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McIVER ON COURSE FOR MINIGOLF’S GRAND SLAM

SOUTHEND, 11 MAY 2002. The retirement of Robert Vallory meant that there was certain to be a new name on the British Masters trophy this year. Ted McIver had finished runner-up to Robert in Southend twelve months ago and - as reigning British Champion - was perhaps considered to be the favourite going into the Tournament. His bid for glory might have been dealt a blow when he left his putter in his hotel room and found himself having to play the Tournament with a borrowed club. But Ted is too composed a player to let such setbacks get the better of him. He quickly adapted to playing with the unfamiliar putter and - after a shaky start - closed strongly for a first round total of 42.

The surprise early pacesetter was BMGA founder member Scott Coe, but it was Lionel Bender who kept his game together over the back nine to top the first round leaderboard. Lionel’s tactic on the Adventure Island course was to play safe and position his first shot as near to the hole as possible, so leaving him with a close range putt for par. He succeeded in keeping his scorecard clear of fours and the bonus of an ace at the 16th helped bring him home in 40 - just one shot shy of the official course record.

After 18 holes, Lionel held a two-shot advantage over Ted McIver and local player Garry Curtis-Wiggins, whose impressive scorecard included as many as 14 twos. Fours at the 6th, 8th and 12th appeared to have left Tim Davies out of contention. But Davies, the UK’s first minigolfer to turn semi-pro, rallied over the closing holes to finish on 45 - still within striking distance if the pressure got the better of the leading trio in the second round.

Lionel has never beaten Ted in a BMGA competition and his nerves appeared to get the better of him at the start of the second round. When Lionel slumped to a four at the 4th hole it was Ted who held a two-shot advantage over the field.

After eight holes, Ted was looking unstoppable. He had aced the second hole and made par at all the others. But just when it seemed he was going to coast to victory, the Hastings-based British number one ran into trouble. A six at the challenging 9th hole completely altered the complexion of his scorecard.

Unfortunately Lionel was unable to take full advantage of Ted’s slip. Where the favourite had taken six, he himself could only manage a four. It was enough to haul himself back into a share of the lead, but it was still a missed opportunity to stamp his authority on the competition. And suddenly Tim Davies - who made a birdie two at the same hole - knew he was back in the hunt.

Going into the last four holes, Ted and Tim were level-pegging, with Lionel - now the underdog after another bogey at the 14th - one shot adrift. Davies took three at the 15th and, when - agonisingly - he missed another putt for par at 16 - it gave Ted a cushion to take to the last hole. Thriving on the pressure, Ted holed out for a birdie two. It gave him a round of 41 - enough to finish the tournament two shots clear of Tim.

What Ted McIver wasn’t aware of as he lined up for his birdie putt on the final green was the outstanding performance of Mr. Michael Webb. Like Tim, Michael had carded a 45 in his opening round, but - because he had scored fewer twos than Davies - found himself playing the second round in the penultimate foursome. Michael, making his BMGA Tour debut, began his charge with five twos. And when, uncharacteristically, he missed a putt to drop a shot at the 8th, he hit back right away with an unprecedented ace at the next hole - a rare feat that left his playing companions applauding in admiration. Michael kept his consistent game together over the back nine and, standing on the last tee, knew that he had two shots to beat the course record of 39.

Momentarily he looked to have blown his chance as his tee shot narrowly missed the hole on the upper green. But his standard golf ball rebounded back off the perimeter wall and dropped into the cup. It was only then, left with a four foot putt on the lower green, that the pressure finally began to tell on Michael. He failed to allow for the borrow and - striking his shot too firmly - saw the ball whistle past the hole. Now Michael was faced with another four foot putt - this time to equal the course record and claim the five bonus ranking points that his composed performance throughout the round had richly deserved. He made no mistake.

It wasn't for several minutes that Michael found out just how important those two putts on the 18th green had been. Had he made that first four-footer, he’d have qualified for a sudden death Championship play-off against Ted McIver. As it was, his three was enough to earn him a second place finish in his first BMGA Tour event. Not since Tim Davies arrived on the scene at the Players’ Championship in 2000 has anyone performed so well on their debut. So it was perhaps fitting that it should be Tim who Webb pipped for the runners-up prize. Davies had to settle for third place, just as he had last year. Lionel Bender finished fourth -- again for the second year running. Only four shots separated the top four players.

Adventure Island’s own Garry Curtis-Wiggins finished a creditable fifth overall to pick up the trophy for best local/non-BMGA player. Special mention should also go to Graham Southern. After opening his second round with a four and two threes, he played the last 9 holes in an impressive 19 shots. While his sixth place finish was overshadowed by Mr Michael Webb’s heroics, his solid performance suggests he also has what it takes to break into the elite group of BMGA Tour players.

Speaking after the match, McIver thanked the Adventure Island management and staff for again hosting the Masters and helping to make the event a success. He has now set his sights on winning the BMGA Tour Grand Slam. Anyone who thinks they have the putting ability and concentration needed to beat the British number one at next year’s Masters is invited to contact Adventure Island to request a registration form.