The Sandbagger

Over the years of Sandbagger competition, Jeff Mains has earned himself many titles. Aside from Host (multiple occasions, much appreciated), he has been called: Most Honest Golfer; Most Entertaining Golf Partner; Most Distracting Golf Partner: Most Persevering Golfer; Most Improved Golfer; Sandbagger Champion; and now, Repeat Champion.

Jeff was the only one among the dozen 2018 competitors to have played Owl’s Head and Orford and his home course knowledge, coupled with his improved play, carried him to victory for the second time in four years. In fact, Jeff (target: 111) was the only golfer to finish under par versus his target, coming in at -1, after carding rounds of 109 and 112 for the weekend.

Let’s give credit where credit is due: after recording an jaw-dropping sextuple bogey 10 on his first hole of the tournament, Jeff could have been excused for folding up his tent (metaphorically) and switching his focus to his plans for providing an excellent evening meal. Instead, he sucked it up, regained his form and went 5, 5 on his next took holes, before stumbling to a quadruple bogey 9 on the fourth hole. But, he showed impressive fortitude and persevered mightily, giving us all something to draw upon when next (and inevitably) we find ourselves faltering. Though Jeff went 57-55 on Sunday, giving up just one stroke to his target, he made things interesting at the end by closing with a triple and a quadruple at Orford, giving a glimmer of hope to his chasers.

Finishing a commendable second in the tournament was Mike Maidment (target: 87), whose 93 at Orford on Sunday put him at a disappointing +6 for the day, moving him to +3 for the tournament. Mike was good in his final round, though not as solid as he was on Saturday and not sharp enough to overtake Jeff. For the day, Mike went 47-46, carding 3 pars, 10 bogeys, 4 doubles and one triple bogey. Unfortunately (for Mike, at least), a double bogey on #17 effectively sunk his hopes. There’s no shame in finishing second, but the fans would have appreciated more drama and Mike’s (ahem) choke on 17 left them in their seats.

Greg Hodgins came into the final round in 3rd place, three shots back, and finished in 3rd place, five shots back. Greg (target: 98) faltered on the front nine, opening with a triple and turning the corner with a 54. Greg did improve his form on the back nine, firing a 48, but closed his round with a triple bogey on 18 at a moment when a par would have put a heap of unwanted pressure on Jeff Mains.

So, that’s the top three: how did the rest of us also-rans fare on Sunday at Orford?

Brian Joe (target: 93) came into the day in 4th, and finished 4th, going out in 46 and coming home in 47, putting him at even for the day and +5 for the weekend. Brian has got game and has been in the top five on multiple occasions. Once he gets comfortable embracing the burden of his ‘unfair’ target, we will see him sipping from the Pewter Mug.

Derrick Hockley (target: 86) came into the day in 7th, and moved up a few notches to 5th, going out in 43 and coming home in 44, putting him at +1 for the day and +8 for the weekend. Though he carded 4 double bogeys, Derrick’s 87 — which also included two birdies — was undoubtedly a lot more satisfying than his opening round 93.

Blake Johnston (target: 97) wasn’t happy with his opening round 106 (+9) but shook off the rust and redeemed himself on Sunday. He came into the day in 10th, and moved up four spots to 6th, going out in 49 and coming home in 50, putting him at +2 for the day and +11 for the weekend.

Andres (Sergio) del Castillo (target: 91) came into the day in 5th, but showed the effects of the Saturday evening festivities as he slid to 7th. Andy went out in 50 and came home in 49, putting him at an unhappy +8 for the day and +14 for the weekend. This fan favourite will prevail someday.

As the second most maligned Sandbagger champion, yours truly (target: 91) came into the day tied for a lamentable 11th. I managed to climb a few spots to finish in 8th, largely due to a blistering (for me) 43 on the front nine. Yes, I crashed and came home with a 52 but, if the concussion doesn’t lead to permanent impairment, I will choose to recall the front half of my final round. I ended up at +4 for the day and +15 for the weekend.

