AN IRISH BELL TOLLS

Venue - Rosapenna Links, Ireland

Winner - Ed Bell (+10)

Runner-up - Harry Gray (+11)

Hound - John Humphrey (many)

 

In near apocalyptic weather amidst the spectacular dunes of Rosapenna Links in Ireland, Ed Bell proved the man with the most mettle to become the first player to win the Jacket from outside the final group, sneaking through to win the title with a doughty final 9 holes in the foulest conditions of the weekend.

 

It was a hugely popular victory despite being briefly marred by the biggest controversy in the history of The Jacket. With their scorecards soaked into illegibility by the relentless downpours and their minds battered by the horizontal hail, the fans prematurely anointed Harry Gray the champion after he magnificently holed a 10-footer on the 36th hole for what he thought was a maiden Jacket title.

 

Having gleefully basked in the applause of his peers as he walked off the final green in the teeming rain, Gray's joy quickly turned to despair in the car park as a final check of the scorecards revealed that he had in fact finished a shot shy of Bell, to whom nobody had given a second thought as he rose quietly into contention in the penultimate group.

 

Once again Gray was forced to settle for 2nd and a newly conceived Bridesmaid Curse was solidifying in his golf heart, golf mind and golf soul. Bell was a hugely popular winner, evidenced by the lack of criticism aimed at him for his flagrant disregard of the dress code at the prizegiving ceremony, during which he claimed his Jacket while wearing green suede trainers rather than the obligatory smart shoes.