The Saddest Day

A couple of years ago, after hours of unusual e-mail silence, Team USA Captain-in-Waiting Mark Skiba broke the silence by asking, "Is there a sadder day of the year than the Monday after the Kiva Cup?"

No. No, Mark, there is not.  Even in victory, the Monday following the Kiva Cup is, at best, bitter sweet.  We have to wait 365 days for the next True cup.  I'll quite golf 7 times between now and then.

For those that haven't heard, Team USA won the event by the narrowest of margins, 10 1/2 - 9 1/2.  I can't do the event justice in the time that I have this morning, but I would like to write a few words to a couple of people before I begin the full recap, which will be posted later this week.

Clark "Brick" Burns, you started off shaky on Thursday, but you came on STRONG in the matches Friday and Saturday.  I've seen some incredible illegitimate shots at Kiva, like Watkinson banking one off the tree on #3 to about 2 feet, but your driver second shot from 260 yards off the deck on #14 to about 1 foot might be the greatest legitimate shot I've ever witnessed at Kiva.

Andy "Dufresne" McRae, I don't know if you actually said "I want the 26" or not, but if you did, I respect you for it. Most people complain about having to give up 26 strokes, but you accepted - you wanted - the challenge.  You gave up 26 strokes, plus 2 more!  Wanting that match speaks volumes about your competitive nature.  Even if you didn't call for the match, you're a great striker of the ball, you're a gracious competitor and gentleman of the game. You are a tremendous asset to Team Europe.

Zac M. Ward. What a performance by a True rookie.  You and Sean Halcomb are, without doubt, the two fiercest, fieriest competitors to ever step foot on a tee box at Kiva Dunes. I can only assume that the ghosts of Walter Hagen, George Duncan, and Samuel Ryder wanted a singles match between you two in to existence via the blind draw.  It was classic that USA's victory in the Kiva Cup came down to a True rookie but, if we're speaking honestly, there's no one else that we would have wanted in that position. Great performance.

Chief, you shot an 83 at Kiva Dunes from the blue tees. Shut the front door.

Gentlemen, a great event.  Thank you all for your commitment to, and investment in, the Kiva Cup.  I trust that any disputes or differences of opinion that arose on the course stayed on the course.

In the true spirit of the Kiva Cup, and until we meet again, best wishes to each of you.