The Bhutan Open

It took me 15 years of golf to make my first hole-in-one. Last week I knocked in a crisp sand wedge from 104 yards on the downhill 10th hole at Royal Thimphu Golf Course. Certainly a memory that will last for as long as I live.

This past weekend presented a similarly significant memory. The 2009 Bhutan Open was held at Royal Thimphu Golf Course. The field was a bit small, only 23 participants, a majority of whom are pretty good players. The guy in the picture above is Thrinley Namgayel (Tillie). Tillie was my caddie for the two rounds, the best I could have hoped for. After two rounds I had zero lost balls, totaling a two day total of 68-68 (+2), good enough for a narrow victory over Nick, an Australian mate who is working as my teaching partner here in Bhutan.

Nick and I were happy to play well, but it was just as encouraging to see the BYGA kids we teach play solid golf as well. Jeevan finished 3rd, Karma 5th, and Dechen 6th. In sum, the BYGA took 5 of the first 6 places, a testament to the hard work we've been putting in.