2015 Bandit Trophy

McDougall tames the "Braz-a-bon"

Although he couldn't pronounce it, Mac played superbly around the Brabazon course on Saturday to claim his 3rd Bandit Trophy and his first since 2009 with a fantastic 33 points on the tough Ryder Cup layout.

1st  Alan McDougall    33 points
2nd Pete Coupe           30 points
3rd  Alec Hone            26 points







Nearest the Pin (7th hole)  - most players needed to hit a 3 wood into the wind on this 156 yard par 3 across water but Pete Coupe made it look easy and took the prize.

Longest Drive (11th Hole) - Derek Ives. Not at his best this weekend but this was a cracker and earned Derek the prize.
 

2015 Dacoity Cup Day 3

Rest of the World beat pour England
Rain ends Dacoity Cup early with Split decision

On the final morning a combination of injuries and rain, both real and forecast, threw the Dacoity Cup playing order into disarray.

ODCOC President Split Bladder took a decision to get matches out on course as soon as possbible to try and beat the weather amid the prospect of players being unable to play or abandoning the course due to severe weather which was expected to arrive shortly after tee off. Rather than try and work out matches with reduced numbers or calculate results from half completed rounds, it was decided that the position at the end of Day 2 made Rest of the World worthy winners and Sundays round should just be for fun.

Well as much fun as is possible when soaked to the skin.

But who was going to tell Derek Ives?

Lots were drawn, and Derek was taken to a room with cushioned walls and gently informed of England's defeat. He emerged stony faced, refused to speak with the media, and teed off. 

 

Some time later...

Derek handed the Dacoity Cup to Rest of the World skipper Paul Stone. Always a fierce competitor, the reluctance to give up the trophy is etched in his smile.

 

The England team presented Derek with a cheap and virtually meaningless gift to commemorate his years of loyalty to his country which included winning the first two Dacoity Cups. He was slightly underwhelmed -  the mild indifference on his face is clear to see.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Rest of the World team celebrate with the trophy following their first ever Dacoity Cup win.

 

2015 Dacoity Cup Day 2

Mac shoulders the burden

Alan McDougall, whose handicap was increased before this years event due to him allegedly having shoulder surgery, tonight has maximum points from four games in this years Dacoity Cup.

 

Mac's handicap was raised after several poor rounds at Rowlands Castle during his rehabilitation. There have been rumours that he submitted a card with a score of 112 which was completed with his arm in a sling.  Following his outstanding performance so far at the Belfry, everyone is asking questions: 

• Should he have been playing so soon after surgery?
• Should he have put the cards in?
• Should the handicap secretary have ignored them?
• Are you sure it wasn't just an ingrowing toenail?
• Is the handicap secretary related to Mac in some way?

Brabazon 10th Hole

Aside from Mac's great golf on Day 2 of the Dacoity Cup, the England team seemed affected by the last minute changes to Rest of the World pairings and the playing order in order to get on the course on time. It was a glorious day on the Brabazon course, but not for England.

Threeballs/Fourball Results:
Cartwright 21 lost to Stone & Van der Merwe 22
Dangerfield & Hay 16 lost to Brownlee 20
Ives & Hone 20 beat Dunbar 11 (a misprint, surely?...No? Really?)
Coupe & Hicks 50 lost to Talbot & McDougall 56
Rest of the World 3, England 1

Paul Stone's round included a contender for shot of the week as he hit a low missile of a shot that failed to carry the water in front of the 4th green. It bounced off the surface, smacked into the sleepers on the far face and somehow then defied the laws of physics to spin up in the air and forwards to the front of the green. However, John Dangerfield's round included an awesome 6 iron from 138 yards to a few inches from the pin, which was to earn him Shot of the Week, ahead of Paul's comedy antics.

