Twenty-six bucks! Ten years on it actually seemed like a pretty good deal to get eighteen holes of golf, a pie and a soft drink for only twenty-six dollars. Mind you there was not a lot of flexibility with the deal. We decided that our snack would be best before the game instead of after and we soon discovered there would be no sausage roll for meat pie substitutes.
The rain was pouring down prior to our tee off, but Eagle Ridge was not Victoria's best wet weather course in 1994 for nothing. The front nine provided a chance to blow out the cobwebs with Bear making the best of the early going. This was despite the six shots he took to get out of a bunker on the third hole. At the start of the back nine the heavens opened once more, but again the course showed a remarkable ability to handle a downpour.
As Wilco's game went from bad to worse, some excellent putting from "Lukey" Simpson soon saw him move above Bear on the leaderboard. The pressure coming down the 18th hole was intense. A two shot lead evaporated as Bear made a late charge. Ghosts of a final hole collapse at Port Fairy were circling Simmo, but nerves of steel and a holing a pressure putt (pictured above right) clinched a famous one stroke victory for the boy. |
