ben failed to mention that this years PDC was played off the ladies tees. We can only assume that they were trying to keep the round times down. It did feel a bit mickey mouse after expecting a brutal experience and finding yourself having about a 30 - 40 meters start on some holes. Probably why about half the field on saturday shot in the mid 60s. still a win is a win made even more satisfying by finally beating the cullinans after about 10 years of trying.

Happy birthday Chief!

Dear comrades

Seems like only yesterday we were having a tonk at Hope Island to celebrate the occasion. Have a great day!

Doc, love your work getting your swing on YouTube. Gunna send around for critique? It's sweet, mate!

F

May 2009 update

Dear comrades, just watched one of the more amazing video of cycling ever and feel obliged to share, check it out.

Jack had his first birdie yesterday at the local par 3 course, well, it was actually a par but I let him play them all as par 4's. Is that a bit soft? Anyway, almost bought a tear to the old man's eye, two lovely 7 irons to 8 feet, boom!

I have been fiddling around with a few blogs etc, at work and home, including a focus on the footy season. Feel free to comment. I spent most of the week in Wellington in NZ at a conference about social media and government etc. Nice town, great cafes and pubs, just got to do something about the wind...

Cheers
Fergus

Springtime in Augusta means one thing...

... Muzza, Barnsey and I are now 12 years older since being there. Bugger.

Comrades, the US Masters is almost upon us. Any favourites or special tingling in the loins about a potential winner? Catch all the action here.
Doc, not sure where your exams are up to, good luck ol' sport.
F

PS, I found the little red book (handed to the worse PDC score) in the shed, and even hauled it all the way to Tassie. If someone wants to claim it for the 2008 tourney, let me know.