The Shaun Ryder Cup 2016 event kicked off on Saturday 18th June at the stunning venue of the Manor House Wiltshire. The Winner of the much desired Green Jacket and new Jigger Knicker trophy was Mark who destroyed the field with a total 69 points, 6 ahead of the first loser.

Final Standings were:

Mark 69 points
Rob 63 points
Ian 62 points
Nick 62 points
Andy 60 points
Ben 60 points
Rich 53 points
Adrian 46 points

The previous hype, banter and handicap discussions all led to this one key moment of the year. The marquee field arrived from all over Gloucestershire for a 12pm meet and headed to the bar to enjoy a select breakfast detailed by the players nutritionist partnering the perfect balance of protein and carbs. The bacon baps enjoyed against the backdrop of the England Rugby team giving the Aussies a lesson in defence and counter attack. But who of the players would be inspired by the awesome England team?

After dropping off the weekend gear at the Lodge the field made their way to the driving range to go through the complex warm up routines required to play at this level. With the field keeping a wary eye on each others form on the range some took the opportunity to throw others off the scent by hitting multiple questionable shots practising hooks, slices and thins before finally making sure all the grass around them had been reduced to divots and holes.

Outside the Lodge

As the players left the putting green to start the first round the teams were drawn for the first day. Team 1 compromised of Mark, Ian, Richie and Ben whilst team 2 was Robbie, Nick, Browner and Adrian. As the sun started to win the battle with the Great British Summer weather the Shaun Ryder Cup began. 48 holes of stableford to decide the main prize combined with 10 nearest the pin opportunities and 2 team competitions on both days would see enough money change hands to make even the Russian oligarchs blush.

As the first group started to find their range the early contenders began to steal a march. The par3 2nd hole, a tricky short hole with a brook running round the front of the green and out of bounds on the back, saw Ben hit an awesome tee shot to 12ft to make an early claim for a nearest the pin only for Mark to hit a belter to within 6ft and take the money. A pattern which was to get very boring throughout the whole round on the first day. The stroke index 1 3rd hole par 5 measuring around 600 yards was full of action as every member of the first group found the trees but none with such crowd pleasing action as Ian who played from a bunker 70 yards short of the green, caught a low hanging branch and ending up in the centre of the green 20ft from the hole – a great example of some local knowledge coming into effect.

As the round went on the groups began to see what a stunning, challenging golf course this was. The card and distance belied the physical challenge ahead of the groups but a distinct lack of walking groups and seeing many buggies on the course began to cause comments and discussion on exactly why were we walking round this behemoth of a golf course. Back on the actual golf Ian had started to redefine routes to the green by taking on tiger lines down parallel fairways and not content with avoiding hazards was taking them on and winning. With Ian going his own way and Mark redefining par 3 golf (the 9th again saw him within 5 ft of the pin) the first group reached the turn with a respectful tally of points and high confidence that the team game would be theirs.

After a challenging front 9 Richie was still struggling for form at the start of the 12th until a monster drive put him within a 9 iron of the green. Unfortunately his short game could not match his power and from covering 400 yards in 2 shots it took him another 5 to cover the next 4 yards, unfortunately the story  of his round but with points ticking over he was still in the hunt.

Richie BOOMING one of the tee

Little was seen of the second group but when they did appear it was to see scenes of carnage akin to a Benny Hill show with 3 players chasing Robbie to try and get a bit of luck. Robbie was too quick though and kept all his luck for himself as he established himself a contender for the Jigger Knicker top prize.

As the back 9 reached its conclusion this monster of a course started to take its toll and holes 14-16 proved a real struggle for all the players as everyone dropped shots. The downhill 17th par 3, a beautiful hole which saw the picturesque brook weaving its way around the 2 green layout, affected all players as not one of the 8 found the green on day 1 – the only qualifying par 3 Mark didn’t win.

The stunning 17th

The second big hill climb of the day akin to climbing Mt Ventoux in the Tour De France nearly saw some retirees from the overall competition but with the 18th tee in site and the bar just 20 minutes the groups pushed on to make finish line.

The 18th green proved a difficult one to hit and would ultimately be the difference between the making the lead group or not. By 6.30pm the groups were in and enjoying a well deserved beverage in the British sunshine as the days stories were shared, banter continued and money dealt out.

