A problem between the ears.

So the 2017 Samarahan Country Club Gawai Open house tournament came and went. 

The weather was really good and course conditions were nice and dry. 

We had a shot gun start from hole 2 (which is a challenging dog-leg-right and water before the green kinda hole) and I was playing pretty good the first 9. The first few holes on back nine were pretty solid too. Until I started thinking about my score. Jeng Jeng Jeng!

Without dwelling on it too much, I blew a couple of holes and submitted a +2 nett score in the end. Lesson learnt, don't think about the score until the last putt drops! Period!

But it wasn't all bad, two of my flight mates played solidly and bagged 1st and 2nd place. What did I get for my trouble? A slow cooker in the lucky draw! Win!

This week is a short one with the Gawai holiday just a day away. The boys have decided that we check out Borneo Highlands on day 1 of the public holiday and I am really looking forward to that. It's been a long while since I last played there. 

More pictures when I am back! 

Gawai Golf / Open House @ Samarahan Country Club

Last weekend, I took part in the Gawai Golf Tournament held at the Samarahan Country Club.

I managed to squeeze in a range session and a 9 hole round during the week. The game seemed intact so I was feeling pretty good. 

You couldn't have asked for better weather and the course conditions were (though wet in places) pretty good. The greens in particular were rolling true. My mate and I even spent some time at the range and warmed up with a couple of balls. 

My flight teed off from the 15th hole, a longish par 3 (some 170 meters from the blue tee) with water on the left to contend with. I play on this course almost every week and I had been scoring well here the last few weeks. But as nerves would have it, I proceeded to hit a high hook and promptly found the water. Great. My first shot of the day and I find the drink. So I take a drop and manage to escape with a bogey. 

That unfortunately set the tone of the day pretty much. Scores would be calculated using the Stableford method. So even though I managed 5 pars, I imploded on a number of holes (managed a disastrous 10 on the 10th hole) and ended up scoring 102. A case of the nerves really which was rather disappointing, so I need to sort out what goes on between the ears soon. 

But there were some (yes, some) positives to take back and all things considered, I had a pretty good time. There were no entrance fees, so all we had to pay was RM25.00 for the buggy fee and we were treated to a very nice lunch spread and in true Gawai Spirit, the drinkers were very entertained with the ample beer that was served. 

Then came the prize giving and what do you know, I snagged a consolation prize (golf towel) for my efforts. 

Gawai will soon be here (1-2.06.2016) so next week will be a short work week. The highlight of which will be a trip to Jakarta with my KL golf crew for three rounds of golf. Really looking forward to it.

Also underwent some equipment changes in the bag, but I will blog about that another time. 

Eurasia Cup 2016 : An emphatic victory for Team Europe.

Having tied Team Europe in 2014, it's no wonder Team Asia had a quiet confidence that they would be able to pull a surprise in 2016. But sadly that was not to be. Darren Clarke and his European team rolled into town and put on a stunning display. 

By the end of the day 1, Team Europe had established a solid start notching an early lead 4.5 : 1.5. By day 2, the Europeans extended that lead to 9 : 3. In the end, the men in blue put on quite a display in the singles matches to cap off a fine victory for Team Europe and highlight the disparity between the two teams. 

Team Asia gave it a good shot but Team Europe were simply a class above, which to an extent is a cause for concern. Here's hoping that Team Asia will catch up in two years when the Eurasia Cup returns in 2018.

Team Europe were simply the better team and for that they fully deserve their fine victory. 

Was at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club on Sunday and was volunteering during the final day singles. I was match captain for match 3 (Andy Sullivan v. Thongchai Jaidee) and it was good fun. Thongchai started off brightly but eventually lost to a very solid Andy Sullivan, 4&3.

Managed to catch up with Ian Poulter after the prize giving ceremony and got his autograph. He played brilliantly all three days notching 3 points (4&3, 3&2 and 4&3) 

Before things went under way on Sunday, Team Europe / Asia Captains, Darren Clarke and Jeev Milkha Singh made a surprise appearance and were met with thunderous applause, at the volunteer's village to say thank you to all the volunteers. Terrific stuff and classy of them to take the time to drop by.

Andy Sullivan speaking with reporters after his fine victory over Thongchai Jaidee. 

It was certainly a very 'blue' day (on the scoreboard) with Team Europe ending the day 18.5 : 5.5

Certainly a good work out for Team Europe during a Ryder Cup year and Captain Darren Clarke would have learnt plenty more about his team members. 

Till we meet again at the Eurasia Cup 2018.