Greg Jarvis (target: 77) came into the day tied for 11th — due to his shocking opening round 88 (+11) — but redeemed himself somewhat by shooting an 82, the low score of the day, a great round for most but still a +5 for Greg. Greg, Sandbagger Champion in 2006 and 2012, went out in a mediocre (for him) 44 but turned it around and came home with an impressive 38, leaving him tied for 9th, at +16, on the weekend.

2000 Champion Geoff Oliver (target: 86) came into the day tied for 5th, but tumbled to a tie for 9th, after carding a surprising 96. Geoff’s front nine 51 included a three hole stretch where the former champion was a stunning 11 over par. He was much sharper on the back nine, coming home in 45, but still had a triple bogey marring his scorecard. Geoff finished at +10 for the day and +16 for the weekend.

Michel Ranger (target: 81) came into the day tied for 7th, but tumbled to an 11th place finish. The 2014 champion went out in 45 (despite carding a quad) and came home in 48, putting him at +12 for the day and +19 for the weekend.

Analyst Johnny Miller has ventured the opinion that three-time Champion Ricky Cunliffe (target: 94) buckled under the pressure of his lowest ever target. CedRick came into the day tied for 7th, but tumbled to a 12th place finish, after going out in 53 and coming home in 55. His final round 108 put him at +14 for the day and +21 for the weekend. But, Rick was still a winner: he enjoyed the fine meals, the revelry, the camaraderie and, maybe most impactfully, the fact he wasn’t hosting.

Jeff – congratulations on your well-deserved victory and thank you, again, for hosting us at Lake Stukely and delivering such a fine meal on Saturday evening. We hope all the effort was worth it!

A table showing the Final Results for 2018 is below.

Tags: Results, Sandbagger Chronicles, Sandbagger XXIII by Sandbagger Commissioner
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It was a beautiful day at Owl’s Head for day one of Sandbagger XXIII.  Just as in Malone last year, it was cool but sunny and it warmed up nicely as the afternoon progressed.  The course was in great shape (unlike my game).

Mike Maidment, the best player never to win the Sandbagger, was in great form, going 43-41, 3 strokes under his target, all while playing under the pressure of a big stakes skins game (or maybe it reduced pressure because he knew he’d be fleecing the suckers he played with).  Four Sandbaggers had lower targets than Mike, but none carded a lower score.  The greens were fast and sloped — provoking much cursing — but Mike never faltered with his putter.   Jeff Mains fought off some early struggles — in the form of an opening hole 9! — to put himself just one shot off Maidment’s lead.  Greg Hodgins, another Sandbagger who has yet to (legally) sip from the Pewter Mug, fired a 98, right on his target, leaving him just 3 back of the leader.

Brian Joe whined and moaned his way into the leader’s group for the closing round.  Brian’s complaints were already falling on deaf ears during the Star Chamber.  Now that he is in the top 4, perhaps the mute button will permanently deployed?

If Messrs Maidment, Mains and Hodgins falter, there are a lot of ‘Baggers waiting to pounce.  After the top three, the next six golfers are grouped closely, separated by only two strokes.  That group includes 3-time winner Ricky Cunliffe, defending champ Derrick Hockley, past champions Geoff Oliver and Michel Ranger.  Brian Joe and Andy del Castillo (former lead singer of Eight Seconds) both of whom have not hoisted the mug, are also lurking.

For Blake Johnston, the tension of standing over a Sandbagger putt was more than his shaky nerves could handle, proving that absences from competitive play can seriously hinder performance.  Greg Jarvis, on the other hand, never misses a competition.  It’s not clear what put him off his game – was his 11-over 88 a result of being intimidated by Jeff Mains’ booming drives? or was it the way Jeff Mains drives a cart?  Having failed to convince us during the Star Chamber, Greg is undoubtedly already positioning himself for a 5 stroke increase to his target for 2019.  He plays the long game…   All I can say about yours truly is that I hit about six really good shots today.  Well, maybe five.

