Lest They Forget
Par for the course with Nel Giuseppi
Courtesy of the Trinidad Guardian
Wednesday 1st November, 2006
The year 2006 is rapidly coming to an end. As a sporting year, it has been quite an interesting one in several disciplines. In cricket, the West Indies team continued to provide up-and-down performances. They convincingly defeated India in the one-day series in the Caribbean and then, in the Test matches, they returned to the type of lack-lustre play to which we have grown accustomed in the last few years.
They then headed for Malaysia where they trounced Australia in a preliminary match before falling like ten-pins in the Final to the same Australians.
Off they travelled to the Champions Trophy in India to maul Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in the qualifying round and then collapse for 80 runs in the last match to Sri Lanka. In the actual competition, there were two stunning performances against India and Australia and, at the time of writing, the fingers of all West Indians remain crossed as our team is into the semi-finals trying to retain the Trophy they won so stunningly on the last occasion the tournament was played.
In football, the Soca Warriors made a nation proud by the fighting spirit they displayed at the World Cup Finals in Germany.
In my lifetime, I have only seen the nation as united on two previous occasions. The first was in 1987 when the National Alliance for Reconstruction (N.A.R.) organised a National Clean-up campaign that had all the peoples of Trinidad and Tobago, regardless of race, colour, creed or religious persuasion, coming together for the good of the nation.
The other occasion, of course, was the World Cup Qualifier of November 19th, 1989.
There were also many memorable moments, too numerous to mention individually, in several other sporting disciplines.
Golf also had its great moments. Early in the year, 15-year-old Ben Martin became the youngest player ever to win the Trinidad and Tobago Open Golf Championships while our juniors defeated the Canadians in the 2nd edition of the Stephen Ames Cup.
But the greatest sporting achievement of the year, in my opinion, was Stephen Ames’ victory in the Players Championship when he defeated the strongest field ever assembled in golf with Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Phil Mickleson, Ernie Els and all but one of the top 50-ranked players in the world being involved.
Ames’ final round performance has been described by the leading golf commentators in the world as one of the greatest 18 holes played in the history of the sport.
I have taken the decision to return to Stephen’s performance at the Players Championship because I know that those who determine the Sportsman of the Year will soon be gathering to make their decision for 2006 and I know how easy (or convenient) it will be for them to forget this outstanding achievement especially in light of the fact that Ames has suffered from injury in the latter part of the year and has somewhat dropped off the radar screen.
And so, lest they forget, let me bring it once more to their attention.
I know I will be accused of being prejudiced in favour of Ames so, to eliminate that possibility, let me reproduce excerpts from the official story on the tournament taken from the P.G.A. Tour’s website.
"T&T’s Stephen Ames delivered a major performance Sunday on the treacherous TPC Sawgrass, blowing away the strongest field in golf with a
5-under 67 to win THE PLAYERS Championship by six shots.
Ames made only one mistake, a double bogey on the 10th hole when he took two shots to get out of the bunker, and it looked as if he would have to battle his nerves along the scary back nine of the Stadium Course. Instead, he poured it on with impeccable shots that stretched his lead so much that the tiny island of a 17th green was only another hole on his way to a dominant victory.
Ames finished at 14-under 274, six shots clear of two-time U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen, who closed with a 69. The scoring average was 75.378, the second-toughest Sunday in Sawgrass history.
Despite playing in the final group, Ames was eight better and had the best score of the day. He earned $1.44 million for his second PGA TOUR victory, and also got a three-year exemption to the Masters. His victory on a sun-baked afternoon was reminiscent of some of Tiger Woods' dominant victories in the majors -- build a lead early, and let everyone else collapse trying to chase him. Vijay Singh, Sergio Garcia and Mike Weir stumbled early. Ernie Els collapsed late. Goosen got within two shots of him at one point on the back nine, but that didn't last long.
Coming off his double bogey at No. 10, Ames blistered his tee shot and hit a flawless approach into the par-5 11th for a two-putt birdie from 15 feet. On the par-3 13th, his tee shot caught the ridge and rolled to 2 feet for another easy birdie, and he knew THE PLAYERS Championship belonged to him with a 15-foot par save on the 14th. Instead of playing it safe, Ames played without fear. He made a 10-foot birdie putt on the 15th, where the hole was tucked on the left side. From the first cut of rough on the par-5 16th, he went after the flag and narrowly cleared a bunker by the lake, making the 25-foot eagle. The only conservative play came on the 17th, the notorious island green. Ames went for the middle of the green, found land, and two-putted for par. And with a six-shot lead playing the final hole, Ames lived up to his name. He took dead aim.
Tiger Woods was never part of the equation. He twice made double bogey from the middle of the fairway, on Nos. 10 and 14, and closed with a 75."It was pretty close at one stage, but he played awesome," Goosen said. "He ran away with it at the end."
And these are not my words. So please, let us not forget.
Now let’s head for the 19th Hole.
With all the bad news that comes out of Trinidad these days, there is still the good.
