Now we have all experienced a drought of some sort. We are not talking about the serious stuff that evaporates water supplies and devastates vegetation. No, we’re talking about the flippant ‘drought’ of not having snogged someone in three months, not scoring in 16 games or you haven’t nailed a birdie in four rounds, to some people the above examples are the same thing.

To all of you who have experienced a sporting drought of some sort take your story, multiply it by the amount of par threes you have played since notching a hole in one and double it because your tale of woe is about to be dwarfed.

Flemington Golf Club, from Central Hawke’s Bay District on the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand, put half a century of failure behind them to pick up the Coronation Cup for the first time yesterday. Now that is a drought.

This diddy little club boasting a full membership of only 30 males were the last GC standing when the final scores were posted at the Dannervirke Golf Club today. The tournament was held in “near blizzard conditions” according to executive officer Greig Herbert, playing in bitterly cold rain, hail and gale force winds. That’s average links weather to you and me.

Members at the club are said to be ‘tickled pink’. In an attempt to breakaway from New Zealand’s national stereotype of a country full of sheep farmers who say ‘mate’ a lot Greg Lee said: "It's the fairest sport in the world, mate. No matter what your ability you have to give strokes."
Unfortunately, the livestock farmer had to curtail his celebrations last night to feed his sheep and cattle.

It seems the size of their achievement has not sunk in yet. However the winning team have vowed to take the cup home for a little fun before it takes up residence in the clubhouse. Greg Lee summised, "We have a fantastic nine-hole course and sheep graze on it. The greens are as beautiful as the Waipuk club greens thanks to Anthony Little. He's involved with other clubs too and that's why we do so well when we play away because we're used to good greens," before adding "We're on cloud nine, mate."


The USPGA and Cambo have nothing to do with this blog.

GOLFPUNK would like to extend our hearty congratulations to our Kiwi brethren. Now pull your finger out, we don’t want to wait another 50 years…mate.

For more on this story click here…

6/25/2007 12:02:16 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)    Comments [0]