And once again we had our highly skilled and experienced official tournament cameraman and website designer Brian Suttie with us, who had cast aside the disappointments of previous years and decided to throw his glove down and contest the title as well. And so the final number of entries was 12, with those mentioned supplemented by the Usual Suspects: defender and twice champ Billy "Chipper" Wilson, the very steady (and ex-champ) Norrie Smith, Brian "Nae Luck Jennings" (newly crowned Diddy), Doctor Golf (who has defied his nickname by still failing to secure the trophy), the much improved Sparks who was so desperate to win that he bought a luxury home right on one of Scotland's prestigious golf courses to practise his game every day, the ever-ebullient but rather off-form Graeme "Wee Man" High (the only player to boast a Dudley Open and Dudley Diddy title), the debonair and understated Alan "Skelly" Harper, and the somnambulist, crooner and ladies man Alan "Cigarillo" Monaghan.

On Friday morning we battled through some very nasty weather to Dumfries and Galloway with a sense of excitement and a certain amount of trepidation: not just honour was at stake, but cash prizes were to be won, and many a bet to be made and drink to be taken along the way, providing we could get to the bar in time.

This year we have a separate social report, on each of the following pages you will find a link like this to the 19th hole. To get back to this page click "Back to the Golf"