For honour, for pride, for the team!

If you haven't heard, the Eurasia Cup 2016 is underway at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club, Kuala Lumpur. 

After the first foursome session yesterday, Team Europe started off very brightly earning 4.5 points to Team Asia's 1.5 points. Not the start Team Asia would have wanted but there is plenty of golf to be played.

Day 2 is underway so if you re in town, make sure to drop by to catch the action.

I will be volunteering on Sunday for the singles matches and if team Asia make up ground today, it will make for a very interesting final day.

What a week it's been!

The final round of the CIMB Classic concluded just last Sunday and I am missing CIMB Classic week already. 

Volunteering at the CIMB Classic 2015 has been a fantastic experience.

Along the way, I have had the chance to see things from behind the ropes. I have also met with and seen some the biggest names in Golf in action up close.

 

I have had the opportunity to meet several amazing people and made a bunch of new friends. The volunteer program is a fine example of true teamwork and I am glad to have had a small part to play.  

I am not going to lie though. It was a pretty tough week (a typical day starts from 4am-6pm) and there were definitely some up and downs, but it was alot of fun and at the end of every day, it was immensely gratifying to see everything come together. 

The above said, none of this would have been possible if it wasn't for the hard work of every dedicated volunteer. It was a collective effort and I am very proud to have been a part of it.

There were so many of us, but I want to thank firstly the members in Group H. Guys and Gals (you know who you are), you were amazing throughout the week. I cannot thank you enough for stepping up when needed and for that, you have my sincere thanks and utmost appreciation.

My fellow hole Captains, Johari, Faizal, Din, Prithpal, Kishen, Chris. H, Chris. S, Lukas, Jack and Gary, thank you for all the laughs, help and guidance throughout the week. You guys are number 1! 

To the ladies who worked overtime behind the scenes, Terry, Aishah and Shandi, thank you!

Lastly, Emma and Nick, thank you so much for the opportunity to be a part of this amazing experience. The tireless work that the both of you do made our jobs so much easier and is truly appreciated. You both are awesome and I am convinced that there is no one more suited for the job!

 

True teamwork!

And so it ends, for now. I will definitely be there in 2016 and if you have never volunteered, sign up! You won't regret it.

CIMB Classic 2015 : here we go!

Day 1 of the CIMB Classic 2015 begins tomorrow and the first flight will tee off at 7.45am. Here we go! 

Won't be blogging too much as I will be on the course for pretty much the whole day. So follow me on instagram : gordonkakigolf for pictures and videos from the CIMB Classic!

The CIMB CLASSIC 2015

If you haven't noticed the countdown timer on the right side of the blog, let me just remind you that it's less then a week to the CIMB Classic 2015!

The complete field has been updated! Check here. Notable mentions with rankings - Henrik Stenson (6), Adam Scott (16), Sergio Garcia (11), Hideki Matsuyama (15), Patrick Reed (20), Kevin Na (24), Keegan Bradley (58), Luke Donald (66), Defending Champion, Ryan Moore (52) and local boys Ben Leong and Danny Chia (who are both in fine form this season) make up part of the 78 player field for the prestigious PGA event (co-sanctioned with the Asian Tour) but we could see a couple more names by the end of the week.

A lack of star power perhaps, but with 6 of the top 25 and a good number of PGA Tour / Major Winners, I would say it's a pretty good looking field. 

 

Cimb Classic 2014

 

The CIMB classic is a 4 day, no cut event and will see the players compete for the coveted trophy and a share of the hefty $7 million purse ($1.26 mil to the winner), oh! and don't forget, there are 500 Fed-ex cup points up for grabs too. KLGCC has been a good hunting ground for defending champion Ryan Moore who has won the event twice now. Can he make it a hat trick?

 CIMB Classic 2014

I have been to the CIMB Classic twice so far ('13 and '14). I will be heading over again this year, but this time it's going to be a whole lot different.

CIMB Classic 2014

This year, I will be volunteering! Yeap! This time I am going to be behind the ropes and from what I hear it's going to be an awesome experience. I can't wait. Seriously can't wait! 

Volunteer sign up has closed I believe, but if you want to know more about it, check here.

I will be updating pictures on Instagram so please feel free to follow "Gordon McCloud" for pictures and updates!

BMW Golf Cup International 2015 : It's Go time!

So last Thursday was the 6th Qualifying leg of the BMW Golf Cup International 2015 at the Samarahan Country Club. 

Registration started at 6.15a.m and I got there "dark" and early. 

