March 16, 2009 — The little Boys of the Carambola Golf and Country Club retained the Mongoose Cup Saturday with a resounding 8 1/2 to 3 1/2 victory over Dem Boys from the Buccaneer Golf Club and Resort.
Holding a one-up lead at 3 1/2 to 2 1/2 coming into this weekend matches, the Little Boys won five of six encounters on Saturday to send Dem Boys packing. The lone victory for Dem Boys was garnered by the captain, Brad Thomas, who played in the last match with Rich Carey as his team's anchor.
Unlike the inaugural competition that went down to the last match before the outcome was determined, the Little Boys knew they had retained the cup by the end of the third match of this year's competition. With the first two matches already in the bag courtesy of the teams of Bob Goldman/Gary Surdyke and Frank Lange/Phil Glengary, the team of Arthur Epstein and the soon-to-be-80-years-old Crucian patriarch Doug Nelthrop beat the Dem Boys team of John Smith and Rafa Bonet to assure the Little Boys of the cup. The only thing in doubt after that was whether Dem Boys could win at least one match on the Little Boys' home course.
Carambola captain John Beagles summed up the day this way: "The day started off as every other golf day started: mass confusion. The teams were organized and teed off on time. The wind was again a problem. It made the course at Carambola all the more difficult. The results at the end of the last round of golf surprised me. Not that I am not happy with them — I had expected the final point total to be much closer."
He thanked the competition.
"I would like to thank Dem Boys for a very entertaining two days," Beagles said. "Seeing the Little Boys shine on their home course was a sufficient reward for the stress of trying to keep this event and this eclectic group organized. Above all I must thank Brad Thomas for being a great advisor and for not laughing at me when he and Rich Carey closed Burt Shepp and I out on the 16th hole."
The competition, the Mongoose Cup match-play tournament, was the brainchild of team Paul Andrews of the Buccaneer and Frank Lange of Carambola. Both men were at this year's competition, but only Lange competed, as Andrews was on the disabled list. Both men having relinquished the captaincy to younger "old guys," they continue to express their hopes that this will continue to be a friendly annual competition between the players from the two local courses.
With many of the players in their 60s and 70s, the award ceremony to someone looking on beyond earshot could have easily been mistaken for a Geritol convention, but once you are sitting among them it is obvious that these men are some of the most fun to be around. On display is the boyish, youthful enthusiasm that always seems to appear when grown men are having fun.
The players in this year's competition had handicaps ranging from 7 to 26. And although this is a far cry from the President's or Ryder cups, the purse — one year of bragging rights — is almost as important to these players, and once again belongs to the Little Boys of Carambola.
Match play results:
— Bobby Goldman and Gary Surdyke (Carambola) beat Ken Croney and Gary (Buccaneer) 2 and 1;
— Frank Lange and Arthur Epstein (Carambola) beat Max Blum and Dave Davis (Buccaneer) 2 and 1;
— Arthur Epstein and Doug Nelthrop (Carambola) beat John Smith and Rafa Bonet (Buccaneer) 3 and 2;
— Jim Kasin and Bob Laroux (Carambola) beat Keith Crilow and Bob Morgan (Buccaneer) 4 and 3;
— Tony Dizon and Rich Thompson (Carambola) beat Andy Galiber and Eddie Lavarini (Buccaneer) 2 and 1; and
— Brad Thomas and Rich Carey Blum (Buccaneer) beat John Beagles and Burt Shepp (Carambola) 3 and 2.
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