Results from the 2024 BJG Rider Cup

Broken Joe
Oct 24, 2024
5 min read

It had been a cold week before the Rider Cup, but I think some people were still surprised by the frost delay at Veterans Golf Course.

All week, I thought the first tee time was at 8 a.m., but I checked the BJG website on Friday night and found that it wasn’t until 9 a.m.

The first sign of trouble was when JT texted us at 7:40 a.m. on Sunday that there was a frost delay of about an hour. My first thought was, why is JT at the golf course at 7:40 a.m.? He usually shows up just before his tee time.

I panicked, thinking I had the wrong tee times again, but I checked my text messages with Joe T and confirmed that the first tee time was at 9 a.m.

My phone starts dinging with text messages. A few are discussing the other plans that Golfers have on Sunday. Joe T has his godson’s birthday party at 1:30, Rey has two baseball games, with the first starting at Noon, and JT also has a party to attend.

When I got to the golf course, a couple of golfers were already there, but not JT. That's when I realized that JT, a very experienced golfer, had called the clubhouse to ask about a frost delay. Slowly but surely, everyone arrived, and the waiting began.

Of course, the temperature at 7 a.m. was 35 degrees, but it was supposed to warm up quickly. I hate to be cold, ever, so I overdressed and did not put on layers as I had been taught to do. With the temperature quickly rising, I knew I had made a mistake. By the time we teed off, the temperature had already increased by almost 15 degrees.

As we stood in line waiting for our turn at the first tee box, I noticed that the group in front of us had five golfers. Was it better to let them play five or split them into three and two? I guess that depends on how good they are.

We finally got to the first tee box. Since we only had 12, there would be no extra shot rotation.

Front Nine Scores:

Team James Group One – 33

Team JT Group One – 33

Team JT Group Two – 35

Team James Group Two – 36

The pin placement on the 4th hole was brutal.

When I pulled up to Joe T’s group on the 7th hole, Joe T was having a conversation with the Range. It turns out that the five-man group was now playing as a six-man group. For some reason, the Range was trying to justify it but did say they would break up into two – 3 man groups after the ninth hole.

Team James Group One had 3 Birdies and 6 Pars but no Bogeys.

Team JT Group One had 4 Birdies, 4 Pars, and a Bogey on the 9th hole.

Team JT Group Two had 2 Birdies, 6 Pars, and a Bogey on the long Par 3, 5th Hole.

Team James Group Two had 3 Birdies, 4 Pars, a Bogey on the first hole, and a Double Bogey on the 4th Hole.

Front Nine Team Scores:

Team JT – 68

Team James – 69

The Back Nine:

The back nine would prove to be harder.

Team JT would continue with a one-stroke lead after playing 13 holes, with each group already having a Bogey.

Team JT – 102

Team James – 103.

After the 13th hole, Joe T finally leaves for the Birthday Party.

On the 14th Hole, Team James would gain a two-stroke lead after scoring their two birdies to Team JT’s Pars.

Team James – 111

Team JT – 112

Team James would continue their one-point lead through Holes 15 and 16.

Team James – 124

Team JT – 125

The 17th hole would prove costly for Team JT. Team James again scored Birdies to Team JT’s Pars. Team James is now up by 3 strokes with only one hole left to play.

Team James – 130

Team JT - 133

The 18th hole is a Par 3 over water, and like the 4th hole, the pin placement was brutal, as Team James would find out with each Group finishing with a Bogey.

Team JT Group One had a good tee shot and an opportunity for a birdie until they saw the pin placement. If you missed the hole, the ball was running all the way down the hill. Joe and Adam missed their putts and watched the ball roll all the way to the bottom of the green. JT was making putts most of the afternoon, and this would be a putt that Team JT had to have. To Team James' surprise and maybe a little disappointment, JT WAS ABLE TO MAKE THE PUTT FOR BIRDIE.

But Team JT’s last group still had to play that final hole, which would be for all the marbles.

Team JT Group 2 hit a very nice tee shot about 3 or 4 feet from the hole, but it was perpendicular to the hole, meaning they had to hit the putt or watch it roll down the hill. All three golfers attempted the putt, but each ball rolled down the hill.

Team James Group 2 had to make Par for the Tie. A missed putt would give Team James the victory and the Rider Cup trophy

Dustin is the first to attempt the 15-foot uphill putt. With nerves of steel, Dustin hits a strong putt, and you can feel the anticipation as the ball rolls straight AND INTO THE CUP... and the crowd goes wild.

Final Score

Team James – 138

Team JT – 138

That is correct. We have ANOTHER TIE, and the two Captains will have a Put-Off.

While Adam is figuring out the Skins, Rey and I quickly discuss how to do the Putt-Off. We set up flags for the start and end of the putts. I thought they could each hit a similar putt, but the Captains wanted the same putt. James goes first, while JT has his back to the Putting Green.

James hits a great putt that rolls just a little left but is pin-high. Next up is JT. JT has been making putts all day, so this should be a good test.

JT hits his putt but immediately knows he hit it too firm, and it rolls by the hole, giving Team James the victory.

Congratulations to Team James.