Jerry Bowman Classic

The Jerry Bowman Classic is an annual invitational golf tournament, held in Auckland, New Zealand. Over its history it has been held at a range of courses, including Waitemata, Takapuna, Helensville and Chamberlain golf clubs. It is a unique tournament for the fact that invitations are not extended to golfers with sub-30 handicap, or golfers who have played more than 5 rounds in the previous calendar year. It is known within Auckland as a true local derby, with the inaugural team captains, Alex Kingston and Matt Hartles, regarded as two of the most mature and influential sporting minds of the 21st century. Through strong leadership, and raw sporting talent, these two have revolutionised the mental game of amateur sport and created an event that both inspires and intrigues the golfing youth of today.
Contrary to popular belief, the Jerry Bowman Classic is not named after fringe NASCAR driver Jerry Bowman. The Classic takes its name from mercurial Auckland University lecturer Jerry Bowman who taught both team captains and, as befitting an avid Rogernomics disciple like Mr Bowman, inspired both Alex Kingston and Matt Hartles to deregulate the golfing landscape in Auckland by creating an equal playing field for amateur golfers. The Classic, and its rich history, stands testament to the lasting effect Rogernomics had on the New Zealand economy of the late 20th century.
Tournament History
2009
The inaugural tournament was a tense affair. The Hartles team was James Leeson, Christian Gundry, and Nick Hawkins against the Kingston team of Richard Coupe, Ashe Seatter, and Andrew Boys. Held at the Waitemata Golf Club over 9 holes, the Hartles team emerged victorious.
Alex Kingston has recently been quoted as saying, "Pairing teammate Ashe Seater in my grouping adversely affected his performance. His mental fortitude cannot standup to the pressures of playing with me. This is why we lost."
2010
The second tournament, also held at Waitemata Golf Club, was highly anticipated amongst the North Shore community due to the popularity of the 2009 tournament. Captain Hartles selected an unchanged team except for James Pivac being called in to replace James Leeson. Kingston showed faith in his losing 2009 team, selecting the same players. The Hartles team was victorious for the second year in a row, partially due to a dubious Matt Hartles chip-in from the rough on the final hole.
2011
The first tournament to be held over a full 18 holes was also the first tournament at the new Takapuna Golf Club. Both teams featured new players, some of whom were a subject of controversy. The Kingston team brought in Ryan Bridgman for Richard Coupe who had taken up a lucrative Wellington contract with the New Zealand Stock Exchange. The Hartles team recalled 2009 hero James Leeson, as well as bringing in new players Pat Seeley and Sam Lawrie. The tournament was won on the 18th hole by the Kingston team by one stroke. Mention must be made of new player Sam Lawrie who shot 20 over the crucial 9th and 18th holes where all shots count.
2012
This year's tournament saw a shift in venue to one of Auckland’s country golf courses - the prestigious Helensville Golf Club. Some questionable captaincy tactics from Hartles were seen early with his team showing up half an hour late in an unsportsmanlike attempt to throw off his competitors, however this proved to be disadvantageous with the Kingston team able to get a good feel for the speed of the practice greens.
Team selection proved itself to be one of the major talking points again at the Classic; 2012 featured the first defector in Classic history with James Pivac being recruited to the Kingston team after a one year hiatus from the tournament to join Bowman veteran Ashe Seatter and 2011 entrant Ryan Bridgman. Some argued that Pivac’s recruitment was in reaction to Hartles’ controversial selection of Pat Seeley in 2011 (see above) as both golfers were in breach of the fundamental tenet of the Classic: no more than 5 rounds in the previous calendar year. However in true and thrilling Classic fashion this selection did not pay off for the Kingston team, and Pivac had arguably one of the poorest rounds in the 2012 field. Hartles looked to revitalise his team and get back to winning ways with a revamped line-up - Dan Winklevoss replaced James Leeson who was on paternity leave from golf and Michael Burns replaced the disaster one-time Bowman competitor Sam Lawrie. Burns' performance in his début Bowman will not soon be forgotten. Michael contributed 13 over par for his four holes, all but ensuring the Bowman would be returning to team Kingston for a second straight year. While team Hartles was left feeling disappointed and empty after Burns' performance, it stood as a timely reminder of the grass-roots golfing which the Bowman Classic once represented.
2013
The fifth tournament, held at Chamberlain Golf Club, signalled a time of change for the Classic. For the first time ever, the field was expanded to 6 players on each team. This minor change showed the tournament organisers’, Hartles' and Kingston’s, uncanny ability to adapt the tournament to meet the growing demands from participants of balancing tradition with excitement and innovation. Hartles recalled all of his losing 2012 team and also added Auckland powerbroker Chris Peek and the inimitable Matthew “Moray” Hayward, who had been released from custody just in time for the tournament. Kingston’s team featured his trusty vice-captain Ashe Seatter, returning veterans James Pivac and Andrew Boys, Andrew “protein-powder” Priest and the much-hyped rookie, James Gill. Under the new format, players were only required to contribute 3 holes apiece, relieving much of the intense pressure and scrutiny that past Classics had brought to bear on weaker golfers in the field.
