Stu Rich goes back-to-back by winning Spackler 33

Stu Rich has gone back-to-back and to claim his 3rd plaid jacket at Stonecutters Ridge yesterday.

Stu Rich wins the jacket for a third time.

Spackler 33 scores

38 Stu Rich (GA Hcp 13)
35 Kristan Kang (20)
35 Michael Green (9)
35 Angus Mooney (25)
33 Johan Hempel (33)
33 Chris Raper (16)
30 Simon Cox (17)
25 Howard Parker (9)
22 Iain Moon (25)
22 James Mercer (10)
DNF Richard Ellison (16)

Long-drive 10th Gus Mooney
NTP 17th Stu Rich

Stu Rich arrived with the jacket and went straight back home with it (and $100 in cash) after he held off a strong finishing Spackler field at Stonecutter Ridge Golf club yesterday.

Rich took the lead courtesy of a solid front nine but some pressure from Green, Mooney and Kang on the back nine meant the result was only confirmed once all scores had been tallied.

Coming to the final hole it appeared that Angus Mooney was set to grab another jacket from Rich and Green with the scoreboard showing he was three shots in front. After Rich had birdied the last, Mooney just needed a point to win the jacket - which is nervously did.

Not long after, he made known that his scorecard and the GameBook result were about 4 shots different courtesy of a handicapping difference. It was nice of him to tell us after the round had finished.

Things were a little damp in the low lying areas at Stonecutters yesterday.

The final group of Richard, Kristan and Johan were unaware of GameBook and it wasn't until most golfers were either halfway home or just finishing their beer on the balcony that Kang had also scored 35 points and claimed second place on count-back from Green and Mooney.

In the end, Mooney went from being a winner to fourth place in the space of 20 minutes without playing a shot.

On the first tee, Stu Rich had taken the customary defending champion opening tee shot. A slice into the left hand heavy rough was met with a discussion among the 11 players that in a Spackler event, that could very well be a winning opening tee shot.

And so it proved to be. Which says more about Spackler golf that it does the opening tee shot.

Iain Mooney tees off at the par-3 11th hole. He hit the correct ball on this hole.

With this win
Rich joins the illustrious names of Kent and McLean as the only players to win back-to-back Spackler events

Rich jumps to third on the all-time Spackler winners board with his third victory. Matt Kent has won the jacket five times followed by Aaron David (remember him?) winning on four occasions.

Talking points
The final group didn't know about the

Green lost a yellow ball from the middle of the fairway on the ninth hole. After consultation with the halfway house dude, it was all but understood that a crow must have taken it. Crapper and Rich termed it the invisible bird theory excuse.

Crapper's dislike of the invisible bird theory came back to haunt him on the 16th tee when he uttered the words "Did that just happen?" after he was hit by bird shit down the front of his shirt. No birds were present in the sky at the time. The invisible bird strikes again.

Crapper also did this on the 16th hole - clearly ruffled after his bird shot encounter. After Stu Rich's three-shot chaos and rules discussion on the par-5 15th hole, it explains why things got a little slow down the stretch.

Mooney's (of the Iain variety) approach to the par-4 12th hole was a spectacular but short-lived one after it was noticed he had sent Stu Rich's ball within 10 feet of the pin, rather than his own.

Herb's golfing misery continued yesterday with 22 points. Herb hasn't scored greater than 30 points in a Spackler event since the Long Reef event in late 2012.

Here is some of the lowlights of Herb and Gus's finish at Stonecutters Ridge yesterday. Nothing says Spackler like a few duffed chips.

Stu rich arrives to the course with the jacket. He turned around and went straight home with it.