Mark was the big winner on Day 1 whilst Robbie ended up pushing more in one day (and it would get worse later in the evening) than he has the whole season. As the pints continued to be sunk the players retired to the private dining room for a well deserved dinner cooked beautifully by the Manor House chef and more stories of the day. Richie, after spending the day hitting second shots from the ladies tee, continued this into his meal by ordering the veggie option and a side of food envy never seen before on tour. As dinner came to an end the players retired to the lodge as some short game betting continued around the 18th green. Nick, Ben and Andy all won individual challenges whilst Robbie was more than happy to pay for the privilege of seeing these 3 masterful short games at work with the peak being Nicks death rattle in near darkness, the noise of the ball hitting the pin and going in the hole the only identifier of what had occurred 40 ft into the twilight with the sun nearly below the horizon. Mark, drunk with the winning mentality and weighed down by cash, started his psychological warfare early insisting on all the other players telling him what was going on in the fight of the year only to find out 1 hour later the fight was happening a week later. With the theme tune of Indias Got Talent and the US commentator of Cheaters dialogue disappearing out onto the golf course the players retired to get a good nights sleep before the sun came up and shined on the final day of the championship.

The second day saw the chasing group, Adrian, Browner, Richie and Ben go out first and leave the winners group to enjoy the pressure of the competition amongst themselves. The round started off well for both groups but Adrian was the first to become a victim of the brook weaving around the 2nd hole. His ball was on the green and he was lining up his putt and his trolley took off down the hill unnoticed before the splash and crash let the group know of its valiant summersault attempt on its way into the drink. To the sound of the baywatch theme tune Browner valiantly dived in after it and pulled out the bag, trolley and clubs before it was fully submerged much to the amusement of the entire group. Never has the Shaun Ryder cup seen such drama so early on in the final day. Browner dried himself himself off though and sunk his 6 ft birdie putt to claim not only the first par 3 of the day but finish the first 2 holes with 8 points putting him well back in the hunt for the fabled green jacket.

With Andy leading the way on the front 9 the rest of group 1 struggled to maintain pace the as he moved up the leader board but could he catch the leaders in the group behind? Little did he know that Mark had not only maintained but built on day 1 lead as he applied the pressure to the other leaders. Ian played a blinder, co-incindentally the same word his playing partners used to describe his final day orange outfit, to keep within 3 shots of the lead as they reached the turn. All was to play for the tough back 9 still to come.

Browner spanking one down the fairway on the 14th

Richie mounted a brief come back before 5 points over 5 holes sunk his challenge on the closing holes. Adrian battled his swing gamely but, even by his words, had the worst round of the year and assumed the role of motivator for the group. Ben also capitulated on the back 9 (a good thing for this website or there wouldn’t have been any pictures of the course) which left all the action in the group behind and the fans loving the underdog story of Browner – could he win it from the bottom of the field on day 1. The answer was NO.

The wheels coming off Browners Challenge as he dumps his tee shot into one of the many brooks weaving around the course

Nick started the back 9 like a racehorse scoring heavily on the first 4 holes to put Mark under some pressure but like the true champion he is Mark maintained his game and scored when he needed to. Ian unfortunately found the start to the back 9 tough as he managed 5 points in 5 holes leaving himself a lot to do over the closing holes.

Looking down the 13th at the lead group teeing off

Robbie maintained his steady scoring to keep him in with a shout and in touch with the leader on the course and as the group reached 13th the wheels started to fall off the leaders game. Scoring just 7 points over the closing 6 holes there was a sniff of an opportunity for the chasing pack but again the 14th-16th proved challenging for the whole group and no-one scored heavily enough to put the leader under any real pressure. The 18th proved a mere formality as the weather started to close in and with it the end of the Shaun Ryder Cup 2016.

A massive thank you to Pickler Tours for organising the event at what has been the stand out venue so far. A spectacular golf course, unique evening entertainment, well cooked food and a cosy atmospheric lodging all added up to a great weekend.

Congratulations to Mark for winning and commiserations to Adrian for the wooden spoon. Keep your eye out for details of the next event hopefully coming this September for the Ryder Cup.

Introducing the Jigger Knicker Trophy

The location for the 2016 Shaun Ryder Cup has been chosen.

Key Information:

Organised by: Pickler Tours
Venue: Manor House, Wiltshire
Date: 18th June – 19th June 2016
Food: Laid on by Clubhouse (Breakfast and Dinner)
Damage: £155 (pay to Nick)
Tee Times: Saturday 14:00
Sunday 11:30am

Manor House

6500 yards
Par 72
Download Scorecard

Situated in unique Cotswold countryside in the stunning valley of Castle Combe, the undulating landscape provides a great adventure for any level of golfer. Designed by the renowned BBC commentator Peter Alliss and his design partner Clive Clarke in 1992, it is now widely regarded as one of the finest golf courses in the South West.

Accommodation:  WATERFALL LODGE

Just a stone’s throw from the clubhouse and overlooking the 18th green, The Waterfall Lodge at The Manor House Golf Club provides an ideal base for a small party of like-minded enthusiasts, golf societies or group of friends to play the No.1 course in Wiltshire.

With four twin bedrooms, two showers, two toilets and a small lounge complete with television and DVD player, it is the perfect place to allow players to reside close enough to the course to play as much golf as possible during their stay.

The Attendees:

Nick, Robbie, Adie, Richie, Ian, Slater, Ben, Browner