Courtesy of the Trinidad Guardian
Wednesday 1st November, 2006
The year 2006 is rapidly coming to an end. As a sporting year, it has been quite an interesting one in several disciplines. In cricket, the West Indies team continued to provide up-and-down performances. They convincingly defeated India in the one-day series in the Caribbean and then, in the Test matches, they returned to the type of lack-lustre play to which we have grown accustomed in the last few years.
They then headed for Malaysia where they trounced Australia in a preliminary match before falling like ten-pins in the Final to the same Australians.
Off they travelled to the Champions Trophy in India to maul Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in the qualifying round and then collapse for 80 runs in the last match to Sri Lanka. In the actual competition, there were two stunning performances against India and Australia and, at the time of writing, the fingers of all West Indians remain crossed as our team is into the semi-finals trying to retain the Trophy they won so stunningly on the last occasion the tournament was played.
In football, the Soca Warriors made a nation proud by the fighting spirit they displayed at the World Cup Finals in Germany.
In my lifetime, I have only seen the nation as united on two previous occasions. The first was in 1987 when the National Alliance for Reconstruction (N.A.R.) organised a National Clean-up campaign that had all the peoples of Trinidad and Tobago, regardless of race, colour, creed or religious persuasion, coming together for the good of the nation.
The other occasion, of course, was the World Cup Qualifier of November 19th, 1989.
There were also many memorable moments, too numerous to mention individually, in several other sporting disciplines.
Golf also had its great moments. Early in the year, 15-year-old Ben Martin became the youngest player ever to win the Trinidad and Tobago Open Golf Championships while our juniors defeated the Canadians in the 2nd edition of the Stephen Ames Cup.
But the greatest sporting achievement of the year, in my opinion, was Stephen Ames’ victory in the Players Championship when he defeated the strongest field ever assembled in golf with Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, Phil Mickleson, Ernie Els and all but one of the top 50-ranked players in the world being involved.
Ames’ final round performance has been described by the leading golf commentators in the world as one of the greatest 18 holes played in the history of the sport.
I have taken the decision to return to Stephen’s performance at the Players Championship because I know that those who determine the Sportsman of the Year will soon be gathering to make their decision for 2006 and I know how easy (or convenient) it will be for them to forget this outstanding achievement especially in light of the fact that Ames has suffered from injury in the latter part of the year and has somewhat dropped off the radar screen.
And so, lest they forget, let me bring it once more to their attention.
I know I will be accused of being prejudiced in favour of Ames so, to eliminate that possibility, let me reproduce excerpts from the official story on the tournament taken from the P.G.A. Tour’s website.
"T&T’s Stephen Ames delivered a major performance Sunday on the treacherous TPC Sawgrass, blowing away the strongest field in golf with a
5-under 67 to win THE PLAYERS Championship by six shots.
Ames made only one mistake, a double bogey on the 10th hole when he took two shots to get out of the bunker, and it looked as if he would have to battle his nerves along the scary back nine of the Stadium Course. Instead, he poured it on with impeccable shots that stretched his lead so much that the tiny island of a 17th green was only another hole on his way to a dominant victory.
Ames finished at 14-under 274, six shots clear of two-time U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen, who closed with a 69. The scoring average was 75.378, the second-toughest Sunday in Sawgrass history.
Despite playing in the final group, Ames was eight better and had the best score of the day. He earned $1.44 million for his second PGA TOUR victory, and also got a three-year exemption to the Masters. His victory on a sun-baked afternoon was reminiscent of some of Tiger Woods' dominant victories in the majors -- build a lead early, and let everyone else collapse trying to chase him. Vijay Singh, Sergio Garcia and Mike Weir stumbled early. Ernie Els collapsed late. Goosen got within two shots of him at one point on the back nine, but that didn't last long.
Coming off his double bogey at No. 10, Ames blistered his tee shot and hit a flawless approach into the par-5 11th for a two-putt birdie from 15 feet. On the par-3 13th, his tee shot caught the ridge and rolled to 2 feet for another easy birdie, and he knew THE PLAYERS Championship belonged to him with a 15-foot par save on the 14th. Instead of playing it safe, Ames played without fear. He made a 10-foot birdie putt on the 15th, where the hole was tucked on the left side. From the first cut of rough on the par-5 16th, he went after the flag and narrowly cleared a bunker by the lake, making the 25-foot eagle. The only conservative play came on the 17th, the notorious island green. Ames went for the middle of the green, found land, and two-putted for par. And with a six-shot lead playing the final hole, Ames lived up to his name. He took dead aim.
Tiger Woods was never part of the equation. He twice made double bogey from the middle of the fairway, on Nos. 10 and 14, and closed with a 75."It was pretty close at one stage, but he played awesome," Goosen said. "He ran away with it at the end."
And these are not my words. So please, let us not forget.
Now let’s head for the 19th Hole.
With all the bad news that comes out of Trinidad these days, there is still the good.
posted by pearlprincess at 5:27 AM
2 Comments:
Oh GOD girl, cricket?! Golf!? Like yuh doh want meh to comment at all!
I mean...I could understand the golf...I hate that sport to...but cricket!! Love it! Plus...I just all about sports in Trinidad coming from a sporting background when I was younger. So anything about sports in Trinidad no matter what it is I think deserve some coverage.
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