It has been five years since Cambo Campbell lost his Mongrel Masters virginity. Like many first time experiences there was nervousness, awkwardness, excitement and some pain for Cambo.

Not being seen as a player who suffers easily from nerves, Cambo was quite anxious as he and Ramrod Ramsey left the party he was hosting on Mongrel Masters eve.

Cambo, ever the perfect host, had explained to his guests vaguely that he was playing in a tournament the next day and because of an early tee time he would have to stay up near the course and hence leave the party early. His guests seemed to be understanding. That was until Ramrod Ramsey arrived to pick Cambo up. As Cambo bid his guests’ farewell with nothing more than 2 golf clubs, a Hawaiian shirt and a pair of golf shoes and a case of red wine there were puzzled looks and open mouths. Ramrod sensed the chill in the air amongst the guests as Cambo and he scrambled out the door and shouted out to them, “Cambo’s going to win his first major tomorrow – the Mongrel Masters”.  A chorus from all the guests of  “The what??!!”  was heard by Cambo and Ramrod as they sped away bound for Harold P Ouvrier’s house.

It has become somewhat of a pilgrimage for many of the hardened competitors of the Mongrel Masters to assemble at Harold P Ouvrier’s house on the tournament’s eve.  This gathering becomes a cauldron of candor. Every indiscretion and moment of humiliation that one of the assembled has committed is spat back at them at some inopportune time by one of their”mates”. It is not a place for the meek and the mild as each player chisels away to get that mental edge before combating the Palm Beach fairways and greens the next morning.  It could be argued that the tournament is won or lost on this night and that’s why so many players assemble at Harold’s with the belief that if they can win on the night then half the battle is done for the tournament. At such a soirée there are no formalities, but tradition dictates that pizza will be eaten, beer will be drunk and stories will be told.  

This sets the scene for Cambo’s and Ramrod’s arrival at Harold’s. They make their way out to the poolside cabana to find assembled around the table of truth; Butch Boyer; Chad Cheetah Todd; Boxcar Willey; King Bonser; Lurch Hayden; Noni Scanlon; and the convener Harold P Ouvrier.  Each person has a beer in one hand and a piece of pizza in another. Pleasantries and welcomes are exchanged amongst the throng to Cambo and Ramrod. Then the moment of awkwardness for Cambo, when he was asked whether he would like a beer and he responds with “Actually I am going to have a glass of Red”. There was a deathly silence and Harold’s jaw dropped so low that you could see into his mouth and the unsightliness of half masticated pizza. “I brought a case of it with me” continues Cambo. “Well if that’s the case it’s red wine for everyone then” said Noni Scanlon and the air of awkwardness instantly disappeared. Ramrod then dutifully scurried for the case of red wine and uncorked the first bottle, whilst the banter, which had been stalled by Cambo’s arrival, recommenced in earnest. By the time Cambo’s case of red wine was finished it was 3am and the players were ready for bed. With the first tee time of 5am and a 30 minute drive to the course there would not be time for a sleep, or even a snooze, it would merely be an interlude before the alarm went off.

Many players who attend their first Mongrel Masters recount the excitement they feel when they gather around the first tee with their peers at 5am in the morning, take their first sip of their mandatory warm beer and watch and jeer the field as they tee off. For Cambo, the excitement took a while to set in. You are most probably thinking this is because up until that time he had played in more than 10 major golf tournaments and the Mongrel Masters was just another major to him. Well that was not the reason. When it came for his tee time it was suddenly discovered that he was still asleep in the car that he got a lift to the course in. Apparently no one in the car wanted to wake him up as they wanted him to be disqualified for missing his tee time. It’s a tough school!

Fellow group member Ramrod Ramsey upon realizing the plight that may befall Cambo quickly ran to the car and managed to wake him up in time to make his tee time. But apparently Cambo was in such a deep sleep, he mistook Ramrod’s bald head peering through the window for the grim reaper. Cambo was a so startled and excited by that frightful sight that his heart was in his mouth when he took his drive from the first tee.

Having once got over the excitement, settled his heart and cleared the sleep from his eyes Cambo was also able to overcome the severe handicap of being only allowed to use a Driver and 7 iron to play champagne golf.

However it must be said that it wasn’t easy out on the course for the rookie. Cambo is still to this day to get over the treatment his ball was given by Butch Boyer on the 3^rd hole. Butch, who was in the group ahead, claims that he noticed Cambo’s ball was dirty and he was just doing the hospitable thing of cleaning the rookie’s ball. But to urinate on the ball whilst Cambo is lining up his shot seems to be redefining hospitality. Cambo’s virgin Mongrel Masters experience also brought him much pain and suffering out on the course. This was caused through the compulsory three warm beers that are drunk out on the course whilst experiencing the excruciating ache that comes from a lot of red wine and very little sleep. It was a testament to his character that he was able to overcome such adversity and focus on his game. 

What a game Cambo brought to the tournament!  He played many great shots, but none more memorable than his third shot on the final green, which goes down in Mongrel Masters annals as "The shot". The large gallery that thronged the final green was treated to a shot from Cambo that demonstrated why he is one of the world’s best golfers.  Having overshot the green with his second shot the ball came to rest against a large protruding root of a tree. With little room to swing his club, Cambo took his Driver and proceeded to miraculously swat the ball to within one metre of the pin. Cambo then tidied up the victory with the short putt and became the 2002 Mongrel Masters Champion.

 2002 Results

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