.
The Merchy 3 Wood Challenge
As those who had the pleasure to play golf with Rory will know, he had a unique golfing style which included a number of special swings and shots very rarely seen by anyone to grace a golf course!! Perhaps his most infamous shot was the use of a 3 Wood on virtually any tee, regardless of the length or challenge of the hole ahead of him.
As some of the more regular golfers may be familiar with, approaching a short par 3 often requires a decision on club selection, taking into account weather, bunkers, pin position, wind, water hazards and so on. When approaching a shorter Par 3 hole in a casual game of golf, one will often turn to one’s fellow players and ask "what club are you taking here?" to get a second opinion on club selection.
When such a question was posed to Rory, always, without fail, Rory would reply "3 Wood", matter of fact, as if it was a stupid question! To put this in to context, even the most average of golfers should be considering the use of a 3 Wood for a shot of 200 yards or more, yet the short Par 3 will often be 140 yards or less. However, the remarkable thing was Rory was able to hit his 3 Wood to Par 3's with remarkable accuracy, often picking up nearest the pin prizes, leaving his fellow players amazed at what they had just witnessed!
As a testament to Rory's unique ability and to show just how difficult a shot it is for the more "traditional" golfer, "The Merchy 3 Wood Challenge" was born. The idea initially raised by his brother, Arthur, has been designed to ensure maximum frustration, difficulty and humour for anyone watching!!
The Challenge involves the use of an old "wooden" 3 wood, and to ensure The Merchy 3 Wood Challenge takes place on the shortest tee shot possible on the course, the shortest ladies Par 3 tee will be selected and whoever gets nearest the pin, wins - and it doesn't have to be on the green!!
The Merchy 3 Wood Challenge was introduced at the 5th Merchy Mug at Dale Hill in October 2013. The hole in question was 92 yards, downhill, with bunkers front right & at the rear, plus trees running down the rear left of the green. Many a story was told of shots disappearing through or past the green into the trees, some were lucky enough to find the bunkers! How many actually made it on the green was not mentioned but the winner (Steve Godman) managed to get his shot to about 15 feet!!
The Merchy 3 Wood Challenge will now be competed for on each Merchy Mug and the winner will be awarded The Merchy 3 Wood Challenge Trophy - which is Rory's 3 Wood itself mounted on a wooden plinth and duly annotated with "The Merchy 3 Wood Challenge".
As many will know, one of Rory's many traits was a compassionate sense of humour and I'm sure he will be watching over all those who attempt the Merchy 3 Wood Challenge with a chuckle and some Merchy words of wisdom!!
As those who had the pleasure to play golf with Rory will know, he had a unique golfing style which included a number of special swings and shots very rarely seen by anyone to grace a golf course!! Perhaps his most infamous shot was the use of a 3 Wood on virtually any tee, regardless of the length or challenge of the hole ahead of him.
As some of the more regular golfers may be familiar with, approaching a short par 3 often requires a decision on club selection, taking into account weather, bunkers, pin position, wind, water hazards and so on. When approaching a shorter Par 3 hole in a casual game of golf, one will often turn to one’s fellow players and ask "what club are you taking here?" to get a second opinion on club selection.
When such a question was posed to Rory, always, without fail, Rory would reply "3 Wood", matter of fact, as if it was a stupid question! To put this in to context, even the most average of golfers should be considering the use of a 3 Wood for a shot of 200 yards or more, yet the short Par 3 will often be 140 yards or less. However, the remarkable thing was Rory was able to hit his 3 Wood to Par 3's with remarkable accuracy, often picking up nearest the pin prizes, leaving his fellow players amazed at what they had just witnessed!
As a testament to Rory's unique ability and to show just how difficult a shot it is for the more "traditional" golfer, "The Merchy 3 Wood Challenge" was born. The idea initially raised by his brother, Arthur, has been designed to ensure maximum frustration, difficulty and humour for anyone watching!!
The Challenge involves the use of an old "wooden" 3 wood, and to ensure The Merchy 3 Wood Challenge takes place on the shortest tee shot possible on the course, the shortest ladies Par 3 tee will be selected and whoever gets nearest the pin, wins - and it doesn't have to be on the green!!
The Merchy 3 Wood Challenge was introduced at the 5th Merchy Mug at Dale Hill in October 2013. The hole in question was 92 yards, downhill, with bunkers front right & at the rear, plus trees running down the rear left of the green. Many a story was told of shots disappearing through or past the green into the trees, some were lucky enough to find the bunkers! How many actually made it on the green was not mentioned but the winner (Steve Godman) managed to get his shot to about 15 feet!!
The Merchy 3 Wood Challenge will now be competed for on each Merchy Mug and the winner will be awarded The Merchy 3 Wood Challenge Trophy - which is Rory's 3 Wood itself mounted on a wooden plinth and duly annotated with "The Merchy 3 Wood Challenge".
As many will know, one of Rory's many traits was a compassionate sense of humour and I'm sure he will be watching over all those who attempt the Merchy 3 Wood Challenge with a chuckle and some Merchy words of wisdom!!