I'll Get 'Em Next Year

2011 Awards

As is customary, the FocDoc champion received his lime green jacket and trophy. The only other award is that Billy will receive a mulligan off the tee on the first hole of the championship round in 2012. This year was special for Billy of course, as it helped to erase the shame of winning in 2010 with an illegal driver, and having his name officially changed to Billy*. As of writing we have not found any reason to retain the asterix, but we are looking.

The proud winner being presented with his spoils:

Of course the FocDoc is not only about glory. There are more dubious awards up for grabs which were presented following Sunday's round:

The Bradman - awarded to John for his tournament record (low) of 6 stableford points, playing to an 84 handicap. A deserving winner

The Bushman - awarded to Meek for his preference for playing off the fairway and amongst the trees. The unofficial count is 40 balls lost over the 2 days, another tournament record

Crooked Putter - awarded to Leo. His 31 points on Sunday is amazing considering he didn't hold enough putts. Clearly some room to move for Leo towards 2012

Furthest from the Pin - awarded to Doc. Self-nominated and presented, he wiped 5 of the first 8 holes without taking a putt

The Championship Round

That day has arrived and the field is set. The Homer tips are in and the calcutta has been run. Most heavily backed starter is Ngy, though he's backed himself despite hosting the poker room for 2 nights so it can't be taken too seriously. Billy, Kingy, Spud and Rod have attracted some attention with the rest of the field spread out.

Resplendent in his house cap, tomato shorts and the lime green jacket, Billy got proceedings underway and announced to the gallery he was on a mission to retain the title and win without the benefit of an illegal driver. Game on.

After 9 holes Billy held a slim lead with 19 stableford points, closely followed by Adam on 18 justifying the accuracy of his 40 handicap. They were just in front of Kingy, Eagle, Leo and Meek with the rest of the field scattered to the tail. This was looking like a close finish once again.

The back nine was tight with Leo, Doc, Adam, Meek, Eagle and Ichiro scoring 15 points or better, and Matt breaking out with 20 points, but the steady play of Billy was enough to record 17 points and take the title with 36 points overall.

Final scores, with handicap played off and played to in brackets:

2011 Champion - Billy - 36 points (12;12)

Adam - 34 points (40;42)

Matt - 33 points (45;48)

Eagle - 31 points (21;26)

Leo - 31 points (54;59)

Meek - 29 points (54;61)

Ichiro - 27 points (27;36)

Loui - 27 points (20;29)

Digger - 27 points (36;45)

Kingy - 26 points (12;22)

Doc - 22 points (24;38)

Spud - 17 points (27;46)

Ngy - 17 points (20;39)

Rod - 13 points (27;50)

John - 6 points (54;84)

Group Shot and Words of Wisdom from the 2010 Champ*

As is tradition, the field gathered for a group shot. Not the same without the big unit in the back row, but a handsome group of lads nonetheless

Prior to teeing off Billy passed on some thoughts and observations on his time as holder of the lime green jacket. Despite the controversy surrounding his 2010 win, he's been a model champion and has made it his mission to win again, sans asterix in 2011

It's a Marathon, not a Sprint

Digger demonstrated the benefit of an early night in preparation for day one on the course. After a few quiet ales and a round of poker the old dear was out like a light. Of course the early night did have some consolation with the Digger anchoring the winning ambrose team. Have to admit, he's a lot more bearable in this state.....

Not all pranks work

Spud channeled his inner Ashton Kutcher in an attempt to put Ngy off his game for the opening drive in the Ambrose comp. Unfortunately Ngy was not to be fooled and went on to record a reasonable score

2 Man Ambrose Champions

The Ambrose comp has been run and won, with a 3-man team taking the honours

With the withdrawal of Foca due to illness, the pairing of Loui, Leo and Digger put together a 45 point round to take the spoils. A strong finish on the back nine saw them fend off the challenge of Billy and Matt, who also scored 45 but were relegated by countback.

Final standings:

Loui, Leo and Digger - 45 points (CB)

Billy and Matt (45)

Ichiro and Spud (41)

Ngy and Rod (38)

Eagle and Adam (36)

Doc and Meek (36)

Duck and John (26)

Overall some positive feedback on the course and all looking forward to returning to fight for the green jacket on Sunday

Saturday 2-Man Ambrose Pairings

* handicap in ()

Group 1 - Ngy and Rod (14) vs Doc and Meek (17)

Group 2 - Billy and Matt (14) vs Kingy and John (16)

Group 3 - Foca and Leo (19) vs Loui and Digger (15)

Group 4 - Ichiro and Spud (13) vs Eagle and Adam (14)

Sneakiest Asian since Tiger

Ngy has once again been caught out attempting to gain advantage by deception. After turning up at the wrong course for a sneaky round, he has been shamed and will face extreme penalty from the handicappers

FocDoc Parade of Champions

The FocDoc champions were in attendance and graced us with their presence to commence the 7th running of the event. Billy, as defending champion, rocked the fabled green jacket, with the Eagle and Digger close by. Here's hoping for a new name to be added to the jacket in 2011 that will not bring disgrace upon the event

An unlikely FocDoc venue

Nice day out in Sydney with Billy and I invited to test our form (and Billy's new legal driver) at The Lakes. The round was courtesy of our old boss from Blueprint who clearly isn't struggling post collapse of the company.

If you have the means and opportunity, put this on your to-do list. A fantastic test of golf that gives you equal shares of elation and frustration. Both of us managed to put together some fantastic holes, with a few no so pretty thrown in. Suffice to say we did the right thing and allowed our host to take the cash.