Name

Maidment

Mains

Hodgins

Joe

del Castillo

Oliver

Ranger

Hockley

Cunliffe

Johnston

Jarvis

Anderson

Tgt

87

111

98

93

91

86

81

86

94

97

77

91

Rd 1

84

109

98

98

97

92

88

93

101

106

88

102

+/-

-3

-2

E

+5

+6

+6

+7

+7

+7

+9

+11

+11

Tags: Results, Sandbagger XXIII by admin
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October 1 was a beautiful, sunny Sunday, with fall colours beginning to show on Malone’s rolling mountainsides.  It was a picturesque setting for the final round of our 22nd Sandbagger.

The 2017 group, before teeing off for the final round.

Derrick Hockley, who was there for the inaugural Sandbagger in 1996 (also held in Malone), was the only remaining original (and recurring) participant never to have lofted our storied Pewter Mug.  He was our version of Greg Norman – i.e., the best golfer never to have hoisted the trophy.   Hawk’s patience finally paid off today as he held on against a surging Jeff Mains (2015 Champ) to win his first Sandbagger Cup.

Reigning Champ Ricky gives Hawk the coveted Pewter Mug while your humble Commish prepares to bestow him with a winners’ jersey

Hawk came into the Sunday with a 7 stroke lead.  Only ‘Captain Saturday’ (as Bruce Murdock was dubbed on the first tee by Rick Cunliffe) has ever squandered a comparable lead.  Thanks to a steady closing round in which the leader nailed his target, Hawk finally overcame his years of frustration, (almost) coasting to victory, and finally ending his long journey to the winner’s circle.

It is worth noting that 2015 Sandbagger Champion Jeff Mains mounted a spirited effort that, while ultimately falling short, betrayed that the ageing champ still has some fire in his belly.  Jeff’s strong front nine moved him within spitting distance of Hawk’s lead, and he sustained the pace on holes 10 and 11 (a birdie, 2) before crash-landing to earth with a series of triple bogeys and a bonus quad.  He finished tied for 2nd, 7 strokes back.

2nd place finisher Jeff Mains hits an approach shot on the final hole

Andrew Posthumus finished in a very respectable tie for 2nd, going 94-95 on the weekend.  Andy’s prodigious drives were the stuff of legend (not just in his own mind) but his short game betrayed some rust, not to say insufficient skill.

Defending Champion Rick Cunliffe acquitted himself well, firmly cementing his status as a fellow who deserves a low-to-mid 90s target…notwithstanding his suggestions to the contrary.  Ricky shot 95 on day 1, leaving him tied for fourth coming into Sunday; though he slipped to a 98 in the final round, it was a truly remarkable feat considering his performance at Donovan’s on Saturday night.  As virtually everyone can attest, Rick is the most improved golfer on the circuit.  If he could just learn to putt, he’d be high 80s, low 90s golfer.  Alas, those days working the jackhammer have taken their toll.

Your humble Commish had proposed a 93 target — knowing my game better than any of you — but had to settle for a 91.  I fired an unimpressively steady 95-95 to finish 5th.   I had plenty of decent shots and holes, but intermittent triple bogeys plagued me.  And par 3s.  I hate all par 3s.

Geoff Oliver had come into the weekend nursing a sore elbow. He had provoked much good-natured ribbing by proposing a target of 99, and finished 6th at +12, after closing with a 96.  Somehow, Geoff remained convinced that his proposed 99 target was justified, even though my math finds that he would have finished in first, four strokes ahead of Hawk if we had let Geoff have his way. Nice try, Geoff.  That elbow didn’t look too painful when you were launching those majestic 275 yard drives!

Perennial runner-up Bruce Murdock came into the Sunday with dreams of putting a fourth bridesmaid’s dress in his closet (he had all but given up on catching Hawk), but ran into a wee hiccup (or wast that a choke?) when he carded a 12 on a modestly difficult front nine par 4.  Bruce went 94-104, further demonstrating that ‘Captain Saturday’ is an apropos moniker.

