President’s Trophy – The Royal Melbourne Golf Club – Monday 29 July 2024
Report The President’s Trophy drew a good-sized field of 30 players to Royal Melbourne GC on July 29th. The late winter afternoon was cool and light drizzle was persistent, but despite the weather there were some excellent scores returned on the famed West Course’s front nine.
The format for the President’s Trophy is 9 holes of stroke, with the top four qualifiers going on to sudden-death matchplay on the East Course to determine the winner. All players must choose only seven clubs for their day.
As the scorecards were collated, all players gathered for afternoon tea in the clubhouse’s MacKenzie Room in front of a welcome open fire.
RM historian and life member Moira Drew led the field with an excellent Nett 33.5. Fellow RM member Andrew Thomson was next with Nett 34, and he played off in a match against Mango Maguire, who played excellent golf in the qualifier, carding one over par for a Nett 34.5.
Four players returned nett cards of 37, and a countback determined Toby Cumming as the final qualifier, who faced Moira Drew in the first match. Toby won on their opening hole with a steady par four, and awaited the winner of the other match.
Andrew Thomson’s bag on the day contained a modern driver and six antique hickory clubs: a lofted spoon, three irons and a putter. He and Mango halved their first hole and moved to the difficult par-4 second.
Mango made a creditable bogey 5 after taking a penalty from an unplayable lie off his tee shot. Andrew was on the green in three with a stroke in hand, and holed a difficult second putt to win the match with a nett 4.
Toby and Andrew moved to the third hole for the deciding match. Both found the right-hand rough off the tee, and were in greenside bunkers for three. Escaping wet bunkers with an antique niblick is a difficult proposition, and Andrew went long into another trap. He sportingly conceded the hole and the President’s Trophy to Toby, as darkness began to close in on the match and the spectators who had gathered to watch the contest.
Player and spectators returned to the clubhouse for the presentations and a sumptuous post golf spread
Society President Kim Hastie thanked Royal Melbourne for its hospitality and for hosting another enjoyable day’s golf at its sublime venue.