Singles Results:
Hone 26 bt Van der Merwe 22
Ives 20 halved with Brownlee 20
Coupe 30 bt Dunbar 11 (still can't believe it)
Hay 23 halved with Talbot 23
Dangerfield 16 lost to McDougall 33
Cartwright NO Result v BYE
Hicks 20 lost to Stone 24
Rest of the World 3, England 3

The singles draw seemed to favour ROW with Coupe matched against Dunbar, and a couple of matches halved. Had they gone the other way the match could have been very tight but ROW retained their four point advantage after Day 2, with 15 1/2 points needed to claim the Cup, meaning 3 1/2 out of ten on the final day would bring a historic victory.

 

End of Day 2:

Rest of the World 12, England 8 

2015 Dacoity Cup Day 1

Stone lays foundation for Rest of the World lead

The 2015 Dacoity Cup got underway on Friday at The Belfry, on the Derby Course.

 

The highlight of Day 1 was a captain's performance by Rest of the World skipper Paul Stone, who holed a long putt on the last green to clinch a come from behind victory over opposite number Derek Ives. Is this the moment the tide finally turned against England?

 

With seven men on the England side, and six representing the Rest of the World, three of the four matches were three balls, with only the lower of the two players Stableford scores counting from the pair, against the solo player. The fourballs were combined Stableford scores as in previous years. In the singles, one player from Engand would be drawn against a Bye for ROW, meaning that their match would not count towards the Dacoity Cup. 

Threeballs/Fourballs Results:
Pete Coupe  38pts beat Brownlee & Talbot 24pts
Dangerfield & Hone 21pts lost to Van der Merwe 22pts
Ives & Cartwright 27pts lost to Stone 28pts
Hicks & Hay 65pts lost to Dunbar & McDougall 67pts
Rest of the World 3 England 1

Singles:
Dangerfield 21 lost to Van der Merwe 22
Ives 27 bt Brownlee 24
Hay 33 bt Dunbar 30
Coupe 38 bt Talbot 32
Cartwright 30 lost to McDougall 37
Hicks No result v  BYE
Hone 27 lost to Stone 28
Rest of the World 3 England 3

Score at end of Day One:
Rest of the World 6 England 4
So ROW head into Day 2 with a lead for the first time in the history of the competition...

Belfry Preview

Dacoity Cup  2015 Preview

Golf's least prestigious team event gets underway on 24th July at the Belfry with Derek Ives once again leading his England team, who are still unbeaten in the Dacoity Cup, against the Rest of the World. The weekend will also feature the 17th annual Bandit Trophy, over the Brabazon Course on Saturday. The Rest of the World will be led by Paul Stone, who controversially defected after discovering his African ancestry. Paul was a member of Derek's winning English team at the first Dacoity Cup at Celtic Manor. Now he takes on his former skipper at another famous Ryder Cup venue. Here are their team lineups:

 
England

Derek Ives (Captain)
Pete Coupe
Alec Hone
Ken Hicks
Stuart Hay (Bandit Trophy holder)
John Dangerfield
Paul Cartwright
 
Rest of the World
Paul Stone (Captain) - Africa

Johann Van der Merwe - South Africa

Mike Dunbar - Scotland
Alan McDougall - Scotland (well as much as Paul Stone is from Africa)

Dave Talbot - Ireland

Vidal Brownlee - Spain (well as much as Mac is from Scotland)
 
 
 
 
 
  

There will be 3 balls, 4 balls and singles matches each day with 15.5 points needed to win the Dacoity Cup.
Friday - The Derby Course from 2.04pm
Saturday - The Brabazon Course from 9.50 am - The Bandit Trophy
Sunday - The PGA National Course from 9.30 am
 
Mike Dunbar's Course Guide
In case you have never played at the Belfry before, The Elgin marble, Mike Dunbar has made a special reconnaissance visit to give you some tips on how to get round the key holes.
 
Brabazon Course

2nd Hole

"This is a short par 4 so a good scoring opportunity, but a water hazard in front of the green means the sensible play is to take a 5 iron off the tee, and another one to the green."

