Bounce vs Hazard at Bryanston.

It has been a little while since Dan Nicholl and Bounce editor in chief Ben Karpinski locked horns in an ever tense and competitive Bounce vs Hazard golf day. Nicholl (the man behind Hazard Golf Clothing) claims scheduling problems, Bounce thinks it was more down to the fact that TeamBounce was victorious last time out at Kyalami.

Whatever the reason, it was back on this week at the lovely Bryanston Country Club here in the northern suburbs of Johannesburg.

The Players

Team Hazard

Looking to come back from a lengthy break, Nicholl decided to put faith in the selection of Derick Hougaard who is now back in SA after a 4 year stint at Saracens. With comments like ‘you are easily one of the top 50 best post-Apartheid Bok flyhalves ever’ and ‘I was always more a Morne Steyn fan’, Dan was looking to get the most out of his team mate with a tough love approach. A risky stance considering this being a must win situation for Team Hazard who were looking to maintain their overall challenge lead over Team Bounce.

Team Bounce

With Gary Player sadly being called off on business at the last moment to Vietnam, Team Bounce was a one man show on the day. Something that would have no doubt unsettled most mere competitors, the added responsibility was used as a positive by Karpinski who won the toss and elected to hit it straight and pure down the middle of the first. It was game on from the start.

The course

Like all other Bounce vs Hazard days, the course that hosted it was a good test for the golfers on the day. A classic parkland layout which is always a pleasure to play, Bryanston Country Club offers the perfect mix of reachable par 5s, well crafted par 4s and strong par 3s ideal for the cut and thrust of matchplay golf which is the format of these match ups.

The match

With the overall challenge score currently sitting at 2-1 in favour of Team Hazard, things were well poised as they say in the classics. Team Bounce had the momentum, but Team Hazard still had the lead and with that still came some bragging rights. Rights that were exercised by Nicholl, well, right up until TheBounce was suddenly 4 up after 4.

4up after 4 soon became 6up after 6. TeamBounce, all one of them, were on fire. Putts were dropping, stray drives were finding favourable spots in the rough, and to add to that, TeamHazard just never got out of the blocks.

7 up at the turn, many would have said the match was all over. Not Team Hazard though, oh no, to them it was very much a case of it not being over until Dan Nicholl sang. That singing though did takes place sooner rather than later, the 11th hole to be exact – Team Bounce winning it 8&7.

So 2-2 the overall score now between these two great rivals, a real confidence boosting win this for Team Bounce, but time of celebration will be far shorter than after the last victory as the next match is scheduled for this coming Monday. Match review to follow.

Big thanks to Bryanston Country Club for hosting us on the day. As the seasons change up here in Joburg, this is one course that really is great day out in summer with their clubhouse outside area still ranked in my top 10 places to drink draught beer in all of SA.

The dashing golf trousers displayed here in this post are all available from Hazard Golf Clothing. To view them and other dandy styles, click here to visit their website.

You can also follow Hazard Golf Clothing on Twitter @HazardGolf

Click here to here Derick Hougaard tell us about the Liefling legend and how it came about.

Dan Nicholl is one of South Africa’s premier sports MC and writers. He is also about to star as The Bachelor – Bedfordview, a new reality show coming to TV late spring on Channel 198 on DSTV.