2006 Bushranger Cup Program

The Kelly Gang - The last and most infamous of all the Bushrangers, Ned’s crusade to secede from the colony and start his own republic fell slightly short of the mark. An expert self-promoter, he always knew the importance of snappy dressing for a photo opp.

Ian Crotty (Crotman, Crocko, Crock-Diddy) – “When the character of a man is not clear to you, look at his friends” - Japanese proverb. This one-time child prodigy and once likeable character had a long career of unfulfilled potential and fronted in 2004 for the inaugural Cup in a team with old mates, as he had done in so many other tournaments on The Shabby Dot Com Tour. After yet another failure, he dumped them for a bunch of ringers last year and had his breakthrough win in Tocumwal. Although he did lead his team to a stirring victory with a superb display of ball striking, the doubt lingers as to who his real friends are. With his ‘win at all costs’ attitude paying dividends, he went on to victory in the illustrious Surf Coast Cup late last year. Alas, the haunting question remains: will this lost soul find happiness as he sits alone in his trophy room with no-one there to share the glory or the pain?

Form: He now seems a shadow of his former self. This reclusive genius may figure in the finish, but don’t expect a large gallery following his group.

Sebastian Shand (Bastros Bastros Ghali) – One of the reigning champions who will be only too happy to tell you all about it. Also holds the Murray River Golf Challenge at present although this hasn’t been seriously contested since earlier this decade. Will probably let you know all about that one too. He was carried to the title last year by his highly credentialed team-mates. Came into the tournament at Tocumwal in 2005 with a dodgy shoulder and was known to be a liability. Expect to see some consistency from him again this year. A fertile and ferocious drinker and articulate raconteur, he can be expected to be in the thick of the action for the whole weekend and will most likely be talking and drinking non-stop. Can actually expel words and inhale liquor simultaneously.

Form: His chances depend entirely on whether his team-mates are up to carrying him again. Consider for trifectas.

Richard Mitchell (Saddam) – This enigmatic showman made a massive impression in his debut appearance last year with his marvellous stories about some very special friends known as the ‘Dancing Bears’. Left most Bushrangers in little doubt that they didn’t really have the foggiest idea where he was coming from, where he was heading and how the heck he was going to get there. But by Sunday afternoon, his ‘under the radar’ strategy proved a winner as he waltzed away with the title and multiple warrants out for his arrest. As it happens, he is a two-time winner of the famous “Jack the Hack”, a tournament he co-founded, and he had come well prepared with a devious and evil strategic plan to add The Bushranger Cup to his collection.

Form: Is in serious danger of simply becoming a caricature of himself and completely losing his context as the grey lines between myth and reality lose their definition. However, as a walking existential dilemma with invisible bear friends, he must be respected as a massive chance in this championship.

Dominic Wall (Dom) – Far and away the best credentialed golfer in the field with form all over the world. Is so well travelled he is one of only a very few Bushrangers who is scheduled to tee up in New Zealand the day after the Bushranger Cup and will probably be jetting off to Scotland soon afterwards for another round at St. Andrews. His tournament victories include The 2005 Bushranger Cup and Surf Coast Cup, Jack the Hack in 2002, ACT State Junior Team in 1983 and the ACT Junior Player of the Year in 1982. Is clearly way over-qualified to be teeing it up with the likes of us and so can reasonably expect some ferocious heckling throughout the weekend.

Form: He can drive, approach, chip, putt, sand-save, lob, pitch and scramble but may lack the all-round game required to do the unthinkable and go back-to-back here.

The Aaron Sherritt Gang - Aaron Sherritt was the Kelly sympathizer turned double-agent who was later murdered by his old mate Joe Byrne for his apparent, but unproven, treachery.

