By: Blainers in the Pro Shop

      After a heavy rainfall the night before, the Winkler Centennial Golf PLAYOFFS - FINALS

Course saw a quiet morning on the 12th of September. The course, still damp, sat alone for the first part of the day, waiting in anticipation for the completion of the 2009 Winkler Men's League Championship. Four men were finding their putting strokes on the beautiful practice green. No words were being said, you could feel the tension, nerves and excitement all at the same time. Blaine Neufeld came onto the P.A. system from the pro-shop at 12:45 to break the silence. "If we could ask the remaining two teams to the first tee to get the Championship match under way." And so they did ....

           2009 Winkler Men's League Championship

#13 Tim Friesen/Bren Neufeld vs. #15 Terry Enns/Kevin Thiessen

Hole #1 - You felt and saw the nerves on the first tee of this championship that was truly one for the ages. Some errant tee shots saw Tim and Bren scrambling while Terry found his way down the middle to make a safe 5 for a par and a one up lead.

            (Terry/Kev Up 1 .. 8 to play)

Hole #2 - As the boys settled in, their iron play became something of a work of art. Four tap in pars on the 380yrd par 4 2nd saw a half.

            (Terry/Kev Up 1 .. 7 to play)

Hole #3 - The par 3 134 yarder saw Kev Thiessen bring in a wedge to about 7 feet. Bren and Tim were both on the green but had distant birdie putts. They would lag them up and make their pars. Kevin would lip out on his birdie try and miss an opportunity to take a commanding lead.

            (Terry/Kev Up 1 .. 6 to play)

Hole #4 - This hole would be the first of 4 holes where Bren would have circles. He would be unable to convert a par and would settle with a bogey. Kev and Terry both made regulation pars to halve the 3rd straight hole.

            (Terry/Kev Up 1 .. 5 to play)

Hole #5 - All four guys were down to the corner with looks at the green. 3 of the 4 were on the green, with Bren left with a short chip from the fringe. Tim and Bren both have circles here. After Bren was unable to go up and down for the par, Tim was left with a 22 ft for birdie. A lovely stroke got it to gimmie range. Kevin and Terry would both come close on their birdies but burn the edge.

            (All Square .. 4 to play)

Hole #6 - For the first time in the match, other than prior to the first hole, we were tied and it was up for grabs. Kevin and Terry would quickly recover and regain the lead as Terry left his EAGLE putt short on the 6th and was conceded the birdie. Tim would have a 6 foot putt to tie, but a small pull of the putter and Kev and Terry were back on top.

            (Terry/Kev Up 1 .. 3 to play)

Hole #7 -  All four men took driver as the tee box was on the left and had a open look to the green. With only 3 holes to play Bren and Tim were now getting desperate. But you wouldn't guess it as the two were calm and cool as ever. Terry was first to go - right down the middle and 8 yards from the green. Kevin would find the O.B. and be out of the hole. Tim and Bren were both safely over the water with short chips. All 3 chips were good, Tim was now 12 ft away but he missed his birdie. Bren had a 5 to 6 ft for bird and touched the hole but didn’t fall. Now Terry had a 3 ft downhill putt for the win and to go 2 up in the match with only two to play. This was what I thought was the Mulligans Resturant's turning point. Terry missed what I thought a for sure. Tim and Bren escaped with a half.

            (Terry/Kev Up 1 .. 2 to play_

Hole #8 - Still in the drivers seat, Terry and Kev were first to play. Terry was all over the stick but caught in the wind and stayed just short of the green. Kev was left pin high with a good look. Bren right with a good look at a chip. And finally Tim, short right with a chip off the fairway. Kev/Terry both played chips probably not to their liking and left 10 foot testers for par. Bren and Tim saw this as their chance. Tim was to play first ... "Get in their ball." Tim said after he hit it. It was perfectly online with the cup and WHACK off the pin. It should have dropped but it didn’t. The par would be conceded. Kev/Terry both found their putts to break the wrong way and with one hole to play it was a dead lock.

            (All Square .. 1 to play)

Hole #9 - You could feel momentum swinging to Bren and Tim's side for the first time in the match. Bren had the circle here on 9. All four down the fairway with 150 left to the stick. Terry's approach looks great again, but must have been caught in the wind as it hits the front of the green and falls back into the rough. Kev's approach is beautiful but behind the pin. He will have a 6 foot putt downhill at birdie. Bren's is also all over it until it draws a bit. He is on the green but a long 25 footer left to right but has the circle. Tim is off in the rough on the right side but has been chipping great all day. So Tim was to play first and he did Just miss but leave his putt short. Terry who was short of the green played a beautiful chip up hill and burnt the edge. Bren's 25 foot was on pretty good line but just kept going to about 4 feet past. It appeared to be down to Kevin's 6 foot putt down hill for bird and Bren's 4 putt uphill for par with a circle. Kevin's slippery putt just passed by, and his par was good. SO Bren and Tim who had never had a lead in the match had a 4 foot putt to win it all. You could feel the energy and nerves as this was for the Championship .. Off the heel of his putter is what he told me later and he pulled it left. We were off to a Playoff.

Playoff #1 - All 4 down the middle yet again. And all have close to 150 yrds to go. Tim goes right but on the green 15 foot for bird. Kev is short right but chipping. Bren is long left but fridge and chipping. Terry approaches his ball and strikes it beautifully... Tim says as the ball is in flight "Oh wow, nice shot Terry that is right at it." I was standing behind Terry with a view of the ball and it looked as if it was right at it. And it was ... WHACK It landed IN THE CUP!! But it didn’t stay there. It bounced on the inside of the cup and shot out for whatever reason and hit the pin and went off the green. It would be voted as the most unlucky bounce in all of Sports and I am not joking. It was incredibly ridiculously stupidly unlucky. To have it go in the hole, bounce off the side of the cup, off the pin and then to put the topping on the cake it went off the green. The funny this is Terry's chip for bird lipped out!!!! Bren with a circle played a wonderful and incredible chip to One foot. His circle would prove to be the difference as he made par and that was it!!! Tim and Bren are your 2009 Champions! It was an amazing match and both should be proud of what they brought to the table.

And Thank you to all of you who had put up with my jokes and stabs at all of your expense. It truly was a good year and look forward yet another great year next year. Leave me a note or email in the proshop if you have any ideas for next year. We are open to all kinds so don’t be afraid to voice your opinion as we try to make this the best it can be. Let me leave you with my top 3 highlights of the year.

Blaine's Top 3 Highlights

#3. The Hesom watch teasing us all year long. But eventually letting us down in the end.

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#2. Bren and Tim fighting through 204 guys to become the '09 Champions.

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#1. And number one must be the truly amazing streak of the Neufeld Bro's 22 Game regular season Undefeated Streak that is still alive and hopes to continue next year as the Neufeld's bring their game back to Weds nights. (Boy, am I tired of reading about this!!!)

Reminder about the windup on Wednesday night at 5:30 for golf and then supper and prizes.  Sign up in the proshop.

For the FINAL time in 2009 .... This is Blainers signing off ... mmm Ga'DAY.