Two-time winner Greg Jarvis deployed a cunning(?) strategy.  After an impressive 3 over 75 on Saturday that nonetheless left him a dismaying 11 shots behind, he opted to use Sunday’s round to position himself for 2018 by bogeying as many holes as he could manage.  His 78-88 left him in the 8th and final position, 16 over his target through two rounds and a full 24 behind the leader.  Greg has already been in touch, pointing out that his target needs to be adjusted upward for next year’s competition.  All in favour?

Name

Hockley

Mains

Posthumus

Cunliffe

Anderson

Oliver

Murdock

Jarvis

Target

90

114

95

93

91

87

92

75

Sat

82

113

94

95

95

90

94

78

+/-

-8

-1

-1

+2

+2

+3

+2

+3

Sun

90

111

95

98

95

96

104

88

Final

-8

-4

-1

+7

+8

+12

+14

+16

The 2017 group, in all their assembled royal blue glory, following the final round.

Tags: Results, Sandbagger XXII by Sandbagger Commissioner
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It was a beautiful day on Malone’s East Course. Cool, but sunny and it warmed up nicely as the afternoon progressed. Six of the eight in the 2017 crew played 27 holes. (The Jeff/Geoff duo opted to get some ice cream and then go for a nap.)  Players were allowed to substitute the final 9 holes of the day for their front nine.

Derrick Hockley, the best player never to win the Sandbagger (with apologies to Murdock), fought off some early struggles, shot a 39 on the back nine, and after posting a 43 in his second lap of the front 9 (displacing a 48 in his first trip through the front) emerged from the day with a healthy lead. The other seven competitors are grouped within 5 shots, but the closest two trail Hawk by 7 strokes.

Name

Hockley

Mains

Posthumus

Murdock

Cunliffe

Jarvis

Oliver

Anderson

Tgt

90

114

95

92

93

75

87

91

Rd 1

82

113

94

94

95

78

90

95

+/-

-8

-1

-1

+2

+2

+3

+3

+4

Tags: Results, Sandbagger XXII by Sandbagger Commissioner
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It’s all over. Even the crying.

The irrepressible Rick Cunliffe became the first 3-time winner of the Sandbagger on Sunday (September 18) with an impressively steady round during a close-fought match. Rick went into the final round trailing yours truly by one stroke, but with 3 others within 4 strokes of his 6-under standing.

The standings after Saturday’s opening round at Lanark’s Timber Run Golf Course were as follows:

Jim Anderson -7
Rick Cunliffe -6
Bruce Murdock -3
Brian Arbique -2
Brent Mooney -2
Michel Ranger E
Greg Jarvis E
Jeff Mains +4
Mike Maidment +9

By the end of the final round, the resolute, irrepressible Rick Cunliffe had overtaken (and humbled) your Sandbagger Commissioner and left his closest competitors grinding their teeth and spitting out dust. Ricky went 48-47, to finish with a 95, nudging his final tally lower by one, to finish at 7-under target. His drives were characteristically straight, 210-215 yards. His approach shots were solid. Rick hardly faltered, and when he did misfire, he either followed it up with great, saving putts or redeemed himself on the subsequent hole. As an example, when he triple-bogeyed the par 5 11th hole, watching his lead over the commish shrink to 1, he followed it up with a bogey-bogey-birdie sequence, taking his lead (after 14 holes) back up to 4. In fact, his birdie on the par 3 14th was a real dagger in the hearts of Murdock and Anderson, both of whom double-bogeyed the hole. Rick seemed to breathe better after that hole, though he coughed a bit only moments later when he stumbled to a triple-bogey on 15. The shaky performance on 15 shaved two strokes off Rick’s lead, but the scrappy bastard quickly righted himself and bogeyed the next two holes. He showed nerves of steel, sinking 10 foot or more putts on three of the final holes. An extra putt on each of those holes, in those circumstances, would have been entirely understandable – and would have left him with a slim and uncomfortable one stroke margin heading to 18. In fact, after the final tally, we find that there were four Sandbaggers four shots or less behind Rick. So, the legend of Rick grows…