 

7th Hole

"A tough par 3 with a green surrounded by bunkers so distance control is all important. I reckon it's a solid 5 iron."

 

8th Hole

"Water bloody everywhere, be careful. Stick to a 5 iron and you'll be ok"

 

10th Hole

"Signature hole, driveable for the pros, but the sensible play is a 5 iron short of the bunker. That leaves a 5 iron into the small green with water in front."

 

15th Hole

"A 5 iron should leave you short of the fairway bunker. Then lay up with a 5 iron short of the water. Another 5 iron avoids the deep bunker short of the green - you don't want to go in there without a picnic. A dink with a mid iron - say a 5 - and you're on the green."

 

18th Hole

"A classic. Remember Big Sam bringing the Ryder Cup back home? Relive the moment with a booming 5 iron to just clear the water off the tee, a 5 iron to lay up short of the water in front of the green, then its just a 5 iron to the green. Golf shouldn't be complicated you know. 

Even Bigger Shock as Rest of World Captain Unveiled

We have all got used to players' ancestors and distant relatives being proactively uncovered in order to enable them to qualify for the country of their choice rather than their country of birth. Football, rugby and cricket have all experienced controversy associated with thus trend. Well now it has reached the world of golf, and the Rest of the World in particular.

It was announced today that Paul Stone will not only join the Rest of the World team in this years event, despite having been on the winning England side at Celtic Manor in 2013, but also that he will do so as captain.

Rumours are already circulating that this is a conspiracy to install an English plant and throw the matches and ensure another English victory. Such talk is hardly surprising given the recent corruption scandals surrounding Split Bladder and his cronies. But Stone brushed aside questions about whether  he had accepted a bribe of a single room in order to switch sides, or to help the organisers unseat the previous captain Mike Dunbar after his own email scandal became public.

Paul is adamant that his heart is now with the Rest of the World. "I have recently taken the opportunity via National Geographic to take a DNA test that researches your ancestral make up. I am 10%‎ neanderthal (actually we all have a bit of neanderthal in us but let's put that to one side) so I am happy and proud to represent Africa in the Dacoity Cup."

Shock as Rest of the World Captain Resigns "By Mutual Disagreement"

The latest controversy to dog the Dacoity Cup concerns last year's Rest of the World Captain Mike Dunbar. He has resigned following the leaking of the following email he sent to ODCOC official Paul Cartwright:

Paul,

 

Just to clear a few things up:

 

1.       The money was just “resting” in my Bank Account.
2.       The rumours about the emus are TOTALLY unfounded.
3.       It wasn’t me wot dun it.

 

If you could release that to the world’s press (especially to the ‘Exchange and Mart’ who had three paparazzi following me over the whole golf weekend), then all should be straightened out.

 

Mike

Mike's position as ROW captain has been in doubt since senior team member Alan McDougall was openly critical of Dunbar's methods whilst sat alongside him at the press conference immediately following their defeat at St Pierre last July. The outspoken McDougall's attack on Dunbar was seen as disrespectful of the veteran Scotsman, and shocked the golfing world at the time. Others said that McDougall's comments were not wrong, but were delivered at the wrong time, with his disappointed captain sat just a few feet away.

Following the press conference, the ROW team was awash with criticism of the criticism of the criticism of the criticism. It was generally thought wrong for McDougall to criticise Dunbar for criticising Talbot for criticising Van der Merwe for criticising Brownlee for criticising Dunbar for criticising Maloney.

 

With such division in the team, these latest email revelations were the last straw for Dunbar. It was thought that despite qualifying for the ROW team this year, he might refuse to compete, and that his full set of five irons might be advertised for sale when he walked  away from the game. He has since said he intends to take part, but has refused to captain the team.