Call it kiasu but I wanted to make sure there was enough time to settle down for breakfast and get in some warm up time before the tee-off.

After leaving my bag at the drop-off, I made my way to the reception area where I was pleasantly greeted and directed to the registration counter. The clubhouse was nicely decorated and there were BMW posters, banners and buntings all around. 

What was usually an open reception area was fitted out with a "professional" registration counter (make-shift, might I add) manned, or should I say wo-manned, by the attentive ladies from BMW. 

These ladies were very efficient and familiar with their roles so player registration was quick and fuss free. Each player was given an envelope containing their respective locker keys and score card. But first, breakfast!

Players were treated to a very nice breakfast spread, catered by the team from the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching, complete with an omelette station no less. Very good start to the day.

Would have stayed longer and had more food but there was plenty of golf to be played. So I headed down to the locker room.

Where I was greeted with a personalised locker. Probably the closest I will ever get to feeling like a PGA golfer. 

What was inside the locker you ask? Plenty of goodies.

For those curious, every player was given:-

1. An Adidas BMW Cup shirt

2. Taylormade BMW cap

3. Adidas rubber sports belt

4. BMW valuables pouch

5. Personalised luggage tag

6. BMW ball marker set

7. Arm sleeves

8. A tube of Taylormade Tour Preferred X balls

9. Mont Blanc parfum sample

10. A BMW cart bag travel case (not in locker)

Not too shabby. 

After settling in, it was time to head to the driving range where players were given 25 complimentary balls. Just the ideal amount to warm up and work out any last minute kinks (yeah right!). 

A couple of minutes on the practice green and it was time to head to our respective tee boxes for the 8.00am shot gun tee off.

Did I also say that BMW provided players with caddies? A caddy to a buggy. Fancy!~

The weather was fantastic and my flight mates were terrific fellas so we were having a good time. We started on hole 12 (Jungle 9) and all through out, we were properly taken care of. 

At the tee-box and designated holes, drinks and snacks were readily available. In between, the BMW ladies made their rounds in their snack mobile.

Then there were the Hole In One Prizes. Up for grabs was a luxury Corum watch and a BMW 320D and on holes #3 and #15, respectively.

Sorry for the horrible picture. Just as I was about to take a proper picture, the cheerful BMW girl handed us a 'lucky' ball each and we were asked by the photographer for photos with the Hole in One prize, so there will be better pictures in due course.

Did you know the odds of an amateur playing making a hole in one is 12,500 : 1?

Thanks to the tournament director, the pins for the day were placed in very tricky locations. 

The pin on hole 15 was tucked on the front left side of the green (which is never there!) close to the water hazard. Deciding to take an aggressive line, I took dead aim at the pin but over did it and found the water. Good-bye lucky ball and good-bye BMW!

Back to the tournament, I was soldiering on and spotted a couple of white canopies and white picket fence next to the drink hut on the Garden 9. What was going on?

You read the signage right. On-Course hospitality yo!

Fuiyo!~

What did we have in store? More food! Chicken and beef satays with the usual accompaniments. Diced onions, ketupat and a very delicious satay sauce. There was also assorted pastries, icey cold longan and laici with syrup and drinks. Tell me, how will I adjust back to having just regular mee sedap with a fried egg now? BMW.. why you spoil me!!

Soon we found ourselves back at the club house and on a day where my game was rather topsy turvy (featuring 5 pars, a ghastly double par, 8, a triple bogey, 7 and a birdie amongst others), I managed a 94 (-2 for the round) but was it good enough for anything?

After a nice deserving shower, it was time to tuck into the hearty buffet lunch. Good grub and plenty of drinks.

 

After lunch, the MC announced that the scores were tallied and the results were in. 

So I didn't win the hole in one prizes or the novelty prizes, but ...I did manage 1st runner up! Whoopee! Lost out to 1st place OCB too, but I am not complaining. The last time I won anything in a tournament was a tube of balls for the Wooden Spoon, so this was a nice change.

I had no idea there were trophies for winners from the guest category so this was really really cool. Also received a nice Ogio BMW sports bag and golf umbrella. 

If there's one thing I will say, the good folks at BMW sure know how to organize an event. The BMW Cup was a fantastic tournament and the hospitality was top-notch. 5 Stars! 

If you have never joined the BMW Golf Cup (The remaining 2 legs in Kota Permai are fully booked). I strongly suggest you try next year! 

Only worry I have now is how will I go back to 'normal-hospitality-less' golf now? *sigh.