Johnny Barnard (Barney) – This charming paradigm of erudition makes a delightful companion on any golf course, in any condition. Whether he is drunk or sober, it makes no difference, his wit and charm come to the fore every time. Standing on the first tee, his playing partners will glow with anticipation at what lies ahead for the round: intelligent repartee, well informed conversation, a wealth of soundly constructed ideas on any number of topics and a thoroughly Australian wit worth its weight in gold. However, things can tend to get a little quiet once he picks up a club and one quickly learns he knows a good deal less about golf than most any other subject. Somehow managed a win in the 2004 Murray River Golf Challenge which suggests he does know his way to the winning post, in spite of his self-professed unique brand of unbridled pessimism.

Form: Can most definitely drink so should be thereabouts if the going gets a bit heavy but may require some sort of ‘Bradbury’ to actually clinch the title.

Johnny Cussen (Johnny) – Keep your eye on this bizarre creature at all times. He appears a likeable enough gent but has the capacity to explode with no apparent warning. As a junior hockey player, his troubled soul revealed a violent and unpredictable disposition. His family sent him away to the high country around Jamieson in hope he could find some peace. Here he took up golf but when he tried to insert a niblick in the local greenkeeper, he was sent packing again. Spent some unproductive time on the US tour where he failed to trouble the engravers before returning home a few years back and making headlines by questioning Greg Norman’s contribution to Australian golf. This tournament is his last shot at redemption. With many close friends in attendance, an intervention may be on the cards at some stage.

Form: At one time would have eaten this field for breakfast but hopefully those days are behind him.

Richard Thurkle (Lt. Dick) - This stalwart of The Shabby Dot Com Tour has a massive reputation for being easily distracted from his mission as a golfer and lured into the festivities between rounds. He does imbibe a little liquor now and then and he’s been known to join in the odd hand of cards, and to sing and dance occasionally and even to participate in the exchange of anecdotes, amusing or otherwise. But just as with his golf, he does not excel at any one of these. His strength is his ability to multi-task. A true renaissance man, Dick can gurgle, puff, deal, sing, talk, breath, spin, swing, swear, laugh, preach, elucidate and pass out, seemingly all at once. Naturally this level of high functioning takes it out of the chap and, come Sunday arvo on the back nine, he rarely has much left to give.

Form: As one of the 12 blokes to have attended all three Bushranger Cups, he should know the way to the winning post. But doesn’t.

Warwick Stonehouse (Boo) – Came to Tocumwal last year as the defending champion and barely fired a shot in anger. Wasn’t helped by the fact that he had his clubs stolen days before last year’s championship; not that he’d like us making excuses for him. His response in the 12 months since has been to do a ‘Greg Norman’ and allow his business interests to take precedence over his golf. This has precipitated a dramatic form slump in recent times, something his many passionate fans are sure he will reverse very soon. With wins all over the place which include The Surf Coast Cup and The Shiraz Classic, this human highlight film is always a threat and should be in the hunt come Sunday afternoon. Rumours that his physical conditioning has fallen away are probably untrue and it is more likely he has been tapering in the lead up to this event with some heavy carbo and protein loading.

Form: Loves the cut and thrust of serious competition and is equally as passionate, and talented, at unwinding after a tough day at the office. Big contender.

The Captain Moonlite Gang - The devious Andrew George Scott, a man with three first names, became the infamous Captain Moonlite when he began robbing banks in the 1870s after throwing in a promising career as a preacher.

Roger Brown (Arbeige) – There is no-one in this masculine field who can pack a pair of chinos like our friend Arbeige. But his paternal demeanour, well organised package and fertile loins tend to over-shadow the delicate and tender artistry of this gentleman among Bushrangers. While some swill beer, Roger will politely sip his way through a slab of dry ginger ale, with a splash of bourbon added for flavour. Whereas others may engage in gamesmanship or outright sledging, this chap has nothing but love to share, especially as he gets into the 2nd half of his slab of cougars. And when it’s time to golf, he will calmly scythe balls down the centre of fairways all day long, to the delight of his team-mates, without a care in the world. Alas, he nearly always manages to finish second.

Form: If he can stay out of any ambulances and on the course, he is a certainty for another podium finish and will be the first one there with a smile as he congratulates the winners.

