Trust in the Northern Trust

Yet more treble potential fired me up this week. The Northern Trust Open, The Maybank Championship, and back on the Sunshine Tour, the Data Dimension Pro - Am.

Justin Rose had finished well the week before and I was ready for an investment on my fellow countryman and soon to be hero. Trebles went flying. Matsuyama. Oosthuizen. Willet. Van Zyl. Stone. Bubba Watson. The list went on.

As was the story recently, nothing had gone that well. Rose had a shot but needed a strong round in the final day but all other interests had gone. Bubba was leading with one round to go but no other interest. Steve Palmer tipped up a match betting double in the RP which I had £10 on at 5/2. All four of the players missed the cut but Palmer's tip held firm and his two missed the cut by less than the others. £35 of ammo was in the bank.

For some time my friend, Mr Harrow, has been backing Jamie Donaldson, basically as a joke. (Sorry Jamie). However, as an increasingly superstitious punter I could hardly ignore the charge he seemed to be making. I had £1 on him at 500s, just in case. The other £34 went on Bubba at 5/2.

Then, Mr Harrow, some other friends and myself went out for some leaving drinks. Many hours later, after watching a friend consume enough food to be considered a professional eater and an argument with an Uber driver I found myself sitting on the floor in my bathroom at home. I consider what happened next the stupidest and most irresponsible thing to have happened in my punting life so far.

I had had a poor few betting weeks to be fair. I banged £150 on Bubba at 11/4.

Then I promptly fell asleep.

The next day was awful. Insufferable hangover having was only mitigated by the late shift at work. A sufferable hangover ensued. At some point I remembered about the bet and my sweating compounded. I decided to try and lessen the pressure on my body by beating two burritos. This went well. I was now as close to slipping in to a coma as I had ever been.

Later on the golf started. Things weren't going great. Kokrak, who was in great from was stealing the show from Bubba. Half way through the round Sky Sports decided to play those soul destroying montages of whichever player is in the lead. Going in to the back 9 Bubba was one back after a making only one shot on the front, and Kokrak was three under through the front nine.

Then, out of nowhere, Bubba found something. Rolling in the biggest putt of the day, with some Bubba brilliance, a quick, winding 28 footer found the centre of the cup. Things were level.

Both parred the 12th. Then. Disaster. Bubba bogeyed and Kokrak birdied. A two shot swing left my dreams in tatters. Watson was woefully two behind and Kokrak looked every inch the winner.

But then, Kokrak cocked up. In the bunker. Up and down for par was necessary but looked shaky.

Bubba was 2 behind with four to play but I was confident somehow. Perhaps it was delusion.

Actually, it seemed to be foresight. Kokrak made a poor bogey and Bubba made a stress free par.

Bubba was 1 behind with three to play. The man with the pink driver had the honour on the 16th. He stood up to the tee, and lathered his 8 iron in to 5 foot. Kokrak must have felt immense pressure at this point. He must have been closer to becoming a diamond than at any other point in his life. And he faltered, and found the front bunker. His shot from the sand was good, but still outside of Bubbas. He holed out, and gave Bubba the line. Wonderful Watson walloped his ball in to once again, become co-leader.

The next hole was a brilliant opportunity for Bubba. The slumper took out his pink driver and brutalised his ball 333 yards down the fairway. Kokrak could only manage 265 and was in the rough, which put Bubba in the driving seat.

Crumbly Kokrak put his second shot in the bunker, whilst Watson put his to 42 feet for eagle. Kokrak played well out of the bunker again but could only manage 48 feet from the hole for a birdie putt, but this time there would be no line for the B-man. Kokrak two putted for his par, and Bubba two putted for birdie and the outright lead.

Around this time, another former Masters Winner, Adam Scott, who finally seemed to have got his putter going, chipped in for birdie from the back of the green to get to 14 under, meaning that a bogey from Bubba would mean a three man play off.

A 301 tee shot from Bubba lost a bit of distance from a fade. Kokrak blasted a 320 yarder down the middle. Watson knocked it to 13 feet, which Kokrak couldn't better. Kokrak was up first and he almost nailed it. He thought it was in. But the perfectly paced putt just lipped out and rolled past. Bubba had two putts for the win. First put, no. Second putt, yes.

£681. Six hundred and eighty one glorious Great British Pounds were all mine. I felt like a millionaire and danced around my living room. Great crates of ammunition would be heading my way.