"Yer man played at Augusta you know!!!!"

So it was the day of the Pro Am......................had practised the night before and was feeling ok, especially with my putting.

Up bright and early for the 11:20 tee off time and got to the club in plenty of time to get a bit more practice and get a bite to eat.

I was playing with Jason Timis, this years club Champion who plays off +1 and Mike Harrington, the runner up and course record holder, who's off +2. Not a bad team! Perk of being Captain I guess!

We were due to play with Loydd Saltman, who had been the BEst Amateur at the 2005 Open at St Andrews and by all accounts was handy!

Met up with Mike Harrington and sat down with Coffee and Bacon Rolls, met up with a few others, all excited about the day, laid a few bets down and then headed for the practice area. As I was getting my clubs out of the car, bumped into Jason had a quick chat and then knuckled down to a bit of practice.

No mats today! Off the grassed area and a pyramid of balls neatly arranged.

Hit a few wedges to warm up. Felt nice, then a 6 iron and again, nice tempo. Striking the ball well. Will I be able to take it out onto the course. 5 or 6 shots with 3 wood off the deck and then a dozend drives and that's enough. It's going well, so let's not leave the good shots on the range.

Down to the putting green and Jon Farmer brings us the news that Loydd can't make it, so we are going to play with another pro call Brian Mcilhenny, an Irishman. We shake hands, exchange pleasantries and then head to the scoreboard for the obligatory team photograph, along with a couple of skimpy short wearing young girls, obviously there to add a bit of glamour to proceedings. It was a bit too cold for one of them!

Back to the putting green and I'm putting well. Pace is good and I hole a few longish putts as well!

Will I keep up this form on the course! Tempo.....that's the watchword for today.

We get called to the first tee and the starter gives us the cards and rules for the day.

The pro is playing an individual medal on hos own off the Blue tees, but we can also use his score in our team Stableford which is best 2 scores on each hole. We are playing off the White tees!

On the tee, Brian Mcilhenny.................small smattering of applause from the "gallery".

Brian meticulously takes a couple of practices swing and then nonchalantly flicks the ball down the centre of the fairway.

We head forward some 50 yards to the white tee and the starter announces over the tannoy............."On the tee, Wychwood Park Captain for 2010, Mr Paul Price"

Not a single clap!!!!

Still, it's not me they've come to see!

Just get the drive away. remeber, nice easy tempo.

Not the best of tee shots, but it's in the fairway!

Jason up next......................BOOM...................the ball disappears!

Mike Harrington is next, not as much raw power, but a smooth swing and the ball is launched way over the hill!

This is what I've been looking forward to all week.................what a dream team.

I get to my ball, 3 wood, nice smooth swing, straight down the fairway.

Brian plays his second and then we walk forward, probably another 100 yards to where Jason and Mike are. Hope they are'nt putting Brian off.............well I don't mind too much. We want to win!

Mike hits a good shot and is just short and right for 2. Jason launches his second, tracking towards the pin and to within 5 feet! This is what we came to see.

We have a small gallery following us. Shane Townsend and a couple of mates, see me hit my 3rd from about 180 yards onto the green and with a chance of a Birdie! To be honest, I surprised myself with that one, but tried not to show it.

Brian is on the green with his 3rd and takes two putts for his par. Mike chips close to secure his Birdie. I hit a good putt, which leaves me with a tap in for a par, net birdie and 3 points! Six points on this hole with Jason to putt from 5 foot for an eagle and 4 points. It hust shaves the hole! But six points is a good start!

As we are waiting on the second tee, we have a quick chat with Brian. Mike says he is sure he has seen Brian before and asks him where he's played. Brian tells us, without any hint of bragging, that he was Amateur Champion in 2005, played in the Open and then the Masters in 2006. We'd have to quiz him about that later!

We left him to get on with his own game, after all he was playing for the prize oney today!

He hit a good tee shot from the Blue tee and hot the green on the right.

After pulling the last 5 or 6 tee shots to the left on the second, I hit a sweet shot over the pin and left a 15 footer down the green.

Jason also hit the green, but Mike was just short. Mike hit a chip which was inches short. A great chip, but you could tell he was expecting to hole it! That's the difference!

Brian hit a good lag putt down the hill as did Jason. I had a slightly easier putt, but hit a good line that just ran out of pace and so it was another tap in for par.

