The Players - The Beve Legend 2008

Ryan Montgomery

The 2008 and inaugural Beve Trophy saw the most one sided battle in Beve history. No, not the 7&6 humping that Goldie/ Kealey received in the afternoon fourballs, but the fact that Ryan would win the first ever Beve Legend Award, given to the Beve Competitor that demonstrates the true spirit of the Beve through the sheer mid blowing daft and stupid things they do at, before or during the weekend of the Beve. Now for those that are not aware, Ryan is to reliability what Jim Goldie is to a sponsored silence, i.e. well and truly useless. Be it losing his ability to find his Aunt's flat in Cyprus (see the Gimp for details) or the many other crazy stories not fit for broadcast, Ryan has well and truly been there, done that and got the t-shirt.

Now on to the big day, or lets actually start on the Friday beforehand. Eddie is meant to pick Ryan up at Prestwick Airport on the 9pm Ryanair Flight to transport him to his house for overnight accommodation and forwarding on to the actual comp the next day. However this is Ryan we are talking about and Eddie gets a text to say that he won't be at the airport, that's Alarm Bell No. 1. Then Captain Tonner gets a text to say, don't worry I'll meet you there tomorrow morning at the course, but he knows Ryan all to well, Alarm Bell No. 2. After a sleepless night in Glasgow thinking about how he can play a 16 man golf trophy with 15 men, Captain Tonner calls Monty from his mobile phone at 8am when boarding the bus to travel down to Troon. The phone starts ringing with an international ring tone, Alarm Bell no. 3, and Ryan answers. The chat goes like this.

JT - Hello, RM- Hello, JT - So, Where are you?, RM - I'm five miles from Troon, JT - Ok we are just leaving so see you there, RM - Cool.   

Panic Over, international tone must be his Irish mobile but this is Ryan we are dealing with so panic is never over till we see him actually at the course (see opening paragraph for details). 20 mins later I give him another call.

JT - Hello, RM- Hello, JT - So, you there then? RM - No, i'm three miles from Troon, JT - 3miles! So how are you getting there?, RM - IM ON A BOAT., JT - Christ! Alarm Bell No.4

So we get to the venue and still no Ryan. Captain Tonner is meant to tee off first but has to give up the honour to Darragh (who pulls it in to the rough). Game 1 tees off, Game 2 Tees Off, Game Three tees off and finally Ryan jumps out of a taxi, springs in to life, plays like a god all day after sinking a couple of early morning beers on the ferry and ends up in the Shed till 3am trying his usual annoy a bird till they talk to me pulling technique.

Mr Kealey summed it all up perfectly 'With Ryan there is always a story to tell for years afterwards' and in 2008 he did not disappoint.