While Rick was giving a clinic, yours truly, the first round leader, decided to do a Greg Norman impression. After firing a surprising 86 in Saturday’s opening round, I started the championship round with a reasonably steady bogey-bogey-bogey. At this point, it’s worth noting that if I had averaged a bogey through the entire round I very likely would have won comfortably. However, I very generously decided instead to open the door to others, quickly proceeding to go 12 over on the next four holes and stumbling to a front nine 53. However, I rallied and redeemed myself somewhat on the back nine, closing with a 44, for a final round of 97, leaving me at -3 for the Sandbagger. While my rally provided brief sparks of competition, the sparks which were usually doused when Rick sunk his long putts. Indeed, when his long putt for birdie on 14 resulted in a three-shot swing, the writing was on the wall.

Meanwhile, Bruce Murdock, who owns a closet full of pretty bridesmaids’ dresses, was determined to finally take home the Sandbagger Cup. With a sweet swing and ready smile, Murdock is a golf marketer’s dream. It would have been a storybook ending were he able to emerge from third place to overtake Rick Cunliffe and the inexplicably unpopular first round leader. Unfortunately, Mr. Murdock proved, once again, that the mental game is his biggest weakness. He double-bogeyed the opening par 5 and then quintuple-bogeyed the par-4 2nd hole, expanding the gap between he and the lead to 9. This disastrous start left Murdock dazed and confused, a somewhat familiar place for him, and in this case, a place from which he was unable to escape. When the leader faltered, and an opportunity emerged, Murdock did regain his stroke (playing bogey golf for 7 straight holes), but the damage had already been done, the hole dug already too deep. It appears that the sad truth is that Bruce Murdock play very well. When there is no pressure. (Perhaps he should train by putting some dollars on the line on a regular basis.) The good news is that he finished in a tie for second, meaning that he adds yet another frilly dress to his collection.

The low round of the day was fired by two-time champ Greg Jarvis, who proved once again that we should ignore all his Star Chamber entreaties about injuries and insufficient games played. Even with a target of 79, Greg came in two under target for the weekend. Not only that, he shot a blistering one over par 37 on the front nine of Smiths Falls on Sunday. His stellar round left Greg in a tie for fourth. Keep Greg’s final round 77 (on a tough course) in mind!

It might be appropriate now to jump to the high round of the day – the startling 140 which was carded by 2015 champion Jeff Mains! Entering the round just four over his 111 target, Jeff had clearly acquitted himself reasonably well as a defending champ in his opening round. What happened on the Sunday is anyone’s guess. (He didn’t seem that inebriated on Saturday night.) Jeff’s 64 on the front nine was not good, but neither was it unprecedented. It is the Nadia Comanici impersonation on the back nine, when he managed to get six 10s, that boggles the mind. For Jeff, it was a stunning achievement, and yet another record-setting Sandbagger performance. If the Bulgarian, Russian and Hungarian judges hadn’t colluded to deny Jeff the gold, he would have had perfect tens on the back nine.

Mike Maidment continued his strategy to lever his target up each year, shooting 93 and 91 this year, leaving him in second last, (albeit 17 strokes ahead of Jeff Mains), at +16. Mike’s target of 84 should have been reasonable, as those of us who have forked over money to him following skins games know all too well. With all due respect to Lou Riccoboni and Andy del Castillo, Mike is the best golfer who has yet to win the Sandbagger. Remember to send a contribution to the Ottawa Food Bank. It will help when we say no to raising Mike’s target next year.

