Travelling with Joe to West Virginia (Thursday, June 7)
The story on the first day of competition for the National Hickory Championships (NHC) at Oakhurst Links in West Virginia was the win in the Clan Match Play Championship by Kingston, Ontario golfers Bob West and Bobby Sly.
“Bobby and I both contributed in our matches,” said an excited Bob West immediately after checking in at the scoreboard and shortly before picking up an adult beverage to toast the win. “We had four birdies in 9 holes and have never played better as a team.”
Bob Sly is the first NHC competitor to have won the National Hickory Championship, the Match Eight Foursome Matches and now the Clan Match Championship.
Over the next two days, Bob hopes to repeat his 2011 National Hickory Championship win and bring the trophy back to Canada. As for his father-in-Law Bob West, the Clan Championship win was the target he had set for himself for the 2012 National Hickory Championships and “anything else is icing on the cake.”
This writer was teamed with Hamp Munsey from Greensboro and we finished in third place in the Alex Smith Flight of the competition. Alternate shot is not the best format when teamed with a stranger but we managed to get around one of the toughest courses I have ever had the privilege to play with my hickory golf clubs. I also had the distinct honour of playing with and having a drink with a true southern gentleman.
Unfortunately for me, my first National Hickory Championship has come to an end as my wonky knee finally did me in and I’ll be on the sidelines over the next two days. But I will be cheering on our Canadian competitors while watching hickory golf at its best.
