Great minds think alike as season kicks off

MARK TWAIN’S definition of “optimist” – “Day-dreamer more elegantly spelled” – came to mind when we browsed through our managers’ scores after the first week of the 2010 Golf Masters. Most of them, we’re sure, set sail in the competition with hope in their hearts, perhaps even buoyant enough to target our €20,000 first prize.

Alas, 14 teams have already hit the rocks, and trail our leaders by €491,500 having won, well, €491,500 less than our leaders in week one: not a single member of their teams made it in to the field in Augusta. As that Twain man also nearly put it, “pessimism is only the name that veteran Golf Masters managers give to wisdom”.

Happily, there were plenty of managers who opened their innings brightly; 1,387 teams, for example, scored €200,000 or more at the Masters. Their glasses, then, remain half-full.

Who fared best? Well, come Monday morning, when the figures were added up at Golf Masters HQ, it was a hearty congratulations to Donegal man Columba Gavigan. And Greg Chadwick. And Mick O’Hanlon. And Geraldine Harrington. And Brian Tully. And Noel Healy. Twice.

Yes, our season opened with a seven-way tie at the top of the leaderboard, an eventuality that had us reaching for the Aspirin and our rule book.

“In the event of two contestants being tied for the weekly prize, the player whose team cost the least amount . . . shall be deemed to be the winner.”

Excellent, that should sort it out, we reckoned. Except all seven teams cost precisely the same amount, €12.4 million, all featuring Lee Westwood (second at the Masters), KJ Choi (joint fourth), Ricky Barnes (joint 10th) and three more top-10 finishers, Jerry Kelly, Trevor Immelman and Tom Watson.

Next. “If this does not decide the matter then a tiebreaker shall be arranged.”

A tiebreaker? For six managers?

At this point we appealed to the powers-that-be to set aside their ruthless streak, purely for the week that was in it, find their better nature and kind-heartedly offer each of our “winning” managers a fourball at Druids Heath.

In the end they agreed, but warned us, somewhat fiercely, not to ask again, otherwise there’d be as many Golf Masters managers ambling around Druids Heath this year as there were photographers pursuing Tiger Woods through Georgia last week. So, alas, it’ll be tiebreakers from here on in.

Hats off, then, to Columba, Greg, Mick, Geraldine, Brian and Noel for their more-than- impressive starts to the competition, we wish you all the most pleasant of days out at Druids Heath – if you turn up on the same day, be sure to say hello to each other.

Our leaders have a mere 20 weeks left to defend their positions at the top of the leaderboard. Their first task is to come through the China Open and The Heritage unscathed, the counting tournaments for week two of our competition.

Remember, you can make 10 transfers during the competition, so you’re not landed with your under-achievers for the duration. Keep an eye out for our bonus tournaments (the schedule is available at golfmasters.irishtimes.com), where your players earn one-and-a-half times the regular prize money, and the remaining majors, where double the regular prize money is on offer.

Best of luck to everyone, especially the 14 teams yet to earn a euro.