We were all glad to see Brent Mooney return to Sandbagger competition this year. As the winner of the inaugural championship (1996), Brent holds a special place in Sandbagger lore. Brent acquitted himself very well, firing an 84-86 in this year’s competition (including an impressive back nine 37 on Sunday), leaving him in a tie for 4th at -2. Brent went into the closing round just five shots back, knowing full well that those ahead of him – Messrs Anderson, Cunliffe and Murdock — were all capable of folding. Unfortunately, Mooney opened with a disastrous 11 on the par-5 1st hole (was it too much coffee? not enough coffee?). Even with a scorecard scarred with a stunning ’11’, Brent’s 86 was the second lowest round of the day. Change that 1st hole score to a bogey and Brent would be the 2016 Champ, one ahead of Rick. (Of course, that assumes Mr. Mooney would not have buckled under the pressure…)

Like Brent, two-time champ Brian Arbique went into the final round 5 shots back, at -2, after his opening round 95. A similar round on Sunday would have seen Brian finish in a respectable second place. Unfortunately, it seems that the recently-retired Arbique should have spent less of his newfound free time in Italy and more on the practice range. The evidence: five 7s, an 8 and a 9 on Sunday. His 53-52-105 round left him in 6th place at +6 for the tournament. On the bright side, Brian did have one stretch of 4 holes (#s 14-15-16-17) where he was just 3-over.

Last, but by no means least, we examine the situation of 2014 champ Michel Ranger — a member of the Royal Ottawa, by the way — whose 82 target is a solid testament to his skill. In fact, on Saturday, Michel fired an opening round 82 to sit at Even going into Sunday. However, on Sunday, the second hole tripped him up as he fumbled to a triple-bogey. Though Michel went just five over on the next six holes, the 7 on hole #2 had taken the wind out of his sails. He ended up 45 on the front before opening with another disappointing triple bogey on the dogleg-right 10th hole, thereby officially confirming his suspicions that he had shot his way out of contention. Despite finishing with an estimable 90 (the third lowest score of the day), Michel finished in 7th spot, one position back of where he had entered the day.

By the time all the dust had settled the Final Standings were as follows:

Rick Cunliffe -7
Jim Anderson -3
Bruce Murdock -3
Greg Jarvis -2
Brent Mooney -2
Brian Arbique +6
Michel Ranger +8
Mike Maidment +16
Jeff Mains +33

Congratulations to Ricky on a very well-earned 3rd Sandbagger Championship! See you all in 2017.

2016 Results (by round)

Rick Cunliffe 90-95 (-7)
Jim Anderson 86-97 (-3)
Bruce Murdock 93-96 (-3)
Greg Jarvis 79-77 (-2)
Brent Mooney 84-86 (-2)
Brian Arbique 95-105 (+6)
Michel Ranger 82-90 (+8)
Mike Maidment 93-91 (+16)
Jeff Mains 115-140 (+33)

Tags: Results, Sandbagger Chronicles, Sandbagger XXI by Sandbagger Commissioner
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Gents – Considering the intermittent rain, a decent round was had by almost all today (sorry, Michael).

The standings after Round 1 (and tomorrow’s groupings, at Smiths Falls Golf Course) are as follows:

Group 1 – 10:48 am

Mike Maidment +9
Jeff Mains +4
Michel Ranger E

Group 2 – 10:57 am

Greg Jarvis E
Brian Arbique -2
Brent Mooney -2

Group 3 – 11:06 am

Bruce Murdock -3
Rick Cunliffe -6
Jim Anderson -7

Tags: Results, Sandbagger Chronicles, Sandbagger XXI by Sandbagger Commissioner
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Long-suffering Sandbagger veteran Jeff Mains upped his game during a rain-soaked weekend in the Perth-Smiths Falls area yesterday.  Mains emerged as champion, after heading into the Sunday round in second place, one shot behind 2000 Champion Andrew Posthumus.

Steady rains during the weekend had taken its toll on the field.  Several of the less hardy didn’t even make it through the first round of competitive play, cutting out at the turn in Smiths Falls on Saturday to flee back to Ottawa as soon as the parking lot was in sight.  Through the years, Sandbaggers have endured snow, hail, high winds and driving rain.  The mid-round weather-related departures in 2015 were a first in the annals of Sandbagger competition, ensuring that the early-departed Doug Anderson, Lou Riccoboni and Blake Johnston will forever enjoy a special place in Sandbagger lore and Star Chamber deliberations!

The inclement weather continued through the evening on Saturday, causing further disruption to the field.