BMW Golf Cup International 2015

Time is really just shooting on by. 

Here we are in the heat of August and I am looking forward to one thing. The BMW Golf Cup International 2015. 

The BMW Golf Cup International has entered into its 9th edition here in Malaysia and is played over 8 qualifying legs across the region. 

The top 3 winners of each leg will battle it out in the national final on 7th October 2015 at the lovely Palm Garden Country Club, Putrajaya for a coveted spot in the World Final. 

Fortunately the good folks at BMW have opened up a limited number of spots to non-BMW owners (perhaps one day.. *sigh) and a few of us were lucky enough to grab a spot in the Qualifying leg 6 to be held at the Samarahan Country Club. 

The only proviso? non-BMW owners do not qualify for the national final. But that's absolutely fine with me. From what I have seen and heard, the BMW Golf Cup is a 5 star event and worth every ringgit of the RM388.00 entrance fee. Just head over to website and check out the gallery. 

It promises to be a fantastic event and I can't wait!

A guide to collecting autographs : Tournament edition

If you have been following my recent instagram posts (#gordonmccloud), you would have seen some pictures of souvenirs / autographs (*read : showing off ) I got during the CIMB Classic. 

 Assorted balls / caps and tags with autographs

This was from 2013. Managed to get Rickie to sign a hat, a few balls and a ticket. Big fan, so am hoping to see good things for him this season. Pity he didn't come down this year.

Back to back winner, Ryan Moore. Managed to scoop 3 of his autographed balls and he kindly signed this photo this year. Only regret was not asking for a photo with him. There's always next year.

 Sergio Garcia and two time runner up Gary Woodland

Jason Dufner. Had to wait for a long time but I managed to get his autograph and I am convinced I am the only one who did.

Some people think it's a waste of time but I like collecting memorabilia and autographs and I think it makes for a cool collection. Some are rather envious and have asked how I got them (stalked for them), so I figured, why not make a post of it.

So here it is. "A guide to collecting autographs : Tournament edition".

Firstly, I won't lie. It takes alot of time and perseverance to get these autographs. But being prepared definitely makes things alot easier.

1. Attire

I attended both editions of the CIMB Classic in 2013 and 2014 and here's what I can say about the weather. It's very hot and at mid-day, scorching. It also rains sometimes so attire is crucial.

Top : Wear light, comfortable clothing that dry quickly. If you're following the players and want to wait for autographs, you are going to sweat, alot. So think moisture-wicking material.

Bottom : Comfortable loose sport shorts, with pockets. Golfing shorts are most ideal. Avoid long pants at any costs.

Shoes : Comfortable sport / walking shoes or spikeless golf shoes (I wore my True - Phx) with comfortable thick socks. You're going to be walking / standing for half a day so it helps to keep your feet comfy. Avoid slippers, sandals or dress shoes, unless of course you are there to spend time in the air - conditioned marque tents. Actually saw a couple of guys in suits no less. 

Other stuff:-

It's going to be hot and the sun will be glaring. So make sure to wear a cap, bring your sunglasses and do not forget the sunblock lotion. Helps to bring a towel too. I used one of those Mission Enduracool towels which help to keep you a little cooler.

Backpack. Bring a big enough backpack to keep the following:-

i. Your autograph equipment (more later) 

ii. a spare change of clothes

iii. an umbrella or rain coat

iv. bottle of water

v. Small packets of tissue

vi. Basic medication like panadol / Oral Rehydration Salts or two. Last year, I saw a guy on the course who collapsed to his knees and started vomitting. Poor fellow looked like he had a heat stroke, so I passed him a bottle of water with a pack of ORS, a pack of tissues and some panadol for his throbbing head. Oh, and he was wearing khakis long pants and a polo t-shirt and only had a bottle of water. Safe to say, he was not prepared.

2. Autograph gear

Most of the stars will sign anything. Phil Mickelson signed a guy's shoe last year and no, it wasn't a new pair (he politely told me that he doesn't sign golf balls though). In my opinion Golfballs, caps, photos and posters (draw sheets  or magazines) make the best memorabilia. Golfballs are very personalized so they are great. Hats are also ideal simply because you can just wear it and it fits a ton of autographs. Photos and posters are even better but you will need to keep them in a file (I used an A4 file with envelope sheets) to keep them from crumpling.

Golfballs : You can always bring your own balls but I would suggest heading over to the merchandise tent (MST has a great merchandise tent) and grab a box of those logo balls. This year, I bought 2 boxes (24 balls in total) of Wilson Staff balls with the CIMB Classic logo for RM100.00. It's no ProV1, but I like that it has the CIMB Classic logo.

