FINALS DAY....Gold letters?

Well, what a weekend, building up to Sunday's Finals Day, where I was through to the final of the big singles matchplay competition, the Challenge Cup.

As I mentioned last time, I played in Gary Disney's Breast Cancer charity day, this year being played for the third time in memory of his wife Anita. Really enjoyed the day and went up for the presentation in the evening. Delighted and astonished to discover that the day had raised over £20,000. A fantastic effort, and Gary, his family and the people who helped out with organisation, food, sponsorship and everything else should be very proud of their achievement. Some fantastic pink outfits out there too, and Gary Brown is not only a fine swimming coach, he swings a great mic as a charity auction MC too!

That was Friday. I chose not to play on Saturday, didn't want to use up all my good shots before the final. We ended up going into Nottingham for a look at the Nottingham Food and Drink Festival. I had a fantastic sausage cob...

OK - the big day. Up at SIX am for a tee time at eight. Got up to the club bright an early ready for the Englishman's traditional prep of a few swishes with a six iron and a bacon sandwich. Distressed to find that the kitchen didn't open until 7.30. Peter was acting as caddie, and had diligently been up at 6.15 making sustaining sandwiches for the round. He took his duties very seriously all day and was great, encouraging when I hit some bad ones and giving me a bit of advice when my swing wasn't working as well as it should. Never has a man had such well-polished grooves, either! What a star.

Tony Beech and I had a great scrap all the way round - twice! The final of the Challenge Cup was contested over 36 holes of match play. Hardly any holes were halved - we took turns in making a mess of our shots, but with neither of us giving way we were both playing well under handicap (probably). All square after the first 18, soup and a sandwich, and back out at 1.30 for the second round. I had no rhythm at all at first, and after six holes I was four down and Tony was cruising to an early, easy victory. Seven to 11, though, I turned into Tiger Woods - in the zone! Hit the middle of the green and won 7,8,9 and 11 to get back to all square. We halved the 12th, which I was disappointed with. I hit a wayward approach into the fringe of the green when I should have been close and three putted for a six. Tony then birdied the par-5 13th to go one-up and I knew I was in trouble as he was receiving shots on the 14th and 16th. He duly won the 14th (2-up), I won the 15th but he took the 16th to go to the 17th dormie.

If the match had a turning point it was Tony's chip on the 17th. I had hit a good rescue wood to about 10 feet from the pin, but anyone who knows our 17th will know that you can easily three putt from there. Tony was up on the bank at the back of the green, with a difficult chip down. He hit it very very nearly perfectly, but it just hung up literally 2 inches from running down to the hole. He was then putting down onto the green for three, down in five and we were going up the 18th dormie one. I hit a shocker, in the rough on the right but blocked from the green by a big tree. Tony had gone with an iron from the tee and left himself a shot from a downhill lie across the valley. Unfortunately he found a tree on the left and he had to take a penalty drop, from where he hit a good chip to about 8 feet. I hit my second into a greenside bunker, and then hit the bunker shot into the OTHER greenside bunker. Had to really fight down the sense of having blown it and calm down. I hit the bunker shot of my life to a foot from the pin. Tony missed his eight footer but got the return and I was able to hole my putt to send us down the extra hole all square.

So there we were, all square after 36 holes. I think we were both mentally and physically exhausted by now. We both hit our drives right, but I got luckier than Tony as my drive popped through the tree line onto the practice ground beyond. We both put our seconds down close to the front of the green. I was feeling pretty unconquerable, actually. I was sure the momentum was with me after the last couple of holes. Tony chipped first, to 10 feet or so. I got a little beauty off, it rolled all around the green and ended up lipping out, rolling on to 18 inches. Tony missed the putt, leaving me the 18 incher for the match. 18 inches and about a mile and a half. I had to really force myself away from all thoughts of the win and just see it as a golf shot. It was very, very hard to do, but I just went through the routine and knocked it in for the match.

Oh yes!

To the casual reader, this may all seem a very small thing, but I have worked really hard all year on my golf - I've put hundreds of hours into practice and play. I'm not talented, beyond a basic ability to 'play games' but I wanted to see how well I could do at this frustrating, wonderful sport. I've come down by ten on handicap, won a few quid on the way in competition and met some great people. It was important to me that I put the cap on it with a mention on one of the honours boards, and for it to be the Challenge Cup, arguably the biggest prize in the club (I know the winner of the Scratch Cup might disagree, but that's just one day!) just makes it better.

Wonder what next week's comp is?