THE DUDLEY OPEN 2014

2014 - a bumper year for sports fans and a big bonanza in June especially: Wimbledon, the World Cup and - of course - the Dudley Open.

In the run-up to this popular tournament there was the usual media speculation about potential champs: would the club golfers show the benefit of regular games, or would an outsider come along with no inhibitions or expectations and snatch victory from the rest of the field?

At the front of the pack and highly favoured - despite the lack of practice from one year to the next - had to be the defending champ and stalwart of the Dudley Open, Victor "Dr. Golf" Bates.

This year's tournament was the usual format of eclectic scoring over three rounds on three days and on three quite challenging courses: Ladybank, Fairmont Torrance and Fairmont Kittocks - all in the wonderful Kingdom of Fife.

This year the champ was facing some stiff competition: the Gentle Giant Johnson certainly had the muscle to lift the trophy, while the usual core of steady players, Smith, Sparks, Harper, Jennings and Robertson were not to be brushed aside so lightly. A relative newcomer, Canada's highly respected Jaco, was desperate to put his name on the trophy too.

But it was the "Crieff Posse" that threatened to put the cat among the pigeons: could Cramb and Graham settle into a steady run and brush aside the other contenders, or could the champ of champs, Wilson, overcome a crippling handicap to assert his usual authority on the game?

Other wild cards included Rooney, who had looked like being forced to withdraw at one point, but who drafted in his son Steven all the way from Australia as his talisman for the competition, the big slugger Jago and the more diminutive High - both worthy contenders.

There was also stiff competition at the lower end of the field (names withheld by request!): despite one 8-year old calling the trophy "really funny", no one wanted the little doggie poo replica sitting in their living room!

To sum up: a lot to play for over three days and three different courses. The stage was certainly set for another weekend of showcase golf and great entertainment……or outright hilarity in some cases.