Peter Murray

20 years ago I went to to a Jack Black Weekend Seminar in Glasgow and certainly came away from it feeling very enthused. About a week later I noticed an advertisement in The Independent for a competition to win the chance to 'Challenge Jean van de Velde down the 18th at Carnoustie'. Golfers amongst you will know about him but, for those who are not. he stood on the 18th tee with a three shot lead - a big lead - in the 1999 Open Championship but 20 minutes later he'd lost his lead and went into a play off which he lost. Although he had lost the most famous championship in golf I admired the way Van de Velde (publicly, at least) coped with his misfortune and, in Kipling's words really did 'treat those two impostors - triumph and disaster just the same'. So I really was keen to win a place on the 'Challenge'. I duly entered The Independent competition and also did so on Van de Velde's website. I later gathered there were several local papers countrywide and a golf magazine on which you could also enter, producing 12 winners. Given my very positive mood I was remarkably confident of winning a pot.....and so it happened. When we arrived at the Carnoustie Golf Hotel the nght before the lady from the organisers asked "Which of you is Peter Murray?" When I raised my hand she said "You're a freak! You won in The Independent AND on Jean's website!