GBCC Golf: We’ll be riveted to the telly come Sunday

Today marks the first round of the 140th Open Championship. I’m not biased but I’d say 72 holes of the most wonderful game ever invented lie between the competitors and the title of Champion Golfer of the Year and a handsome claret jug.
The venerable links of Royal St. George’s in Kent, on the Southeast coast of England, is the battleground. The world’s golfing elite are competing and I for one will be riveted to the television on Sunday afternoon.
Royal St. George’s reputation as an open venue is an extremely tough golf course. Only three winners have ever finished under par. One of them was Ben Curtis, an American, who in 2003 won by one over Thomas Bjorn, a Dane, who tragically took three shots to escape a green-side bunker on the 16th and let the claret jug trickle through his fingers. Coincidentally enough, Ben Curtis went to school at Kent State, Ohio! Destiny maybe?
Dr. Laidlaw Purves of the Royal Wimbledon Golf Club designed and established the club in 1887. It quickly became a venue that entertained golfers from London’s upper class. Named St. George’s, it was to become the English rival to Scotland’s St. Andrews. Royal status was bestowed on the club by King Edward VII in May 1902.
One of the favorites this week must be Luke Donald, an Englishman, who lives in America. Sounds familiar! Luke is the world’s number one golfer and last week won the Scottish Open Championship at Castle Stuart.
Back over this side of the pond, at Gardiner’s Bay, we held our men’s flagship event, the Manhansett, with a better ball of two format. Congratulations to Ture Tufvesson, who won the net with his guest Lance Willumsen; and to Jay Sessa, who won the gross with his guest, Dr. George Arida.
Amazingly, we had two holes-in-one Saturday, one in the Manhansett on the 11th hole by Pete Victoria, Paul Ben-Susan’s guest, and another in general play later in the day on the 4th by Matt Hyman, a guest of John Brownlie.
More than 30 ladies competed in a Stableford format this Tuesday. Stableford allocates points for your score on each hole, one point for bogey, two for par, three for birdie and so on. The biggest point winner was Kathy Costello with 37 points (one under par), Ginny Brooks finished 2nd with 36 points (level par). Barbara Pollert finished third with 35 points in a match of cards win over Dede Gray who finished fourth, also with 35 points.
Enjoy The 140th Open Championship this weekend. Who will get to sip from the claret jug.