Further intrigue was added to the 2013 edition by the inclusion of flatmates Gill and Burns on opposing teams. As the least talented golfers on their respective units the start of a rivalry looked to be brewing. This was exacerbated by comments made by Burns to local media in which he questioned Gill's inclusion due to a lack of talent or commitment, illustrated by him not having played a round in the 2013 calendar year. On the day however, Gill was to have the last laugh as a solid if unspectacular front nine allowed him to sit back and enjoy the tournament as Burns crumbled in what many would refer to as "the greatest golfing collapse since Greg Norman in 1996."
Aided by a distracted performance from #1 seed Matt Hayward and a dubious interpretation of the Rules of Golf (see section below), the Kingston team was victorious for a third straight year, this time by a single stroke. Player of the tournament James Pivac had the round of his life, though certain Hartles team members were doubtful as to whether it would have even been a sub-100 round at Waitemata Golf Club, the age-old home of the Classic. Embarrassed by the threepeat, speculation was rife within Team Hartles regarding the competency of their leader, with some members commenting that Hartles had “lost his nerve when it mattered”, especially given the strength of his team on paper. 2013 also marked the first time that one person had been the current holder of both the Bowman and the Maria Open, a prestigious Auckland tennis tournament.
Controversy
The Classic has not been without its share of controversial selections and rule changes. Some sports commentators have speculated that the Classic has abandoned its roots in recent years in favour of pursuing overseas broadcasting money. Examples are cited such as the blatant disregard of the maximum 5 rounds in the previous calendar year rule, as well as hosting tournaments outside the spiritual home of the Classic in Auckland's North Shore.
Prior to 2013, outspoken local golfers Matthew Hayward and James Gill had made their displeasure known at never having been invited to participate in the Classic, despite good relationships with both captains and familiarity with both Waitemata Golf Club and Jerry Bowman himself. James Gill, who has been described by local golfing commentators as "an earnest, over-confident young man sadly lacking in any particular talent, despite coming from fine stock", has created a groundswell of discontent about his continued snubbing. In 2012 he threatened that, together with Matthew Hayward, he would form a rival tournament - also called the Jerry Bowman Classic - that would feature only players that were actually taught by Jerry Bowman himself, and therefore would be the true Classic. When asked for comment, Alex Kingston expressed his lack of concern at a rival tournament, saying "most of the Caucasian people that were taught by Jerry Bowman have already played in this tournament." In true James Gill fashion, no rival tournament had taken place by 2013, and an invitation to the 2013 Classic was mercifully extended to both Gill and Hayward to prevent any further tantrums.
In 2011, there was some doubt over the handicap of new Hartles team member Pat Seeley. Rival captain Alex Kingston accused Hartles of bringing in a player that was too strong a golfer, thus going against one of the fundamental rules of The Classic, as well as being disloyal to his previous years' players. Ironically, the Hartles team lost the tournament in 2011 for the first time.
In 2012, it was widely speculated amongst the Kingston team and its supporters that new Hartles team member Winklevoss had misled Classic officials by reporting his handicap as 25, when it was more likely around 15. Classic officials later decided that Winklevoss was to be struck off the invitation list for future tournaments as a result of this transgression.
Finally Nick Hawkins, a Bowman Veteran from 2009 and 2010 who is currently residing in Perth, Western Australia, claimed that the 2011 tournament should not have proceeded without himself and Christian Gundry competing in it. He pushed for postponement or a change of name. Neither captain was willing to cave to this transtasman pressure and the 2011 tournament went ahead.
=== "The Drop" ===
There has been only one recorded accusation of cheating in Bowman history, it being a good natured tournament that generally puts fair play above everything else. In the 2013 tournament, Alex Kingston recorded a birdie on the number one stroke hole, a true achievement that was applauded by the hordes of spectators lining the tricky hole.
When scores were tallied, it was discovered that the best Team Hartles score on that hole was a double bogey, giving the Kingston team a net gain on that hole of +3, ultimately serving as the margin of overall victory and more. Hot headed rookie Matt Hayward accused Kingston of an egregious breach of the Rules of Golf. The accusation was based on Kingston’s tee shot fortuitously rolling onto a bridge spanning the creek bisecting the fairway, with Kingston allegedly taking a free drop on the side of the bridge closer to the green. Kingston refused to acknowledge Hayward’s claims and disregarded his attempts to undermine his integrity as a golfer, and confirmed that the birdie was legitimate. Hartles, who had already expected to lose by that point, did not take the complaint to tournament officials, and the trophy was presented shortly after.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu