Made The Team

I recently entered a draw on the Golf Monthly Forum with a prize of entry into the 2011 Volvo Matchplay and a chance to represent "Team Golf Monthly". As I'd already asked Mike Stannard from Royal Ascot to partner me and enter it anyway, I put us forward in the pairs draw and I found out today we're in. That means free entry and a possible trip to the finals in Vale de Lobo in Portugal if we progress through regional and national finals.

I haven't got all the information through yet and the draw isn't due out for a good while yet. I played in it last year with Hywel Lloyd, a former Royal Ascot member. We were drawn away at Maidenhead and despite having the most embarrassing round ever on a golf course where I shanked and topped my way round each and every hole we only lost one up thanks to his brave play and even then we had a chance down the last to take it to extra time.

The first few rounds are regionalised and so its a good opportunity to play some other courses, usually for a very discounted green fee. I'm sure the magazine will be focusing on our progress and hopefully we'll do them proud. It's a very generous prize from Volvo who have given the magazine six places in the individual event and six in the pairs. There is already a lot of banter flying around about the lucky winners. I have to be honest and say I've a good partner as Mike is usually fairly steady and matchplay suits me as I tend to have the odd bad hole but not only can I trust my man implicitly to get me out of jail but one bad hole isn't the end of the round in terms of a score.

Hywel and I gelled as a great matchplay team. His length was a great advantage and if he had his putting boots on as well he was hard to stop off his 18 handicap and so I could play with a lot of freedom and attack and when my game was on as well we were a tough act to beat. Indeed we had a number of matches against other Golf Monthly Forum members and remained unbeaten. Mike is a fellow Fulham fan so we know a bit about being the underdog and I plan to use that to our advantage. If all else fails I have a couple of pairs of real "Bobby Dazzler" shoes that I can put together with an outfit to make Ian Poulter blush and go for guerrilla tactics.

Rest assured I'll let you know where and when the first round is and that I'll be putting plenty of practice in beforehand. I'll hone that short game and warm the putter up and hopefully go a long way for Team GM.