After a tense contest over 27 holes at Burford Golf Club in Oxfordshire on the 9th April, the Bertie Cup finally returned home to the Kings Head team of Haddenham. This 9th annual challenge had seemed a formality after the morning 4 ball better ball as the Kings Head lead the Dawn Patrol from Bristol 5-1 but a stirling fight back in the singles meant that the result went down to the wire with Allan Cumberland securing the 10-8 victory in the last pairing, thereby ensuring that the trophy was not retained by the Bristolians yet again under Ryder Cup rules.
This result means that over the 9 years the Kings Head have won 4 matches, Dawn Patrol 3 with 2 halved where both instances occurred when Dawn Patrol were the holders so they retained the trophy. Chris Page the Dawn Patrol captain was disappointed with the defeat but was very gracious as he handed the trophy to Martyn Broughton the victorious captain, although it must be said that the presentation of the Dodo a trophy given to the runners up since last year was not something he was too impressed with.
Bertie is delighted to be back with the Kings Head, as he is well looked after and is often sent on tour as in the movie below from 2004/2005. It will be more difficult now that Smurf has retired from BA but he is expecting a trip to Scotland and Carnoustie within the next fortnight, and to be honest being something that Phil Mickelson is proud of is all important and who knows on the 8th April 2011 Phil may be helping us defend Bertie’s place in Haddenham and not the Masters, although it will need one of the winning team to be unavailable, we will just have to wait and see!
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Bloody Hell Smurf, I didn’t realise that you’d taken up Sumo wrestling!
Well done King’s Head for rescueing Bertie as he was getting a bit homesick after spending so much time in the West Country.