(By Brian Bayles)
My memory, here, goes back to nearly 50 years ago at the Charlton Golf Club.

Donald was playing St. Arnaud in a pennant match. I had the daunting task of going in against the Saints’ number one player, Gordon Regnier.

This match turned out to be a remarkable contest, starting at the very first hole.

I drove long and straight (remarkable in itself). Gordon shocked all watching by “duffing” his drive, and also his second shot, and was still 100 metres behind my drive. He then hit a massive 3-wood straight at the flag. It bounced a couple of times, and came to rest about one more roll from the hole.

This took the wind out of my sails and I sprayed my second well left, with no direct shot at the flag. I chipped to the edge of the scrape.

“Do you want me to mark mine?” said Gordon. “No”, I replied, “I’m going to chip mine up, hit your ball and go in off.” Then, to the surprise of both of us, I did just that. We halved the first in pars, albeit, not conventionally.

The Charlton course was, maybe still is, three 6s, rather than the traditional two 9s. We played the next five holes without much drama. I parred four, and bogeyed one. Gordon also parred four and birdied one. I’m over and two down after six holes.

I was pretty happy with my form for the next six – I parred them all. Gordon was only able to make one par – he birdied the other five!

We shook hands and headed for the clubhouse, with me being just one over par after 12, and being belted, seven down, with six to play.

So precise was Gordon’s approach shots to the green that I conceded 3 of his 5 birdies, and I conceded nothing more than a foot away (or should that be 25 centimetres?).

That was just one of the hidings Gordon gave me. I played him 3 times and he was well under the card each time.

I remember a story about the English miler, Gordon Pirie. After his first race against Australia’s legendary Herb Elliot, Pirie was supposed to have said to his wife when he returned home: “I have just run against a man who I will never beat!” I know how he felt.

Another "moment" from Brian at: ANA Cricket 2

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