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The Bakerloo Invitational

// August 19th, 2009 // Experience

What do you call 20 antipodeans travelling on cheap no-frills airlines to Portugal’s Algarve region, armed with golf clubs, a generous dose of testosterone and not nearly enough golf balls? Madness?…  Well it’s actually called ‘The Bakerloo Invitational’.

Born out of a healthy collective hunger for competition and a love of golf, the Bakerloo Jug has become somewhat of a holy grail dividing a group of friends who live north of the river in sunny London and commute on the Bakerloo underground line. Allegiances have been made to both respective areas making the teams Maida Vale and Kensal; depending on which station is called home.

With numerous group emails circulating chipping away at the oppositions perceived weakness’/es to expose, secret team meetings started popping up at various undisclosed locations which often concluded with the contact sport getting the best of the Kiwis and a good-ol-fashioned pile up was not uncommon. Driving range sessions and team practice days were secondary but above all, pride, passion and banter is the fuel that drives this tourney to its next location.

One up...

After the raging success of the Inaugural tournament in Wales during November 2008 where Kensal went home with big grins and hangovers to boot, both teams headed to Portugal to settle the score once again. Mirroring the Ryder Cup to a certain extent, the tourney is played over three days on three different courses in three different formats. Once the small matter of a team van running over a gypsy’s dog on route to the course was out of the way, Maida Vale kicked-started their pursuit well by taking a 3 to 2 ½ lead into the weekend with a solitary closest to the pin half a point separating the sides on the opening days play.

Pain of losing or just pain?

Fresh from a night at the local strippies the boys stood on the first tee with stiff shafts eyeing up the short par four in day two’s ambrose format. It’s fair to say all in sundry were not a picture of health, but as Kensal’s Luke Kershaw said of some feeling particular pain “If you want to be a rock star, you’ve got to play the gigs”. The show went on and Maida Vale enjoyed a day in the sun, extending their lead over a valiant Kensal and taking the days honors boosted by a mid-round long drive comp worth half a point. Big dog was hungry for some yards and this year Maida Vale’s captain fantastic Sam Bryden stepped up into the wind and rain and credit crunched a 3-wood to secure a crucial lead into the final days play.

All square

Kensal’s defense of the trophy that they had proudly and rightly owned since in Wales was under threat, down by 1 and a half points with just the final day singles to sort the boys out form the men. After another ridiculous night on the local juice and the trophy bearing some scars to tell the story of the 09 contest, the parings went out to decide the arm-wrestle. What looked to be an even contest soon became a one-sided affair with Maida Vale keeping their balls dry on a watery maze of a golf course. Maida Vale possibly had more to play for as they did not need a reminder of the losing feeling that

There must have been something in the Portugese cider that didn't sit well with losing captain Andrew Guthrey

came with the Wales hangover. So just as it happened on first contest, it seems to be a bad omen to be victorious on the traditional boat race. The Kensal boys may have won the liquid consumption but Maida Vale dominated 8 – 2 in the singles to claim the convincing 11 – 6 victory to even the score in the Bakerloo Invitational one a piece.

The young history of the Bakerloo already sees both Kensal and Maida Vale’s names etched on the Jug for all of time, leading some to question if the fierce competition will outlive the available space on the Jug and become a future spectacle to rival the majors and Ryder Cups of this world? The optimist in me suggests maybe because even the greatest modern competitions all began with a blank canvas on a piece of silverware. The realist in me is unconvinced, as one by one visas will expire if players haven’t already migrated home to the security of mums pantry during a time of uncertainty for amateur golfers.

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