Adam Finlay (Badum) – Turned up in 2004 for the inaugural Bushranger Cup in Cobram-Barooga sporting a magnificent plumage of which Boonie himself would be proud. Alas, having come out of retirement for the event, there was not much game to speak of and the drawing board was relocated soon after the tournament. Now he has returned for his second start and seems much better prepared. The moustache is gone and he’s been working hard on his drinking and gambling skills in the intervening 24 months. Although there is still not much golf to speak of, he can proudly hang his hat on a hole-in-one, achieved on the 7th at the now retired Albert Park Par 3 course in 1987. Although a long time ago, his team-mates will be hoping the memory is still fresh as he takes on the par 3s in Corowa this week.

Form: A big fan of the Costanza approach to golf and will be the first called if a marine biologist is required to assist a beached whale suffocating on a Titleist.

Nick Honey (Ho) – Virtually the founder of the Shabby Dot Com Tour, known as Shabby Ho in his youth, this distinguished gent brings a touch of class to this glittering, star-studded field of golfing mega-stars. Set the 2005 Cup alight with ‘the shot heard around the Riverina’ when he caught a perfect 7-iron on the par 4 13th hole of the 4-ball ambrose round on Tocumwal’s Captains course. The ball covered the flag all the way, took two hops and rolled up to the base of the pin. His team-mates commenced celebrating the certain birdie but were stopped in their tracks by Mikey Dee’s immortal exclamation of, “It’s gone!” The ball had disappeared for an eagle which sparked a 2nd round of even more profound, heart-palpitating celebrations which may or may not have become so exuberant to have included the odd dry-root thrown in for good measure.

Form: Comes into this event under a huge injury cloud but can still drink, punt and procreate with the best so is sure to leave his mark again this year.

Matthew Pitt (Pw “Bobby” Jones) – Flew out of the blocks early in his career with telling wins in the 1998 Shiraz Classic and the 2000 Duzzo, this unspectacular grinder always seemed a chance at most events. Then complacency set in. Or was it reality? Or uncertainty? Indifference? Perhaps over-confidence or maybe under-preparedness? Whatever it was, he started stumbling where once he had taken all in his stride. Then he took solace in the bottle and turned to gambling. And then his short-term memory started failing. And the drinking started. And the gambling. This seems to have helped and he has managed podium finishes at both Bushranger Cups and last October he broke through for a nail-biting win in the glamorous Jack the Hack. Will be looking to drink, punt and golf his way around Corowa in style and hopefully remember some of it.

Form: Cannot be discounted from being a reasonable chance to be in the running near the finish if his putter gets going. And his driver. And a few of his irons, especially the long ones. Maybe.

The Harry Power Gang - Harry Power was the wily old lawbreaker who mentored the young Ned Kelly in the refined bushranger arts of horse stealing, hiding in the scrub, getting knicked, doing time and giving a bit of lip.

Richard Fellner (Quigley) – This expat from the sunny shores of Lake Tahoe knows his way around a golf course like a beaver knows how to drop logs in a river and comes into this week in barnstorming form after a win at his last start in The Kelly Gang Shootout. His greatest challenge would seem to be coping with his temperamental and inconsistent team-mates whom he heckles mercilessly, mostly in response to their taunts regarding his trans-Pacific heritage and the uncanny parallels between himself and Tom Selleck’s memorable characterisation in ‘Quigley Down Under’. If he can tear himself away from the card tables and the beer, his enormous golfing pedigree may hold him in good stead on the course. Somehow, we doubt it. Expect to see him return to his implosive best once the heat is turned up on Sunday afternoon.

Form: Has a swing that looks as pretty as a picture in the mounting yard. His problems start on the first tee.

