On Saturday, the Nakusp Golf Course hosted the local version of the Ryder Cup, named in honour of Nakusp’s own Norm Lee Ryder, who has been instrumental over the years in making this event happen. Forty golfers battled it out on the scorching hot day, playing best ball, alternate shot and singles match play for a total of 27 holes.
The event saw three rounds of nine holes each being played by the foursomes made up of two red and two black team members. The best ball game started at 10 a.m., followed by alternate shot just after noon and then finally the singles matches. The event went well into the evening to make the most out of the weather and comradeship, with the last group making it back to the clubhouse around 6:45 p.m.
Things were getting quite tense by the end, when the score was 18-18 with just two last groups to come in. A playoff was being considered at that point, with possible tiebreaking options as varied as arm-wrestling and pulling random names out of a hat being heard from around the table, before finally settling on two foursomes of players with the lowest handicaps on both sides.
The event did not lack in entertainment nor controversy, as rumours came in to the clubhouse from the green that a player on one team allegedly picked up a ball without being told to do so, and that another team was in for four instead of five on one hole, providing some trepidation regarding the final score. But in the end, according to Chris Ewings, the Red Team, won a clear victory.
According to Bud Adair, who is a golf course executive member, 40 men entered this event, a culmination of this year’s men’s night series, for $40 each. The winning team — the Red Team this year — won their fees back, effectively making it so that the losing team would pay for their dinner.
Adair also mentioned the Ryder Cup is completely self-funded and emphasized that the golf course is very well supported by the community. Paul Peterson of the Regional District of Central Kootenay helped facilitate a $3,000 grant for the club’s 15th anniversary this year, which Adair hopes to stretch to cover an year-end event.
Congratulations to team captain Mark Tennant and his chosen players:
K.J. O’Connor, Paul Roberts, Laine Weighill, Brian Roberts, Norm Lea, Brodie Yano, Robert Coates, Greg Cunningham, John Craft, Chris Ewings, Dan Watt, Butch Warrantz, John Spavor, Rene Bruneau, Bob Wallace, Glenn Koenig, James Koenig, Jim Davidson and Darryl Fizzard.