Caps: Buy a CIMB Cap and bring one of your own. Like last year, I brought a Puma cap for Rickie and a Callaway hat for Phil.

Photos : Good quality A4 prints on good thick photo paper. None of those light A4 stuff. They will crumple / tear and you will cry. 

Pens : Sharpies with fine point nibs. The pros use them and will usually have their own but there are instances where they don't have it on them. Lost count on the number of fans I have lent my sharpie to. So bring your own. No permanent markers, as they tend to bleed-out and make the signatures, ugly. Ultra fine pens or ball point pens are hard to sign with.

3. Where to get autographs

The best place to get autographs is outside the scoring area which is where the golfers submit their score cards after each round. There is a designated area with barricades and security personnel.

That's me in blue and Ryan Moore after his round on day 2. Photo was taken by Chris who was helping the PGA with the tournament. Met him during day 1 and had a good chat with him whilst I was waiting for the pros to emerge from the scoring area. Great guy.

4. When to get autographs

After the pros submit their score cards. Never before. Usually the pros will emerge from the scoring room and oblige their waiting fans. Bear in mind though, that some don't come back out (esp. if they had a bad round.) I have seen so many fans chase after the pros during their warm up sessions, during rounds (this is a HUGE no-no) and right after they step off the 18th green much to their disappointment. So,  wait in front of the barricades and you will probably get a signature or two. 

Also, worth noting that if you are determined to get autographs, try to attend on the first 2 days when the crowds are much less. 

I should though mention that I waited at the scoring area for a long time. This year I waited outside the scoring area from 11.45am and only left at about 1.15pm. I am pretty sure I was the only one waiting the whole time so don't let that scare you. You can always get a signature or two, leave and then come back later.

5. Plan ahead

The daily pairings will usually be published the night before tee-off and there will be daily draw sheets with grouping info and tee-off times. 

Have a good read to plan ahead and you won't have to follow that particular group the whole 18 holes. It will usually take 4-4.5 hours for a flight to complete their rounds and with the draw sheet, it isn't difficult to monitor when a particular flight is heading for the scoring area.

6. Stay hydrated and nourished

As I said earlier, always have a bottle of water in your bag. There are a good number of food and beverage stations so make sure to stay hydrated and grab a bite to eat.

7. Remember names

I will admit to not knowing alot of the players out of the top-50. 

The tournament website will usually have a page of the field and there will be photographs, way before the tournament starts. But even if you don't check out the field, it isn't too hard to find out just who is walking off the green. You can always refer to the draw sheet and the players will have their names on their bags or caddy's bib, so make an educated guess.

Kevin Chappell came out to sign some autographs and this one uncle kept calling him "John, John!" I cringed. Kevin didn't find it too hilarious either and actually told him "Look, I am not John." So I quickly told the uncle who he was and he then started to call out "Kevin, Kevin!". I think it's only polite to call a person by their correct name. But if you really have no clue, "Hello, could I have your autograph?" usually works.

Didn't end there though. I think the uncle must have asked for a personal souvenir because I saw Kevin patting his pockets and heard him say "Sorry, I don't have anything else on me." I cringed again. It's one thing not to know the person's name but to ask for a personal item after? Alamak.

8. Persevere

Most of the players are very obliging and will take the time to sign autographs and take a picture or two. Phil, Rickie and Sergio for instance will spend ages to try and sign for the fans. Some though, don't. 

So when they come out from the scoring area, do what I do. Call them out (politely of course) and stick out your autograph item. That's worked for me.

Like I said, some stars don't spend very much time to sign for autographs or even come out after, so if you don't get it on day 1, try again on day 2, 3 and 4. 

Last year, I waited 3 days for Bubba Watson. He didn't come out on day 1 and day 2. On day 3, he made a quick dash to the scoring area after his round and eventually did re-emerge. 

9. Exclusive passes

You will see alot of people wearing tags around their necks around the course and club house. Only for the exclusive crowd, these passes are the golden tickets. 

Some tags will get you right into the club house and that's where you will catch the pros in a more casual setting. They will usually oblige for photographs too so If you can get your hands on one of these next year (pass me one) and make full use of it.

Thanks to Ian, I got a pass to the BMW Marquee Tent, which was very cool. That's Sergio, Davis Love III and Ryo Ishikawa's signature (from left to right)

Then when you come back home, sort out the memorabilia and display them proudly like so. Hope some of you will find this useful in future.