Michael Mileo (Seve) – This self-styled golf aficionado takes his nickname from Mr. Ballesteros (pronounced Buy-a-steer-Ross) who was known to be a dab-hand around the greens and a master escape artist capable of extracting golf balls from car parks and all sorts of weird places with surgical precision. Our Seve can drive cars and golf balls into car parks just as well as his more famous Spanish counterpart, but unfortunately this is where the similarity ends. He returns to the Bushranger Cup for his second tilt at the title after a respectable first-up effort in Tocumwal in 2005 which started off very poorly but got better as the weekend progressed. A dapper gent on and off the course, he possesses an engaging sense of style and can be relied on to whip together a snappy ensemble to wow his many adoring fans.

Form: A focussed competitor capable of something special if he is on his game.

Mick Van Raay (Da King) – A commanding presence on and off the course, Da King is looking to take his game to new heights this year after another indifferent showing in 2005. He looked a world-beater after his maiden victory at the 2001 Duzzo World Invitational 2-ball Ambrose Championship but has done a massive Duval in the years since and dropped completely off the radar. Is a fierce subscriber to his self-styled BONB approach which requires "Balls Out, No Brains" On occasion he has been known to sink the odd putt but his best efforts look certain to be reserved for the after hours shenanigans, where he is known to do most of his finest work. With his priorities firmly set on catching up with some good ol' comrades over the odd lager, he is sure to acquit himself regally once again.

Form: Knowing that the smalls get slower but the talls stay tall, look for this large man to get better as the weekend takes its toll on all of his less well-endowed competitors.

Scott Wilson (Willo) – It is an ancient and often over-worked maxim in golf, that we drive for show and putt for dough. Suffice to say it would appear that this bloke is most probably all show. Watch him on the practice fairway and you will see a superbly crafted swing that imparts huge force and is capable of muscling the ball massive distances. A classic image of him from the Kelly Gang Shootout has featured on the front page of Bushranger Golf for a few weeks now, and you would swear he is a world-beater. Alas, somewhere, somehow, things always find a way of going pear-shaped from there. Was recently crowned Texas Hold ‘Em State Champ and is rumoured to be feeling very fertile, so his luck may be about to change. But we doubt it.

Form: If he finds a short game, he will make off with the booty here before the rest of the field knows what hit them. Has been showing some form, but not enough. Consider backing him for the place only.

Cash & Company - Martin Cash was known as the polite, gentleman Bushranger. His gang ranged in the 1840s and allegedly escaped Port Arthur in Tasmania by swimming naked to the mainland.

Michael David (Mikey Dee) – And it came to pass that The Holy Trinity of The Bushranger Cup was entrusted to one chosen disciple. And the Lord bequeathed that Mikey Dee would be the custodian and the patron Saint of Booze, Smokes and Gambling. And ye verily did the word go forth that from that day it was the Lord’s will that Dee was his shepherd, and chosen was he for the mission to spread the saviours message, more by doing than by saying, that all Bushrangers have a divine right, and with the Lords blessing, and the blessing of others, sometimes even the boss, that they should go forth once a year, hopefully twice, and leave this place for another place, usually the holy land of the Riverina, and with great vigour should God’s disciples honour the Holy Trinity, always, plus play a little golf. And Dee did the Lords bidding. And it was good.

Form: This massive enigma is capable of miracles. If he finds form anything could happen, and probably will. Could be on a mission from God.

Steve Foxwell (Foxy) – Having been bitten hard by the golf bug of late, this is his first start in a field of this quality but looks more than capable of handling the step up in class. This unflappable gent has only recently stepped up his golfing regime to Bushranger levels, but with some past form on the ball court, has demonstrated over a long period how much he enjoys the cut and thrust of competition and then settling back for a few well-earned frosty pops after a round. He possesses a dry wit, an easy-going nature, a very powerful liver and an understated world view which belies a tremendous breadth and depth of perspicacity. This should all hold him in good stead throughout the weekend, especially when his new custom-built swing begins to fail him under the white-hot pressure of competition.

Form: A dark horse in his first up start. Loves a wet track so watch out for him among the swoopers on the home turn if the booze really starts flowing.

