The inaugural vets' shootout took place in almost perfect Summer weather with a coolish breeze ensuring that the temperature remained pleasant all day.
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The eleven qualifiers all teed off on the first hole and then had the difficult job of remembering where the golf balls went.
When the dust had settled on the first hole, it required a 'chip off' with two players to decide who was the first eliminated.
After a measure by our referees (Merrie and Greg), farewell was bid to the first 'victim' and Tony Hart packed his clubs away and enjoyed the rest of the competition as a spectator.
The 2nd hole saw a five way chip off and Trish Jones bid the competition farewell, while the 3rd hole saw Chris Bellhouse eliminated.
The 4th hole saw a three way chip off take place and Bob Colley was gone. The 5th hole was a slight change as a putt off saw the demise of Graham Cross.
The 6th hole saw Ian Morgan slip from a relatively safe position to being eliminated. The 7th hole saw another putt off and Jeff Williamson joined the growing list of spectators.
The 8th hole saw Rod Wilson leave the competition, and the 9th hole saw Mike McGarrigle become the final victim before the final hole match play between Barry Hadaway and John Novak.
After a slightly wayward drive from both players, it was John who forced Barry to hole a tricky 4-5 foot to claim the title as the vets' shootout champion.
All players then settled in for a celebratory drink and a pleasant return to the light-hearted banter and camaraderie that was a feature of Mudgee vets' before the mayhem of 2020.
A huge thanks to Merrie and Greg Llewelyn for acting as very able referees and a congratulation to Barry, John and the rest of the qualifiers for playing the shootout in a wonderful spirit.