Onto the 3rd and another smooth tee shot from Brian. I hit an ok drive but was way back, but then again, I ususally am! Mike and Jason were way up the fairway.

I hit another good shot, just coming up short from about 170 yards. Chip and a put and it's another par and 3 points. Mike and Jason hit wedges for second shots and just missed birdie putts.

Onto the 4th and this was the longest drive hole.

Not an issue for me and the marker looked a long way away. Brian misses the fairway right, but he's be ok.

I pull mine left and into the light rough.

Jason launches another, low and powerful but it's way past the marker. Mike also hits a great drive, but no one is going to get past Jason's drive. Just give him the prize now!

Our Gallery leave us, can't believe why, I'm level par and Jason has just hity that monster!

A decent second shot and I'm left with a chip and a putt for another par, but leave the chip short and end up with a bogie. Still, it's ok, although the two pars from the boys leave us with 4 points. for the hole. Need to use my shots.

Brian's getting a bit chatty now and we have plenty of opportunity to talk as the round is a bit slow. Waiting on most tees and over second shots is going to be the norm today!

Bit of a blocked drive on 5, but on the fairway. Jason hits a well used rescue club, an old Adams club which is obviously a favourite club.

I block my second and it looks like going out of bounds. Never mind the others are on for 2 with good birdie chances. I must have hit the out of bounds marker, because I'm just in play!

Chip out and manage to grab a 5, but the boys have grabbed points anyway.

Off to the 6th and Brian is off the back tee. He hits one slightly short and left, but show his class with a tricky up and down. My ball is to the right, but a reasonable chip leaves me with a tricky putt and it slips by for a 4. Mike and Jason also make pars, with Jason, just missing his birdie put. It looks good all the way but just slides by again!

Off to the 7th and Brian hits a great drive off the back tee, I get a reasonable drive away that flirts with the plantation on the left and rolls into the fairway. Two booming drives from Mike and Jason and we're looking good to pick up points.

I pull my second left, but I have a shot albeit from the rough by the tree.

Good connection, but the ball trickles into the pot bunker short! With three attempts to get out I end up with an 8 no points! But a team Birdie from Brian and a par from Mike and we get 5 points!

Onto the 8th and with no wind and a forward tee, I'm feeling confodent, but hit a bit of a high block and make the carry by about 20 yards! Needless to say Mike and Jason have ripped drives over the bunkers. I pull my second left and into the rough left, but end up with a relatively simple chip over the bunkers and on the green, but 2 stab for a bogey 5. Two pars from Mike and Jason so we have got our level par 4 team points.

9th tee and another bit of a delay, so a chance to quiz Brian abit more about who he's played with and his times at Augusta.

Furyk, Mediate................Arnold Palmer and Gary Player in a practice round! You're not going to meet many who've done that!

The fairway clears and Brian hist another straight one into the fairway. I make a good swing, but just pull it into the fairway bunker and end up against the face. A bit greedy with the second and it bounces back off the lip into the bunker. Take a resuce club and muller it up the fairway.

Mike and Jason have "laid" up and hit reasonable 2nd shots. I hit wege on and just miss out on a 2 pointer, but we walk of with 4 points.

Brian has manged to shoot 2 under par 34. Made it look easy. Never in any trouble, with a very solid short game. He doesn't seem to hit it that far and you wonder how he got on at Augusta!  Well he shot 80 and 75 actually, missing the cut, but he did Birdie 16!!! He also beat Paul Mcginley, Craig Stadler, Fuzzy Zoeller, David Duval, Gary Player, Fred Funk, Mark Calcavecchia and Sandy Lyle!

And now he was playing with me (and beating me!) at Wychwood Park! What an honour!

We headed off the 9th green and walked past the scoreboard. No scores in yet so not sure what the target is, but not sure what we've scored anayway. Last year was won with 86 points and I can't imagine we are anywhere near that.

We get to the half way house and meet up with another team who have played the back 9 first. They are keeping tight lipped about there score! Must be doing well!

There are burgers on, but I can't eat, still too excited about playing in this company.

Mike tucks into a hot meat and potato pie. Didn't know they did them..............mental note..............winter league, hot pies at halfway house.

Fairway clears and Brian sets up on the tee to start the back nine!