Brett Simpson (Simmo) – It is well known that versatility is a necessary ingredient to have any chance of winning The Bushranger Cup. Since this bloke is able to simultaneously smoke, drink and hit his ball with a radio fixed to his ear, he must be considered some sort of chance in this field. Turned up last year for his first whack of Bushranging and furiously set about ensuring a grand time was had by all. Although his golf was handy, it was in his specialised area of punting that he really left his mark. Around the tables he continually laid ridiculous bets and at the TAB he managed to lure most of the field into investing in a range of spurious quaddies, the best of which came home for a return of two bob for every 10 bucks invested. Will be easily recognised by the form guide and transistor radio surgically attached to each of his hands.

Form: Shouldn’t be without a pretty half decent chance of being somewhere near the finishing post at the business end of things. Perhaps.

Chris Whyte (Chriddo) – Has a massive start on the entire field here with a mountain of experience golfing in these parts. With family hailing from the area, he crafted his game on this very course and knows better than any man here the subtle nuances of this layout. With every bump and roll and gust of wind virtually coursing through his veins, his course management should be a sight to behold. His execution however, still leaves a lot to be desired and with very little golf under his belt of late, he may struggle to re-discover his long lost form on his prodigal return. He won’t be helped by the fact that this is his debut on The Shabby Dot Com tour and certainly his first start in a field of this quality. Fortunately, he has a reputation as a powerful drinker so will have no problems holding his own during the festivities between rounds.

Form: Must be considered some sort of chance with his local knowledge of the course and a powerful local thirst, born and bred in the Riverina.only.

The Wild Colonial Boys - Emerging in the turbulent 1850s, these were a new breed of Bushrangers. They were not escaped convicts but the sons of immigrants or colonial born youths with a contempt for authority and a desire for quick riches and adventure.

James McCusker (JaMo) – Tiger Woods is a golfing realist. He says that he will keep playing only as long as he can remain competitive: as long as he is still in contention he will have his hat in the ring. But he will stop immediately the day he realises no matter how hard he works, no matter how detailed his preparation, no matter how diligently he applies all his mental powers and precisely calibrated physical skills, he cannot be competitive at the highest level. JaMo, on the other hand, appears to be living in a land of make-believe, with pixies and magic fairies dancing and prancing around a golf course made in heaven with star-dust greens fertilised with the turds of angels. The champion in 2004 at the inaugural Cup appears well past his best now and probably won’t do much more than hit out a ceremonial drive on the first tee before retiring to the Bushrangers Cabin to have a few lagers and relive his past glories.

Form: One of only 12 to have made it to all three Bushranger Cups and a past champion so is deserving of a little respect even if he is just making up the numbers now.

Ross Mitchell (Rosscoe or Archie) – This lad from north of the border comes into this field a virtual unknown but with some serious form and a reputation as a ferocious competitor on the course. Although he claims he has not played seriously for some years, we note with interest that he has registered wins at the prestigious Loganholme GC in Brisbane and the illustrious Kooralbyn Valley Golf Club Stableford Championship of the Universe. Given the quality of the company he is known to consort with, he must be regarded as a serious Bushranger, capable of the most vile and devious skulduggery in pursuit of his own turgid and base ambitions.

Form: Has shown he knows his way to the winning post when the conditions suit him but coming off such a massive spell, the journey may be too much for him. Is probably one to watch for all the wrong reasons and will certainly draw some attention from the stewards if he salutes.

Richard White (Big Red) – He’s big, and red and his name is Dick. No wonder he has long been known as Big Red Dick. Launched his junior career with a remarkable eagle at the age of 16 and looked set to ‘do a Baddeley’ and start ripping the Australian golf scene apart as a teenager. Alas, this comfortable and unflappable chap found life at the top was not for him and so stepped off the fast track to golfing superstardom at an early age. He decided to make a comeback and re-launched his career at last years Bushranger Cup where he took his first tentative steps on the long road back to success. Lately he’s found it may be a very long road indeed. With a wicked slice, not much of a putting stroke, a liking for the after round activities and an inability to break 90, it seems his biggest asset this week will be his very popular roulette wheel.