Jack Pantalone, Steve McMahon, Brian Bonnar, Andres del Castillo, Brian Joe and Greg Hodgins showed up at the Perth course on Sunday morning but — after observing the soaked terrain and the still steady rains — opted to bail out of the round rather than risk having to bail out their golf cart.  (Brian Joe and Greg Hodgins declared their withdrawals to be due to injuries rather than an aversion to a bit of moisture.)   Rick Cunliffe, Geoff Oliver, Derrick Hockley and John McKinnon never made it to the course, opting for tea time (at Ricky’s cottage) rather than tee-time.

So, with 13 of our 19 competitors implicitly acknowledging that — much like the little girls in the rhyme — they were made of sugar, a decimated field of 6 took to the course at 11 am on Sunday.

It should be noted that the sturdy six who made the bell for the Sunday round were all among the top ten in the field, proving that the spirit of competition was alive.  The group included Andrew Posthumus, who headed into the round with a slim one stroke lead over Jeff Mains; Greg Jarvis and Bruce Murdock (both starting the day 7 back of the leader); yours truly, whose 95 (please note)  in the opening round left me 10 back of the lead; and Mike Maidment (who sat 12 back).

We had the course to ourselves and were able to play as a six-some, another Sandbagger first.  It was fun playing as a group and the conditions made it even more of a memorable adventure.  The grounds were soggy, with every footstep eliciting moisture, but the course drained reasonably well and was in very good shape.  Andy Posthumus had a tee-shot that plugged impressively in front of the green on the par 3 15th and we all experienced fairway shots that skidded to early stops due to puddles but balls rolled true on the well-manicured (in fact, freshly-cut) greens.

Jeff Mains had never before played in such conditions – noting “why would I?” — but from the outset he had the eye of the tiger.  Demonstrating impressive focus Jeff hit fairway after fairway. Andy Posthumus made just a few mistakes on the front nine, but these were enough to allow the surging Mains to move into the lead.  On holes 3-4-5-6, Jeff beat Andy by a combined 5 strokes, straight up.   Greg Jarvis was striking the ball very well but, sensing that Jeff wasn’t going to implode, seemed to be showing the pressure of needing to be near-perfect in order to make up the gap.  As we approached the 10th tee, Jeff’s solid play had earned him a 5-stroke lead over Andrew Posthumus.  Jarvis had fallen 13 back by that point; Murdock (15), Maidment (20) and I (17) were all trailing badly.

It was at that point that Mother Nature seemed to signal her approval with  Jeff’s ascendance (and perhaps our fortitude).  The rains stopped, the sun emerged and the afternoon became entirely pleasant.  We slowly began to discard our layers of clothing and enjoy some warmth.

Some of our group capitalized better than others on the improved conditions.  The back nine featured some impressive displays of golf.  Greg Jarvis shot a fine 2-over 38 (to finish at 81).  Michael Maidment carded a 43 on the back nine (and, with a 90, had the second lowest round of the day).  Bruce Murdock fired a 44.   Andy Posthumus and I (please note) did not enjoy noteworthy back nines.

It was fitting that Jeff Mains earned the Pewter Mug in a year with such tough conditions.  Jeff had already proved he could endure tough condition after soldiering on in the 2014 competition despite incurring a hip injury on his first swing of competition.  Despite being in constant pain Jeff limped and lunged around the Smugglers Glen course, intent on staying in the game to enjoy some friendly banter and the company of friends.

Jeff has improved considerably over the years.  He has never played more than ten rounds in a year and holds a Sandbagger record for the most rounds over 120.  But, in the fading summer of 2015, Jeff fired back-to-back 115’s in conditions adverse enough to send 13 Sandbaggers scurrying for safety.  Though he buckled slightly under the pressure of the lead, Jeff held on to earn a well-deserved Sandbagger championship.  With a ten stroke margin of victory over second place Andy Posthumus, Jeff would have won even if his target had been 4 strokes lower.  And, I would wager Jeff’s score would have been at least 3-4 strokes lower had the weather been hospitable.

