Sometimes in sports, a team dominates a game but ends up losing for some reason. It almost seems unfair.

This happened on Friday when the Senior Ryder Cup men’s golf team played against the Solheim Ladies team in this annual competitive yet entertaining event at NOTL Golf Club.

14 women competed against 14 men, with 7 women’s pairs playing against 7 men’s pairs in 7 18-hole matches. The first nine holes were played as a scramble and the second nine as betterball. Six points were at stake in each match.

It was a perfect sunny summer morning, with photos being taken and even a few jokes being exchanged before the first game began. There was a great atmosphere of joy and friendship among all the golfers. The ladies were ready to win back the trophy under the leadership of their captain Martha Cruikshank. She had a plan that almost worked!

There was some excellent golf on both sides. Patrick Craig and Drew Porter made six birdies in a row and scored 30 on the first nine holes, but the women’s team of Judy Mantle and Ginny Green stormed back on the second nine to win the match 4-2. The men were shocked!

In another match, our Ladies Club Champion Louise Robitaille shot a 35 on the back nine to surprise Jim McMacken and John Reynolds, resulting in another 4-2 victory for the ladies. The men were shocked once again!

This pattern of women’s dominance continued throughout the morning as they scored 4 match play wins by a score of 4-2. Another close match ended in a 3-3 tie. It seemed like the trophy would go to the women again. But wait!

Unfortunately, the ladies lost two close matches 6-0, which resulted in the men winning the Pro’s Cup by a score of 23-19. Glen Murray with Don Allen and Ted Carmichael with Peter Falconer scored the 12 crucial points needed to turn the defeat into victory. The score of 6-0 says nothing about how close the ladies were in these two matches. It almost seems unfair!

The ladies dominated by winning four of the seven matches and losing only two games to the men. As a team they played great but the men won the cup based on total points and thankfully not on the number of games won.

There was much fun and laughter at every table during lunch. At the end of the meal, the club’s head pro, Max Murphy, presented captain Harry Huizer with the Pro’s Cup to applause from the men and women. It was a modest victory as the dominant women’s team narrowly missed out on the trophy.

I am sure Martha will find a way to win the trophy back next year, but the ladies can be very proud of their performance at this year’s Pro Cup.

It was a great day for everyone who played.