Diary Of A Madman!

On 26/27 August 2000, 24 year old Scot, Jester Wilson, played the best golf of his life so far. The competition was at the Crook of Devon Course, near Edinburgh. Jester allowed Out Of Bounds Megazine into his life, offering a fascinating insight into the mind of a disc nutter.

Saturday morning - Regular 18
I shoot 52 (8 under par beating my previous best by 2 shots, and including my first ever tournament eagle 2!), only Del has done better with 51. Could have been a 49 but I missed some putts, however I feel good.

Saturday afternoon - Jungle 12 twice
I shoot 76 and am very pleased. I discover Liam has shot 74 putting us both on 128, =4th, 1 shot behind Sam and 6 ahead of Trevor.

Sunday Morning - Regular 18
I shoot 56, I suck (it's official). I'm concentrating too hard on keeping ahead of Trevor to make sure I get into the final, while worrying about Liam stretching ahead of me. I miss countless putts (inc a 15 foot birdie where I'd hit the basket with my drive) and get really frustrated, got my only 2 on the last hole of the round to limit Trevor's damage to 2 shots and Liam's to 4.

Sunday Afternoon - Jungle 12
Make or break time. Liam is four ahead and Trev is four behind. I make a decision to go out hard and get some daylight between myself and Trev and worry about Liam later. Three birdies on the first four holes gives me confidence to focus on Liam. Played the best golf of my life to take four shots out of him in only twelve holes shooting 33 to his 37. Trev shoots a 42. Discover only Si has done better with a 32 and that Sam's shot a 38. Phew!

Final - Seven specially holes
After 72 holes Derek, Si and Sam have too many shots between them to make it look as if they'll exchange any places, but Liam and I are both level with everything to play for. I've never placed close to Liam in any tournament before so I really want to do well and try and take fourth place.
On the first hole Liam birdies and I get a three. Then the same thing happens on the second. 'Damn', I think, 'That's that then.' On the third hole Liam's drive is short by comparison to the others and mine is 30 yards longer than his. His approach hits some branches over the basket and he misses his putt. I approach 50 yards to land under the basket for a three to cut his lead to one shot. The next hole the same thing happens again! His approach hits a tree and he takes a four. My approach is short but I have a clear line and a 20 foot putt gets a three to level it for the third time in the tournament! Now I'm thinking I can actually beat this guy! Twice he's gone ahead and twice I've got him back.
Now we play the hole called Window. A dead straight drive downhill though trees to a window beyond which sits the basket 40 yards further on. In total an 80ish yard drive. Full of confidence I step up and bang my disc into a tree. :(
It shoots off into heavy bushes only thirty yards off the tee and my heart sinks. Liam shoots the window successfully leaving a twenty five footer for his bird. Now is the time that I turn to my caddy, Amateur champion Ben Foxall, for advice. 'MRX straight though the gap,' he says. It's a blind shot to nothing but I have faith and throw it at the only bit of sky I can see. Without touching any foliage it disappears from view....#thump# #cheering!#. It was under the basket!
I don't know if that unsettled Liam but he missed his putt and with it the opportunity to go one up with two to play. We both threed the penultimate hole to make everything depend on the last hole. My concentration was never higher as I drove to land on line 15 feet short. Liam went long and left to around 25 feet away. He holed a superb putt from out of the bushes to mean he was guaranteed fourth place. Now all that was left was to see if I could join him. I didn't bottle it, and I didn't lose any concentration, I just messed up and threw the damn thing too high into the chains. As it kicked out on to the grass I silently held my head as the crowd groaned in agony. Ah well, I'll have 'im next year!