HOW I WON THE BROWNLEE HANDICAP MATCHPLAY CUP AND HOW THE BROWNLEE CUP BEGAN:

Here I am holding the Brownlee Cup
Thames Golf Club - November 2010

In 1947 Dr G. N. Brownlee presented a cup to be known as the Brownlee Cup and to be played for by the members of the Thames Golf Club as Knockout Handicap Match play. George was Senior Champion at Thames Golf Club in 1946 and 1948. Since it was first contested in 1947 it has only been won by the same person, four times, once. And the last time it was won in consecutive years was 1953 - 54, so that says it is a very hard cup to defend!!

The Format for the 2010 playing of the Brownlee Cup was two rounds of Qualifying on the Saturday 19th & 26th of June. With the best net of two Rounds to be your qualifying round. Top 32 qualifying scores would qualify for the 1st round of match play on the 10th July. And play knockout rounds until the two finalists were found for the final on Saturday October 9th.

Well, on Saturday 19th June, I shot a 68 net and was well placed to qualify after the 1st round. The scheduled 2nd round qualifying on Saturday 26th June had to be postponed to Saturday 3rd July because the course was closed on Saturday 26th June due to a winter storm!!

I played the 2nd round of Qualifying on Saturday 3rd July and had a 69 net which didn't improve my position. I easy qualified with my 68 net on Saturday19th June and was into the match play draw of 32 qualifiers. In the 1st round of the Brownlee Cup match play I was on a 8 handicap and BC was on a 14 handicap, so I gave him 6 shots. The game as played on a cold, crisp July morning. Game was close on the front nine, I turned 1 up, but managed to get control of the match on the back nine and prevailed to win 3&1 and was through to the 2nd round on Saturday 24th July.

While having a drink to celebrate my win with BC, DM arrived up in the Club house after beating his SR on the 18th hole 1 up. He was my next Opponent in the 2nd round. He asked me if we could play our 2nd round match on Saturday 17th July because he was not able to make Saturday 24th July. I agreed and put our names up for 11:30am tee off on Saturday 17th July.

On Saturday 17th July the day dawned very wet. Me and DM teed-off at 11:30am in our 2nd round match for the Brownlee Cup and a chance to make the Quarter Finals. I was on an 8 handicap DM was on a 12 handicap so I had to give him 4 shots. The front nine was very close And we turned all square, I was 1 up playing the 18 hole and put my 2nd shot safely on the green for 2 shots and looked sure to win the match, as DM had left his 2nd shot on the front fringe. But DM showed great nerve to roll his Birdie putt in the hole off the Green!! My Birdie Putt to win the match just lipped out. So we went down the19th hole and both had bogey 4's, I was giving DM a shot on both of the next two holes, and we halved the 20th hole with my par to his bogey, and halved the 21st hole to my birdie and his Par, and we halved the 22nd hole with both having pars. On the 23rd hole we both hit our tee shots down the fairway, I went 1st with my 2nd shot and put my 9 iron on the green, DM topped his 2nd & 3rd shots and thinned his 4th over the green to concede the game to me, was it the longest Brownlee Cup Match in the History of it?

The Quarter Finals were due to be played on Saturday 31st July, but GP asked me if I could play our match on Thursday 5th August in the Monthly Meat Pack Open, because he had to work on Saturday 31st July. I agreed. So the day dawned on Thursday 5th August, it had been Raining hard for the whole week and I thought the course may be closed so I rang up the Golf Shop to see and they said "No, it was open". Arrived at Thames Golf Club at 10:30am and Duty Manager in the Golf Shop said "The Meat Pack had been cancelled, but the course was still open and we were to play our match". We teed-off 11:30am just as a group of 2. I was on a 7 handicap and my GP was on a 16 handicap, so I had to give him 9 shots. The front nine was very closely contested but I managed to end the front nine 1up. I won holes 10, 11, 13, 15 to win the match 4&3. It was my most convincing win in all the 5 matches I played in winning the Brownlee Cup 2010.

So to the Semi - Finals. The Semi - Final of the Brownlee Cup was scheduled for Saturday 14th August. But it dawned horrible, with heavy rain forecast for the whole day. The course was closed and the game was rescheduled for Saturday 28th August. SG was a very good player. He was the 6 time Stroke play Champion & the 3 time reining Senior Match play Champion. I was on an 8 handicap and he was on a 4 handicap. So I was receiving 4 shots from SG. I turned 2 down, but played an excellent back nine holes to score 35even par and win the Semi - final 2up!! And I made my 1st ever Brownlee Cup Final!!!

The Final was scheduled for Saturday 9th October which was 6 weeks after I had played my Semi - final. I think it was too long to wait personally. But I had no say in the matter. The day of Saturday 9th October dawned fine with showers and extremely windy conditions. TG was on a 20 handicap to my 10 handicap. I had to give him 10 shots. It was the most shots I had to give in the five games I played.

Thames Golf Club
Coromandel - New Zealand

The Final started off well for me. I won the 1st, halved the 2nd, won the 3rd, halved the 4th & 5th holes to be 2 up after 5 holes, but then lost holes 6,7,8 holes and halved 9 to turn 1 down. I was getting worried because I had to give TG a shot on each of the holes from the 10th - 13th holes. But TG capitulated completely on the back nine. Meaning I got a half on the 10th with my par to his 3 putt bogey, won the 11th with my par to his D.Bogey, halved the 12th with my par to his Bogey, and won the 13th with my par to his T.Bogey, we halved the 14th in par 3's. So I was 1 up with 4 holes to play. The 15th is a short par 5 playing right in to the teeth of the wind. I made a solid par to TG D.Bogey. So I am now 2 up with 3 holes to play. The 16th hole was a long par 4 playing right into the teeth of the wind as well. It was the last shot I was giving TG, he took advantage of it with us both having D.bogey's and he won the hole. So I was1 up with two holes to play. We halved the 17th in pars. So I was 1 up with one to play. TG had the honour and hit his tee shot straight into the trees on the left, I hit my tee - shot into the right hand trees. TG then hit his 2nd shot into the right trees as well and had no back swing for his third, and eventually hit his 5th Shot on the green and 2 putted for a T.bogey, I punched my 2nd shot up through the trees, just short of the green and chipped my 3rd just past the hole to 20 feet. My par putt stopped right on the lip of the hole and I tapped in for bogey to win the Brownlee Cup 2 up!!!

I feel it was my Destiny to win the Brownlee Cup after going 23 holes with DM in the 2nd round and coming out on top!! And IT FELT VERY SATISFYING having finally achieved my GOAL!!!!

I got a Congratulations text from my golfing friend later that night, he was the 2009 Brownlee Cup Champion, He said "he would polish the Cup ready for me to Receive at Prize-giving".

I now await to receive the BROWNLEE CUP AT THE 2010 THAMES GOLF CLUB PRIZEGIVING on Saturday 13th November.