Fabulous finish in the Gardiner’s Bay Country Club Guest Member Tournament

Gardiner’s Bay Country Club hosted our Men-Members-Guest Tournament this past weekend.

After 45 holes of golf in matchplay in teams of two, we have a sudden death elimination playoff with all 10 steal winners playing an alternate stroke format in the playoffs. It was extremely exciting and the playoffs were filled with great golf shots.

The qualifiers take place in our “Pressure Cauldron”, the 9th hole amphitheater and its green fortress. After two holes in the playoffs, only two teams have survived – Jay “Jake” Card III and his permanent guest, Andy Adam, as well as Andrew Ward, and his inaugural guest, Scott Brittingham.

Andrew is best known for his world sailing races on the J111 Bravo boat. He and Scott were a surprising but popular addition to the Cauldron of Pressure playoffs.

Ward and Brittingham had won the Phoenix Flight and rose from their day one flames. The Phoenix Flight is a bonus flight where the worst performing teams from day one are incentivized. The team with the most points of the Phoenix flight on day two entered the pressure cauldron. Jake and Adam had won the Osprey flight, the top flight.

Jake and Andy Adam are regular entrants to the Osprey, but have never found themselves so deep in the playoffs. On the extra third hole, Andrew Ward, playing superbly in the playoffs, hit the green again with his tee shot with the hole back to the right.

Andrew’s golf ball climbed to the top of the ridge on the two-tier green – a formidable shot. Unfortunately, the ball tipped back and inverted all the way down the slope to about 50 feet from the cut. Jake stepped forward to hit his tee shot with the strong wind from left to right.

He nailed it, a sublime strike that exploded from the clubface, soared into the stratosphere and fired from right to left very lightly.

The ball landed just past the hole and dripped off the back edge of the green, leaving a quick and delicate 12-foot downhill putt. It was a sensational shot of the highest quality.

Scott Brittingham then hit a beautifully weighted 50-foot putt over the narrow ledge and the ball nestled within 3 feet of the hole, essentially securing a par.

The crowd of around 60 were anxious with impatience as young Jake and Andy stalked their putt, reading it from all angles. Onlookers fell silent as Andy addressed the ball and gently stroked it on the slippery green. They had read it perfectly.

The ball hurtled down the green, snapped a bit, and fell to the bottom of the cup for a birdie two. Cheers roared through the air and there were high fives and hugs from the winners, and congratulations from finalists Andrew and Scott, who were the epitome of gracious sportsmanship.

It was another sensational conclusion of sudden death for a wonderful guest member. The second time in a row, the playoffs were won with a birdie. Please see below for a list of all flight winners. Thanks to all the members and guests who participated, it was a fantastic Osprey tournament.

Osprey Champions in total: Jay Card III & Andy Adam

Flight winners: Flight Osprey, Jay Card III and Andy Adam

Eagle Flight, David Doyle and Alex Rogers

Flight Hawk, JP Coviello and Matt Starker

Falcon Flight, Tim Ryan and Brad Dolny

Flying Kestrel, Ed Klaris and Matt Gorelick

Flight Condor, Patrick and Jack Rowe

Kite Flying, Chris McCarthy and Dick Sammis

Harrier Flight, Mark Goldstein and Steven Green

Vulture Flight, Kirk Ressler and Day Patterson

Flight Phoenix, Andrew Ward and Scott Brittingham

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