Form: A superb looking chestnut sure to turn a few fillies heads in the mounting yard who remains at very long odds to trouble the engraver this week.

Campbell Wilson (Big C) – This fellow is sure to create a stir this year for one very good reason. It’s not his ability to shoot low scores in any conditions. Nor his formidable powers of oration which mark him as a sure fire winner during the after match entertainment. Some might say his experienced and well-travelled liver will give a good account of itself and that his keen sense of humour will be widely appreciated as he makes his presence felt around the card tables of Corowa. Still others will admire his prestigious win in the inaugural Kelly Gang Shootout last month when he ran off with the championship in style. But this is not what he will be remembered for in Corowa. Alas, this freak stands on the wrong side of the ball.

Form: Normally would be rated pretty highly but, as with all lefties at The Bushranger Cup, he has next to no hope of being involved here at the finish as he will be facing the wrong way from the start.

The Canvas Town Mob - A rare city based mob of Bushrangers who operated in South Melbourne in the 1850s. They would knock off ships at port and then frivolously drink and gamble away their booty.

Ash Brown (Casha) – It is said a week is a long time in football and there can be no doubt a decade is a long time in golf. With his most recent win coming in the 1995 Templestowe Football Club golf day, this robust competitor must now realise he is rapidly approaching his use-by date. Indeed, it has been so long between drinks for ‘Casha’ that unless he can magically transform into some sort of golfing camel or dromedary, he is probably so dehydrated as to be beyond help. Rumours persist that his recent purchase of an R7 on Ebay indicate he is a more passionate golfer than he has been for some time, however a brief flirtation with online retail therapy is the not the foundation for a winning Bushranger Cup campaign.

Form: A determined consumer of most beverages, his pre-match preparation should hold him in good stead and he will be looking the goods right up until he steps on the course.

Gav Doran (Huey) – In a field of this class, it can sometimes be difficult for a first-up starter to make any sort of lasting impression but we are backing this debutant will not only score a goal with his first kick in the big time, he’ll probably celebrate by snapping all the goal posts in half. A passionate people person, he loves seeing the best come out in the folks he meets, and while he’s seeing that, he enjoys nothing more than putting a little something back into the game. And by ‘a little something’, we mean a lot of red wine, and by ‘the game’, we mean his mouth. With a reputation for possessing one of the most versatile palates in the southern hemisphere, he will be known to all when the famous ‘Rose of Doran’ makes its first appearance at The Bushranger Cup sometime on Friday evening.

Form: May require gelding to have any chance at all. Looks underdone.

Paul Lambe (Lambo) – Turned up to the recent Kelly Gang Shootout at Growling Frog and started monstering golf balls on the driving range so ferociously he looked the goods to walk away with the trophy. Alas, it seems he suffers from a rare form of Reverse-White-Line-Fever. Off the course, he is a raving lunatic, devoid of any logical processes or fundamental rational human reasoning who goes crazy whaling golf balls out of sight. But once he steps over the line he becomes a perfectly normal, high-functioning and quite discerning homo sapien with no remarkable ability to hit a golf ball whatsoever. Naturally, his character is also known to change completely once he’s had a few drinks; something which he is more than a little partial to.

Form: Will he be Jekyll or Hyde? Will we see Phar Lap or Fine Cotton? Probably both. Best be safe and back him each way.

Ian Pritchard (Pritch) – Given the quality of the company this scoundrel is known to consort with, he is certainly to be regarded as a Bushranger of the highest order. He has justifiable claims in all of the Bushranger disciplines and can be relied on to give as good as he gets considering his hard-earned reputation as a world-class sledger. This silver-tongued larrikin will be easy to spot as he lounges between rounds with a pitcher of ale perched in his craw and a cascading flow of chatter tumbling from his pie-hole. Once he’s done enjoying his favourite past-time of getting blind with his mates, he will certainly be one to keep an eye on out on the course. With plenty of Pro-Ams under his belt, and the odd Variety Club Bash, he should know his way out and in on just about any golf course in Australia.