From a FocDoc form guide perspective, Billy is looking good off the tee. Despite being hampered by the insistence on using a legal driver he is still getting great distance. His short game was spot on and putting was encouraging. From my end, a mixed bag with the work off the tee and short game a pass grade, and the putting a C-. Biggest concern was the mid clubs

Regardless, enjoyable day out and a nice warmup for the weekend. Even better when followed by dinner at Ichiro's to bore my long-suffering wife (and Ichiro) with every detail of the round

Travel Arrangements

As mentioned previously I'll be heading from Sydney to Nelson Bay around midday on Friday. If anyone needs a ride and can join me, let me know

As they're both heading south, John and Meek are going to share part of the drive from Coffs to Nelson Bay and back. For John's benefit I've attached a recent photo of Meek. He'll be standing on the side of the Pacific Highway waiting for you. Drive safe lads

Setting the field

As some of you are aware, Ichiro created a tipping comp in 2010, known as The Homer, that was a rousing success, in that Ichiro won and took the cash. As a sign of naivety on the part of the participants it is back even bigger in 2011. Just don't be surprised when he mentions his plans to upgrade his car later in the year.

Ichiro decided to add the FocDoc as one of the elite sporting events for March. As such, members of the tipping comp are asked to pick the winner. With many of the members not familiar with the starters, I put together the following form guide. The number in brackets after the name is the current handicap allocated. Hope you enjoy:

Billy (12) - Defending champion who is on the comeback trail after breaking his thumb in late 2010. Handicappers will be keeping a close eye for any excuse to nobble him further. Has no chance of winning.

Kingy (12) - The biggest improver over the past year moving to a low-teen handicap and A Grade competition. Has played as many rounds in the past year as all the other players combined. Can survive on minimal sleep and not a big drinker or gambler. Clear favourite

Foca (21) - Without doubt the most gifted drummer in the event. For someone who dusts the clubs off no more than 3 times a year he is always a threat. Would have been the 2010 Champion except for a gastro-intestinal emergency on course that led to a wiped hole and ultimately losing by one point. Strongly consider

Ngy (21) - Hitting his mid-40's has been a disaster for Ngy physically, professionally, emotionally and sexually. The biggest loss has been his golf game. It is no coincidence that his fall has coincided with Doc moving overseas, so having Doc in his ear all weekend (as well as the agreement to let him have some sleep) could be enough to spark a competive round.

Eagle (21) - After winning the first 4 FocDoc titles the weekend is no longer about golf for this grumpy old bastard. Instead, his focus is on skinning everyone at the poker table. Having taken a loss on course and at the table in 2010 expect him to come out hard - at the table. His lack of interest in the golf is your guide to look elsewhere

Loui (21) - A new starter who can be considered a chance. Plays well when sober, so the addition of alcohol and no sleep will be interesting to gauge. As one of the regular players should be able to post a decent score

Doc (24) - A possible top four finisher having taken the past 9 months off as an expat husband, refining his game in Singapore. Risky selection due to his preference to avoid sleep over the duration of the event

Ichiro (27) - Perennial bridesmaid, with 3 runner-up finishes and 1 Saturday Ambrose trophy. The volume of emails and messages the handicappers have received downplaying his form have been noted and ignored. Anyone who creates a tipping comp and then takes the cash cannot be trusted - add to that the minimal alcohol consumption and a top 4 finish is possible despite the lack of recent form

Rod (27) - An enigma off the course, which is why we love him. His handicap should be helpful as long as he resists the urge to hit long and instead focus on bogey-golf. Top 5 finisher in 2010 who is worth a look in 2011

Spud (27) - For such an ugly swing, this bloke always has a chance. Tends to peak early, with good form on the Saturday and mixed results in the championship round. Handicappers have placed him on reputation due to lack of recent form. A possible threat

Digger (36) - Responsible for the darkest days in the tournament when he won in 2009 at Bonville. Great to have him along but the handicappers will keep the old bugger awake all weekend to deny him another chance.

Adam (36) - 2010 rookie who settled in nicely despite being over-handicapped. Will find the going tough without regular play.

Matt (45) - Should be a chance off 45 handicap, though the lack of regular playing is his downfall. Holds the single event record for most lost balls, achieved in 2005 at Mount Broughton. Every possibility of playing to the handicap and setting a par standard for the others to pass

Meek (45) - Quiet, low-key, reserved, meek - none of these words describe this man off the course. On the course, he is a whirlwind of ticks and f-bombs that can be distracting but also endearing. He won't win. Not a chance. But if anyone is going to drain a 40 foot putt or chip in from behind a tree, he's your man.

John (54) - Has played in 4 FocDoc's and played 8 rounds in his life. It shows. Only has 54 as this is the max - played to a 70 handicap in 2010

Leo (54) - The owner of the second dustiest clubs in the field - not a regular player. Should have the advantage as the player who gets the most sleep on tour.

Preparations for Year Seven

Welcome Lads. Seems hard to believe a year has passed since the last. As always preparations have been underway since the day after the 2010 championship was decided.

This year we head north of Sydney to Pacific Dunes with accommodation in nearby Nelson Bay, with the event running from Friday 4th to Sunday 6th March

Year seven will be once again see a field of 16, with defending champion Billy Cutler (*) seeking to fight off the challenge of a pack of possible contenders for the title.

Only a few days to go. We're looking forward to seeing you all and as always, we promise this will be better than the last.

Doc and Foca