All-in-all, despite the weather, the 20th Sandbagger was yet another fun and memorable weekend.  Thank you to Rick Cunliffe and Jeff Mains for hosting us at their fine cottages.  Bass Lake is a popular stop on the Sandbagger tour.  Staying in the area gives us an opportunity to play some challenging courses, the cottages allow for plenty of opportunity for socializing and the meals are always fine.  Thank you to everyone for coming out and to those who helped out on the meals.  I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible again in 2016.

Congratulations, again, to Jeff Mains, 2015 Sandbagger Champion!

2015 Final Standings:

Mains

Posthumus

Jarvis

Murdock

Anderson

Maidment

115

94

82

96

95

91

115

106

81

96

97

90

-6

+4

+5

+6

+14

+15

Withdrawn (aka “the sugar-babies”): Doug Anderson, Lou Riccoboni, Blake Johnston, Rick Cunliffe, Geoff Oliver, Derrick Hockley, John McKinnon, Jack Pantalone, Steve McMahon, Brian Bonnar, Andres del Castillo, Brian Joe, Greg Hodgins.

The Sturdy Six, including 2015 Champion Jeff Mains

Tags: Results, Sandbagger Chronicles, Sandbagger XX by Sandbagger Commissioner
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Michel “The Lone” Ranger (the golf artiste formerly known as ‘The Shiv’) put on a stunning display of golf at Smugglers Glen on Sunday, en route to his first Sandbagger championship. His record-setting performance in Sandbagger XIX saw him shoot a 2-over par, personal best score of 74, moving him up from a tie for 6th going into the final round to a satisfying first place finish. At the end of his impressive, personal (and Sandbagger Championship) record-setting round, Michel was alone at the top, with a comfortable 6-shot margin of victory and a new nickname.

When Michel made his first Sandbagger appearance in 2006, his reputation as a solid ball-striker and his status as a rookie saw him saddled with a target of 78. The first-year jitters in 2006 saw him stumble his way to a last-place finish after carding a 98 at La Bete and a 103 at Le Diable. His +45 that year was the second highest score above target ever recorded.

Fast forward 8 years, and Michel has clearly come into his game and become accustomed to the burden of a low target. He recorded an impressive 5 birdies and was in complete control of his game until he approached the 17th tee, at which point he foolishly accepted the advice of his playing partners as to which club to use off the tee. The poor advice from a slew of also-rans pretending to be coaches led Michel to a tense situation in which he was compelled to sink a pressure-filled 20-foot putt to avoid his first double-bogey of the day. He calmly got the job done. (Well, perhaps not so calmly, but Michel is known for being very good at keeping it together.)

Tags: Results, Sandbagger Chronicles, Sandbagger XIX by Sandbagger Commissioner
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Recap:

We tried out a new location for Sandbagger XVIII.  With accommodations for 16, a beautiful deck and lots of living space, everyone was in favour of making the Canada Club on the Big Rideau in years to come.

Because we all had to scatter off to different points we didn’t get to celebrate Steve McMahon‘s victory properly.  We can do that in 2014 if he’ll grace us with his presence — by throwing him in the Big Rideau on Friday night.

Brian Boychuk, 2011 Champion, a true Sandbagger

SunRidge Canyon, 03Nov11 (Jeff Mains missing)

The Sandbagger competition began in 1996. We have had many champions who fit the above description to a tee. Perhaps the most notorious was Michael Holmes who came out as a rookie in 1998, proclaimed himself a 105-type golfer and then proceeded to fire a blistering, “career-best” 87 at Royal Laurentian. He lives on in infamy, but dared not return the following year.

The Sandbagger champion for 2011 was a similarly (un)worthy winner. Were it not for the fact he is a roguishly charming cheat, whose frayed cargo pants and Arnold Palmer loop swing were always good for a laugh, Brian Boychuk would undoubtedly have been tarred and feathered for having sandbagged his way to a comfortable victory.

Tags: Photos, Results, Sandbagger Chronicles, Sandbagger XVI by Sandbagger Commissioner
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