Team Rest of the World
Welcome to the Team ‘Rest of the World’ Page.
We can announce that Team Rest of the World's Captain for this year's final is Ian Readman.
Ian, along with his opposing Captain Steve Faulkner, will be providing a daily blog at this year's final which you will be able to view on this page ensuring you keep up to date with everything as it happens.
Also make sure you click here to see a selection of photos, news and results from this year's final and the important build up as we arrive in Orlando.
Ian's Final Thoughts
Well it's all over and sadly for my team, ROW succumbed to an incredibly strong European side 13.5-10.5. The ROW side put up a tremendous fight in the final day singles matches with some stunning performances from Kribs Govender, Brian O'Connor, PK Dhawaan, Sandy Douglass and Andrew Lyth, but in the end the Europeans just provied too strong.
The team captains, Steve Faulkner and myself, were asked to say a few words on behalf of our players and following this prizes were awarded to the respective teams.
The team at Virgin put on a fantastic event and as ROW captain I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone involved in the event, both staff and players.
This is a completely unique event which is a joy to be part of. I encourage everyone to get their friends, family, colleagues and all other fellow golfers to get involved in Swingers next season. For my part, knowing it is becoming an even tougher battle to qualify for the finals, I shall be using the off season to get myself some lessons and work on my game.
It has been a real pleasure to captain the ROW side this year and I wish my successor better luck next year!
Ian's thoughts - Day Three
Day Two saw Europe put the pressure on ROW with a stunning team performance. The day ended 4.5 - 1.5 leaving the standings at 7.5 - 4.5 and Europe just needing 5 points to win the Swingers Trophy.
But my team will give it everything tomorrow and knowing how golf is so full of twists and turns, who knows what the final outcome will be.
Special menton goes to a couple playing today. Firstly, John Elliott made Swingers history by hitting the worst tee shot we have ever seen with the ball finishing no more than two yards from where it started! Then yours truly hit a green recovery on the 14th hole after hitting my approach in the tall grass. In true Seve style, I managed to hit a lob wedge out to a foot and stole the hole. Joan Heeter and I had a ding dong battle with Nigel Cutting and Bob Scott which ended up halved after ROW managed to win the last two holes.
I know that all the Swingers are excited about our final day and whatever the outcome, it has already been a fantastic event. We are off to see Cirque du Soleil now, but I am sure there will be just as many acrobatics on course tomorrow.
Ian's thoughts - Day Two
The first day of competition proved to be nothing short of a War of the Worlds! It finished 3-3, setting up Day Two perfectly.
Our ROW team got out of the gates fast, taking an early lead, but Europe soon pegged us back and at the turn the match was all square. There was some interestng golf seen in the foursomes format with quite a few holes won with over Par scores and at least one half with gross 8's!!
The teams have been switched for tomorrow's betterball matchplay, with some really interesting team combinations. There will be no doubt more fantastic battles, but I am quietly confident that our team selection will prevail. More to follow tomorrow.
Ian's thoughts - Day One
Wow, what a first day! With people flying in from all over the world, it's been a whirlwind.
Teams are now decided and it already looks like it's going to be an incredibly competitive event. Team ROW has its form team off first, with Joan Heeter and Sandy Douglass leading the way. As team captain, I have chosen to go off last, in order to cheer on the rest of the team and to get a feel for the opposition.
The camaraderie on our first evening has been incredible and whatever the outcome, I am sure that this year's Swingers will be the best ever. More news to come tomorrow after Day One of golf!
Ian previews the final and his team below:
Ian Readman – Handicap 4 (CAPTAIN)
Everyone who knows me calls me by my nickname of Red, so be aware I may not answer to the call of Ian! Although I call Orlando home, I am a northern Englishman by birth. Playing in my third consecutive final, I am absolutely honoured to be named captain and will try everything in my power to help my team retain the trophy for ROW. I am really looking forward to playing on home turf this year and am optimistic of our chances of leading my team to back to back victories.
Here are my thoughts on my team members this year:
Dennis Gyde – Handicap 16
The first rookie of our team, Dennis is from “down under” Australia and I imagine he is really looking forward to his first season as a Swingers finalist. Dennis entered plenty of scores throughout the season and his perseverance obviously paid off. Playing off 16, he will no doubt be an opponent to fear.
Kribendran Govender – Handicap 8
Our second rookie, Kribs as he likes to be known, comes from South Africa and is also in his first season as a Swinger, making it a great achievement to reach the finals. He will no doubt be keen to continue the form he showed over the summer to help us keep our hands on the coveted Swingers trophy.
Sandy Douglass – Handicap 18
Sandy is the first of this year’s female finalists and was a crucial part of our winning team last year in England. Sandy plays her golf in San Diego, California and I am sure she will quickly feel at home on the Waldorf Astoria course. She had a 100% record at last year’s finals and we are hoping she can continue with this stunning form.
Mo Reardon – Handicap 30
Mo is rookie number 3 and our second Australian finalist. She worked hard all summer and takes a deserved place in our team this year in Florida. With plenty of shots to play with, she will undoubtedly be a threat to anyone on the European side who comes up against her.
Andrew Lyth – Handicap 6
We are delighted to welcome back Andrew Lyth to the team this year. Playing his golf in Virginia, Andrew played in the Season 5 and Season 6 finals, but did not qualify for last year’s final. Having been on the wrong end of the result in both previous attempts, he will be keen to taste success this year and help our ROW side to another victory.
Pawan Dhawaan – Handicap 13
PK, as he’s known, plays his golf in New Delhi, India and is playing in his second final. He put in a great winning performance in his singles match at last year’s event in Castle Coombe and was an integral part of the ROW team’s success. PK has had another great season which he partly attributes to Swingers’ resident pro Jason Muller.
Brian O’Connor – Handicap 12
The fourth and final rookie of our side this year is Brian O’Connor from the shining lights of Las Vegas, Nevada. Brian’s first year as a Swinger saw him not only start very strongly but also finish on a real high, with his final score securing him a place in the final. We look forward to seeing his golfing talents at the Waldorf.
Andrew Davies – Handicap 11
Andrew, a crazy Welshman, now lives in Indiana and he returns this year as part of the 2010 ROW winning side. The big man is a fierce competitor and a barrel of laughs, being one of two players to have the honour of qualifying for four consecutive finals. After suffering back problems at last year’s finals, we are hoping Andrew is fit and ready to take on team Europe.
James Green – Handicap 18
Once more the youngest member of the side, James was a member of our winning team last year. James comes from England but lives in and plays his golf in Jamaica. After sustaining a loss in his pairs match in 2010, he fought back hard on the final day, finally sealing a 2&1 victory in his singles match in an epic battle.
Joan Heeter – Handicap 7
Joan is the second player to have played in four consecutive finals and is also last year’s winning captain. Joan will be a tough act to follow, especially after a 100% winning record last year and she will undoubtedly once again be one of the key players our team this year.
Tom Riddell – Handicap 8
Tom, from Western Massachusetts, is another returning finalist and a highly valued member of last year’s winning team. Tom and I played together in the pairs last year and he played some spectacular golf in our match, enabling us to gain a hard fought half against a strong team including the +1 handicapper, Alastair Price. Tom completes an experienced line up for our team in this year’s final.
Average Team Handicap – 12.6