Form: Will definitely require blinkers to perform at his best but will almost certainly refuse to put them on.

The Ben Hall Gang - Originally The Frank Gardiner Gang, it became known as The Gilbert Gang when Gardiner was captured in Queensland in 1861. Then it became known as the Gilbert & Hall Gang and later again the Ben Hall Gang. They remain rather confused to this day.

Travis Hicks (Trav) – Has a massive reputation as a fashion leader on the course and has been spending a deal of quality time with his milliner in preparation for his debut appearance at the Bushranger Cup. The special head-piece he has planned is sometimes mistaken for a golf hat; however, this is not the case. It is in fact a drinking hat, which can be worn while playing golf. The real key for Trav will be his ability to find matching outfits and accessories for the three rounds that all compliment his bonnet without overshadowing it. He needs to do this to draw attention away from his all around golf game, which is best left ignored lest we lower the tone of the entire tournament. Given the quality of the company he is known to keep, he must be considered a genuine threat in this field. Don’t be surprised to see a warrant out for his arrest on Sunday.

Form: Is more likely to trouble the fashion police than the stewards.

Nick Van Gemst (Spike) – Occasionally, perhaps once every few generations, an individual happens along who seems to redefine the very essence of what golf is. A player who is so in touch with the intangibles of the game that it appears he is interacting with the ball, the clubs and the course on a transcendental level, beyond the perception of mere mortal hackers. A player who appears to be able to hear nature’s secrets whispered on the wind and sense meaning in the way the dew refracts the early morning light as it rests on the blades of fresh cut grass in the tee-box. A player who can feel the nuances of the slopes and rolls of Mother Earth as if he could see the touch of gravity itself, falling to the ground like snow. Alas, Spike is not this golfer.

Form: By all reports, he has a rather special relationship with beer and is always up for a few friendly jars with his mates after the round. If so, he should do very well in his first start here.

Dave Warwick (Diesel) – Arguably the best this field has to offer but unproven at this level. Learnt the game as a junior at Northern G.C. and played a significant quantity and quality of golf as a youngster, including being part of some champion pennant teams. He is a traditionalist on the course and eschews today’s technology, happily teeing it up with a classical persimmon driver with which he can still place his drives straighter and deeper than most. He can disarm his opponents with an easy-going charm that belies the competitive fires that burn within and possesses immaculate judgement on the course to the point where he can discern precisely when the perfect moment is in every round to crack his next coldie or roll his next duzzo. Is to be admired for his self-styled tradition of depositing the stubby caps of all his on-course beers in the bottom of his golf bag.

Form: An ornament to the game who can also drink, smoke, strum and sing. Scrubs up a treat in the mounting yard and can back it up in the heat of battle. Definitely one to watch.

Sacha Wilmann (Sash) – Indifference is a word that can sometimes be thrown around a little too casually these days. As is the word champion. In this case, a combination of these applies, for it is as a champion of the laissez-faire approach that Sash distinguishes himself on the golf course. It is one thing to take things one shot at a time; to block out the past and the future to totally focus on the moment, but it is something else altogether to cultivate an ability not to care whatsoever about the golf one is playing. This redoubtable chap and deep thinking philosopher chooses to spend his time on the course revelling in the opportunity to have a laugh with his mates and he has a bloody-minded determination to make sure some little white ball doesn’t ever get in his way.

Form: May require blinkers to stay focused.

The organisers of The Bushranger Cup would like to take this opportunity to thank:

bwired online solutions for their assistance with The Bushranger Golf website.

Richard Fellner from Bushranger Golf for all his help.

Roger Brown from Focal Point Garden Design for his meticulous efforts in preparing the Bushranger Cup trophies and Trish from Rotec Engraving for supplying the raw materials.

Padge & Debbie from Murray River Horse Trails for The Bushranger Cup, the bullets and the inspiration.

Steve Foxwell from Screenhouse Effect for his help with the stubby holders.

Sally Pitt of Pitt-Bull Media for her time and skill in creating this program and for her consideration in putting up with a very excited tournament director.