Haider Cup 2016 Recap
By Riyaz Jessa
Year: 2016
Host City: Vancouver
Winner: Team Canada
When we say Haider Cup is more than golf, we mean it. You only have to be a part of it, to appreciate it. Sure each one of us wants to win and take home maximum points, but as in any competition there are winners and there are losers; except in HC, there are no losers.
HC 2016 was as wonderful an event as any of the past HC’s. Each one of these competitions is unique and stands the test of time. New friendships are formed, old ones renewed; bonds are strengthened between individuals and communities.
We see wily old veterans carve their clubs to compete with the brash long hitting youths. We note the ever growing youthful presence that keeps us in awe of their powerful drives, towering iron shots and fearless approach to the game. But with the youth it is not always about hitting it long; they have great temperament, behave with admirable sportsmanship and respect. They smile, admire great shots, respond well to adverse conditions and mold well in the Haider Cup tradition. Absolutely awesome!
It is fabulous to see how the game has developed within our community. This is probably one of the first HC’s that had so many low handicap (many scratch) players participating. Hey old fogies (including myself), sharpen up before we have to introduce tier 3 for you. Many of these youths started playing at HC as 18, 20, 25 handicaps, and in merely a few short years they have not only grown taller but have matured well between the ears whilst lowering their handicaps significantly.
This year’s HC was dueled in beautiful Vancouver and amazingly it rained zero times; clear skies, warm winds and sunshine galore were the weather menu for the week. It started off Thursday evening with the teams meeting at the wonderful Az-Zahra Mosque for evening prayers and dinner. Drum roll as the captains and organizing committees welcomed the players and the first day’s pairings were announced. Looking around the room, you could not help but notice the friendly atmosphere gather steam with old friends reminiscing previous HC’s, their families and lives, whilst new comers starting to get comfortable as they got introduced to one another. Nothing like good food, great company and an awesome event to make it all come together; it is akin to biryani, mithai and a cuppa good chai (hey, after all I am a Khoja).
Day 1 – Played At Northview Golf Club – Canal Course. Result: Canada 7 – USA 5.
I am sure each foursome has a story to share (send them in and we will). Rest assured each and every player gave it their best efforts, but at the end of the day the results favoured Canada.
It’s always good to start without being behind on day 2, but the differential was merely 2 points and it was not too much of a concern to the US captains and their team. For the Canadians it was the start they wanted and of course the strategy was to continue building on the lead.
Day 2 – Played at Northview Golf Club – Ridge Course. Canada 14 – USA 10
The day started with sunshine galore. The course was tighter than the previous one but the result once again favoured the Canadians as they increased their lead by 4 points after 2 days. A four point lead is not significant but the Canadians were extremely happy with it and players were aware the third day would be a battle with 24 points on the line. It was still anyone’s trophy.
Perhaps there was a bit more pressure on the Canadians, having lost significantly at Streamsong in 2015, it was time to redeem themselves, but they would have to fight hard as the US side was not going to roll over and die.
Before we look at the last day and the mano-a-mano battle, let’s take this time to thank the captains, organizers and those little guys who stay in the shadows but play a significant role in making the event fun and complete. The food for all three days (both lunch and dinner), was just amazing; tasty, varied and enough to feed the next Haider Cup event.
One had to be extremely cautious with the yummy lunch sandwiches provided in little brown bags; shawarmas, burgers, drinks, granola bars, water and what have you. Get distracted by it, eat a bit much and wham you were down a hole or two just like that. I personally blame the lunch on the last day for my loss, the fact that my opponent played very well was of no significance.
Day 3 – Played At The Mayfair Golf Club Canada 27.5 – USA 20.5
The perfect day; warm and sunny, no it was hot! Most players took advantage of the live scoring capability on the new HC website and scores and standings were simply clicks away to follow. It certainly added a buzz and excitement to the event.
As the round progressed, it was challenging to predict the final result with many of the matches being extremely close and going back and forth. As combatants rolled in one by one, it started to look like Canada’s day when they rattled off seven consecutive points, but hold on, the Americans were no push over; they fought back with five straight points of their own to make a game of it. In the end though those four points lead from the first two days was significant and Canadians took HC 2016 by merely seven points; which as we all know is a lot closer than it sounds.
Congrats Canada! View Final Leaderboard
As mentioned previously; we now have a Haider Cup website (yes, with live scoring capabilities). Hopefully we can muster up some past photos, results and stories to ensure some semblance of history to look back at with nostalgia. If you have something to share please feel free to forward it to HC organizers to be included on the website.
HC and Charity:
There is much more than what meets the eye at a typical HC event. Besides competition and comradeship there is a significance of giving back to the community at large. Each year a special charity is chosen and HC participants make huge contributions towards the chosen charity’s cause. This year HumanKIND was the charity of choice and over $22,000 was raised in the form of scholarships, family and individual aid. We were educated on how HumanKIND makes an impact in people’s lives regardless of religion. I must mention that Mohamed Walji of Canada always plays an important role when it comes to help in raising funds; his humor and passion are directly proportional to the amount raised when it comes to auctioning items for charity; kudos to him. Kudos also to all those contributors who constantly make a significant difference in other people’s lives with their generous donations; May ALLAH(SWT) bless you all with more to give (Ameen).
Final Presentation:
Haider Cup events are always bitter sweet. Sweet because it brings us all together and rekindles our bonds. Bitter, because we have to wait a whole year for the next one. This year’s closing ceremonies were no different as we parted ways to our homes and families but not before a well prepared BBQ at the Az-Zahra Mosque. We were again treated to a variety of finger licking foods; chicken, burgers, fries, potato wedges and topped it with warm berry tarts and ice cream…YUMMY! Thank you to all the volunteers for a great BBQ.
As the players basked outside in the setting sun; enjoying the food and company, you could hear them (as typical golfers do) sharing their stories of missed putts and shanks and coulda, shoulda, woulda excuses; “Ah, if I had made that 5 footer, it could have made a difference to the end result”…….. Well, perhaps next year my good friend, perhaps next year. Next year though, you better come with game.
As per the captains and organizers; expect a new city, a new venue in 2017.
Haider Cup 2016 Final Schedule
Haider Cup 2016 is being hosted in scenic Vancouver at the following courses;
Day 1 –Northview Golf – Canal Scorecard Northview Golf & Country Club – Canal Course
Day 2 –Northview Golf – Ridge Scorecard Northview Golf & Country Club – Ridge Course
Day 3 – Mayfair Lakes Golf Scorecard Mayfair Lakes Golf And Country Club
All courses have review ratings of 4.5 out of 5. Practice rounds are planned at the Mayfair club. If you have any concerns or questions, kindly reach out to your Team Captains.
