Result - Captain’s Prize. Queen’s. Yellow Tee. Stableford. Sat Sept 13th.

🦅 Captain’s Prize – Queen’s Course Report

Another chapter in the long history of the Captain’s Prize unfolded on the Queen’s Course, and as always it delivered stories of triumph, drama, and — inevitably — muttering in the clubhouse about “what might have been.” When the totals were tallied, one man stood above all:

🎉 Jonathan “Jonny” Dickson – The 2025 Captain’s Prize Champion!
With a brilliant 38 Stableford points, Dickson edged the field to claim the famous Brass Eagle, writing his name alongside generations of Club champions.

🏌️‍♂️ The Champion’s Round – Bouncebackability!

Jonny’s card had it all:

A wobble on the 15th, where he pencilled in a “7” and threatened to derail his round.
But immediately followed by a birdie on the 16th – a textbook display of what the pros love to call bouncebackability.
His putter then betrayed him at the last with a three‑putt on 18, sparking post‑round groans (and several retellings) in the bar.

Nevertheless, 38 points proved uncatchable, his name etched into the prize roll for 2025.

📉 The Fate of the Favourites

Billy Z McNeill – 34 pts
At long last, Billy looked set to shake his “nearly man” tag. A tidy 87 gross on the Queen’s had him in the hunt, his 35 points keeping him in contention. But it wasn’t quite enough this time. For Billy, another strong showing, another tale of “close but no cigar.”

Kevin Beattie – 34 pts
A fine 82 gross yielding 35 points, and while competitive, it never quite threatened Dickson’s mark. Importantly, Beattie avoided last year’s headline‑making “tee shot dispersion record.” Progress noted.

Douglas Hamilton – 29 pts
The defending champion simply never got going. Sixes littered the early holes, and the Queen’s, usually his happy hunting ground, proved merciless. A humbling day for the 2024 winner.

Bill Sexton – 35 pts
Another what‑if story. Sexton stood on 36 heading up 18, only to carve his tee shot into the wilderness, sacrificing not only points but yet another Fulham FC logo golf ball. His total dropped back to 34.

Crawford Gray – (unreported, not troubling the top table)
Crawford’s post‑round lament was less about swing path or club selection and more about… shaving. “My skin felt like sandpaper all day,” he sighed — perhaps the Queen’s fairways aren’t forgiving to stubble. If only Gillette awarded Stableford points.

🏆 Final Roll of Honour

Winner – Captain’s Prize Champion 2025: Jonathan Dickson – 38 pts
Challengers: Billy Z McNeill & Kevin Beattie – 35 pts
Strong Effort: Bill Sexton – 34 pts (until that 18th tee shot)
Defending Champ Humbled: Douglas Hamilton – 29 pts

📝 Correspondent’s Reflection

The Captain’s Prize, with roots back to 1949, has once again woven together tradition, triumph, and post‑round anecdotes worth repeating for weeks.

Jonny Dickson showed nerves of steel, a birdie’s bounce after disaster, and just enough cushion to survive the clubhouse retelling of his closing three‑putt.
The nearly men — McNeill, Beattie, Sexton — will rue their misses, though each delivered glimpses of form.
And somewhere in the rough, another Fulham‑branded golf ball lies as testament to how this game can snatch points from the brave.

This year, though, belonged to Jonny. The Brass Eagle has a new perch — in the hands of a worthy champion.

Congratulations, Jonathan Dickson – the 2025 Captain’s Prize winner! 🦅🍾

Taz