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7th Hemisphere Cup
Game Over - The North Are Winners!!
The Story in Numbers
Overall Results
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Results Rd 1 & 2
Results Rd 3 & 4
We Are Back!!!!! Hemisphere Cup #7
2022 NPGA Hemisphere Cup
After the disappointment of COVID 19 forcing the cancellation of the 2020 NPGA Hemisphere Cup at Torrey Pines, the NPGA Management were very pleased to announce the return of TPC Sawgrass as the host of 2022 Hemisphere Cup. After the arduous captain's task of selecting 15 team members to represent the North & the South, both teams arrived in Jacksonville, Florida full of hope and excitement to battle out the 7th Hemisphere Cup on the world championship TPC Sawgrass course. The South were defending champions after claiming a tense 19-17 victory over the North played on the desert courses of Scottsdale, Arizona in 2018.
Day 1 - What was originally billed as a practice day was rescheduled at the last moment to become Round 1 due to a forecast of "a bit of rain and wind" for later in the week. Leading the groups out were Stuart McGregor (N) and Scott Somerville (S) playing the final of the World Matchplay Championship. It was always going to be a tough match and it proved that way - with Stuart prevailing with a hard fought 3 & 2 win to add the World Matchplay Championship to his trophy cabinet along with his 2022 Nearly Open Trophy. Meanwhile, a "Blue Tsunami" was hitting the rest of the course with the North showing that they had turned up with their A game and at the end of Round 1 held a commanding 6.5 to 1.5 over the South. That night saw our Opening Dinner held at TPC Sawgrass in the Champions Room - a fitting venue for our 30 Nearly Members from teh NOrth & South of course. A highlight of the night was the presentation of the 2022 Nearly World Matchplay Championship Trophy to Stuart McGregor (N) and his touching speech and dedication to our dearly missed Gavin "Gav" Holmes.
Day 2 - Another glorious day in sunny Florida, well in Jacksonville anyway, saw the South head out to the course with a steely determination to claw back the lead that the North had claimed on Day 1. Well as much as the South tried, the North had answers for most of the matches and at the end of the day (or what we thought was the end of the day) they had a day score of 4.5 to 3.5 and held again a commanding lead of 11 to 5 over the South. Whilst the North and South was battling it out on the course, Nearly Logistics got the news that everyone had been dreading - that "bit of wind and rain" had turned fully into Hurricane Ian and was terrorising southern Florida and making its way North towards - yes towards Jacksonville!!! Course and Hotel Management had advised our Manamgement that they were closing both the course and hotel and the word was "GET OUT OF DODGE AS SOON AS YOU CAN"!!!
Obviously our group has a wealth of experience and intelligence (Nearly) ....and combine this with a "wealth" of post game drinks and the ideas of what to do, where to go and how to do it were swirling around the TPC Clubhouse quicker than the revolutions per minute that Hurricane Ian was circulating!!! A summit meeting with the 2 Captains - Mark Stevens (N) and Gary Lord (S) made the definitive decision to head as far as we could to get away from the encroaching storm. With heading East leading directly to the Atlantic Ocean (NO!), South going into the path of destruction that Hurricane Ian had already left (NO AGAIN!) and North the direction it was still heading (A DEFINITIVE NO!), this left the saying "Go West Young Man" ringing loudly in our ears and west we went!!! Our gear was packed, several more rounds of drinks were consumed and all headed (well Nearly all eh Tom!) headed to their rooms with the knowledge that we were leaving in the morning - where to and what to expect, well that was another question to be answered....
Day 3 - Day 3 is always called "Moving Day" in a golf tournament...well we at the Nearly certainly take things literally - as we all certainly MOVED today....With the valuable assistance of Jon Hunter, a charter coach was eventually secured, our bags were packed, the rain was starting to beat down and the winds were picking up and our loyal bunch of dedicated golfers loaded up and started what could only be called - a bit of a road trip....8 hours later and after a few cartons of Bud & Coors, a couple bottles of wine, and a chorus or 2 of Sweet Home Alambama!! - we hit the capital of Alabama, the city of Mongomery.... Our new home for the remainder of the Hemisphere Cup. The next issues were where to play the final 2 rounds of the Hemisphere Cup and how to get to each venue. Gary Lord & Mark Stevens had the vision of following the courses laid out by the legendary course designer Robert Trent Jones and had made the necessary arrangements to get our group onto Capitol Hill and Cambrian Ridge for the final rounds. Tick! Next, getting to the courses!!! What seemed like an easy logistic then proved a major hurdle with all transport being prebooked for a major out of town college football match featuring Alabama !!! Never fear, our wonderful and very patient coach driver, Robin who had guided us to safety from Jacksonville to Montgomery, was recruited to drive us for the rest of the week - problem solved (again).
Day 4 - With the sun again shining, but in Alabama not Florida, Round 3 got away with our boys fronting a completely unknown course - Capitol Hill in nearby Prattville. https://www.rtjgolf.com/capitolhill/ Well this turned out to be a little hidden gem, and although the greens on the front nine were very difficult and a bit tricked up, the course itself was in great condition and a pleasure to play. The Battle on the course continued and although the day belonged to the South finally, it was only by the barest of margins wining 4-3 taking the overall score to 14 to 9 with the North leading still and the sniff of victory (and southern whisky) pervading their nostrils!!!
Day 5 - It was do or die day for the South today. Needing to win 10 of the 15 singles matches to be played over the North again on a totally unfamiliar course, there was a sense of expectation, excitement and unpredicabilty about the day. Our course was Cambrian Ridge, and where the day before was a gem, this was an absolute DIAMOND!!! https://www.rtjgolf.com/cambrianridge/ A combination of 3 x 9 hole courses, we had chosen to play Sherling Course for the front nine and the Canyon Course for the back nine. What a great mixture of 18 creative golfing holes...and we were made very welcome by the Clubhouse locals.
With all the matches out on the course, the South at one stage pegged back the lead and it looked like it could be a nailbiting finish but the strength of the North (and the courage of Gav with them) saw the final round go the way of the North 8-7 and North were rightfully crowned 7th Hemisphere Cup Champions with the final scoreboard showing a 22 to 16 victory.
Tears, beers & cheers flowed quite freely on the verandah at Cambrian Ridge Clubhouse with the satisfying knowledge that the North had come with both a fierce determination and the knowledge that their great mate Gav would be at home with a satisfied smile within him and not accepting anything less than a win for the North...and the 7th Hemisphere Cup was duly presented to an emotional and extremly humble but happy Northern Captain, Mark Stevens.
The trip home on the bus allowed all that had competed to take a deep breath, thankful that we escaped Hurricane Ian and that everyone was safe and were fortunate enough to continue the Hemisphere Cup to a conclusion. The Northern Choir was also in fine voice with a victory song that echoed the week that was.....
Where to for Hemisphere Cup #8, stay tuned but wherever the winds blow might be the way to go!!
Hurricane Ian - Florida 2022
The North - Hemisphere Cup Winners
"We Are The North!!"