Previous captain McDougall “hasn’t ruled out the possibility of being captain again in 2015”. However, negotiations are said to be ongoing between the Official Dacoity Cup Organising Committee and other parties. One insider was reported to have commented on the prospect of McDougall returning as captain by saying "fat chance". It was unclear whether this was cause for optimism on Mac's part or not.

Ives Stripped of Nearest the Pin Prize

Stunning new photo evidence has surfaced which finally settles the controversy over the Nearest the Pin competition at last year's Bandit Trophy!

Derek Ives was eventually awarded the prize after a protracted debate about how the nearest ball in the group in front of him, struck by Paul Cartwright, was marked. Derek somewhat cheekily assumed he had won the prize when his ball landed on the green, because he did not think there was any marker on the green when he arrived. Paul had however left a scorecard pegged into the ground, on the green, which was marked with the words "Nearest the Pin - Dacoity Cup". This in fact marked the position of his ball, though Derek had not realised this, and therefore made no comparison to check whether his ball was closer than the marker.

Previously undiscovered photos have recently arrived at the headquarters of ODCOC which clearly show Derek's ball further away from the hole than the scorecard used as a marker by Paul.


























In a statement, an ODCOC spokesperson said "the evidence is clear. As was thought by many at the time, Paul Cartwright's ball was nearer the pin than Derek's, and it is a travesty that this could not be verified at the time. Unfortunately Derek disregarded what was a traditional Bandit Trophy method of marking the nearest ball to the pin. We can only assume that this was a careless error rather than any sort of foul play but only Derek will ever know the true answer to that."

The official ODCOC ruling is that the Nearest the Pin prize for 2014 should now be retrospectively awarded to Paul Cartwright. Ives has therefore been stripped of his prize.

This has led to speculation over whether Ives should continue as England Captain at this years event. He was not available for comment. ODCOC said that a final decision on this years captaincy in the Dacoity Cup has yet to be made. They refused to say whether this latest controversy will affect the decision.

ODCOC President responds to corruption scandal

As President of the Official Dacoity Cup Organising Committee (ODCOC) I am saddened by todays developments. To see the reputation of this great competition tarnished by the arrest of several ODCOC officials in dawn raids this morning at the Sticket Inn in Newquay is a cause of great disappointment and concern. There have been many accusations made about the way Dacoity Cup venues have been selected and I have refused to believe there has been any wrongdoing. However it seems that the authorities have clearly identified some corrupt individuals within the ODCOC organisation. I will leave them to deal with them in the proper way. I must make it quite clear that I have never been aware of, or had any involvement in any bribes, kickbacks or sweeteners in connection with any bidding process for any Dacoity Cup. I have taken significant steps in each of my 12 terms as President of ODCOC to root out any malpractice and eliminate the criminal and immoral fraternity from our proud organisation. My commitment to throwing out all corrupt individuals is what I believe has led to my repeatedly unopposed re-election to the Presidency, and I shall continue to fight for the rights of ordinary people to enjoy the Dacoity Cup safe in the knowledge that it is all more or less above board, generally speaking.

Despite the alle

gations surrounding the way in which the contest to select the 2015 venue was conducted I see no reason to rerun the original vote or relocate the event, and so it will go ahead at the Belfry as planned on 24-26 July 2015. Coincidentally, payment in fact is now due as follows:

Mr Brownlee and Mr Dangerfield requested single rooms so you need to pay £445.28 (Vid please pass this on to John I don't have an email for him)

Everyone else is sharing and need to pay £327.28.

Funds should be paid to Paul Cartwright via his Natiowide account - sort code 070116 account number 30916488, or by cheque to 10 Castle Rd Tongwynlais, Cardiff CF15 7JQ. As soon as possible please to allow time for funds to be diverted via Switzerland, Nigeria and various other places, and by 14 June at the latest.

Meanwhile I will be working as hard as I can to restore public trust in the Dacoity Cup.

Thank you for your continued reluctant acceptance of my ability to remain in charge.

Split Bladder, President ODCOC.