We were browsing through the post USPGA quotes on Monday morning when we came upon Notah Begay's summing up of the current golfing climate. "I know for a fact that there's a percentage of guys who know they can't beat him - it's as simple as that," he said, in what we assumed was a reference to you know who.
But then we discovered he wasn't, in fact, talking about Colin Rutherford, instead he was referring to that golfer who wins the bulk of the tournaments he enters, especially the majors. If, however, there is a percentage of Golf Masters managers out there who know they can't beat Colin, after week 25's figures are totted up, Brian Buttimer is not amongst them. True, Brian, for whom Churchtown in Dublin is home, has a long way to go - £116,812 to be exact -
before he can leapfrog the man from Lisburn; but in the last fortnight he's shaved almost £100,000 off the gap between Glenmore Eagles 2 and his Tiger's Team, he has one transfer left to make (Colin has none) and, for good measure, this week's NEC Invitational will see him narrow Colin's lead some more. Thirteen of this week's top 20 teams earned over £300,000 at the weekend, and only four of those outscored Brian. Like many of the teams around him, he picked up £264,333 from Tiger Woods' victory and Darren Clarke's share of ninth; but top 30 finishes for Robert Allenby and Kenny Perry brought in another £61,500, with Kirk Triplett and Jay Haas, combined, adding £6,000 to the kitty. So, Tiger's Team moved from fifth to second, and if Allenby and Triplett can find a bit of form at the NEC Invitational in Ohio and win more than £116,812 between them Brian will overtake Colin - who has only Woods and Clarke in the field. And then there's Joe Mooney of Castleknock, one of only three of last week's top 10 managers to earn over £300,000 in week 25 (along with Brian and Colin Duggan), lifting him from seventh to third overall: his Celtic Tiger won just £2,000 less than Brian's almost identical Tiger's Team (Joe has Mark Brooks, who missed the cut at Valhalla, instead of Haas).
Mark Overmars, once managed by Arsene Wenger but now by Salthill's Rory Timlin, and Martin Brogan's Team 7 were the most spectacular top 20 performers of the week: both came from almost nowhere (i.e., outside last week's top 50) to fill the 19th and 20th spots on this week's leaderboard.
The Tiger-less Michael Delaney and Brian Murnaghan had, however, a week they'd probably rather not talk about: they dropped out of the top 10 down to 36th and 39th respectively. Speaking of Golf Masters' weeks to forget: two managers transferred Woods out of their teams on the eve of the USPGA. Frankly we don't have the heart to name and shame them, but Tom (Waterford) and Greg (Clonsilla), what were ye thinking of? Polo shirts all 'round.
Ken Gregory of Carrickmines in Dublin was one of only 127 managers to benefit from Massimo Scarpa's North West of Ireland Open success. Mandalay Marvels finished up with earnings of £470,750, with Thomas Bjorn, Justin Rose, Steven Richardson and Triplett bringing in the rest of the haul. A fourball to you Ken. On we go - remember, only the NEC Invitational counts this week. Brian Buttimer, we suspect, will be watching the form of Robert Allenby and Kirk Triplett from behind a cushion. Stressful times indeed.
