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Great shots,

greater memories

By Bruce Penton

Bruce Dwight
North Kearns

n Jack McDiarmid’s eyes, Bruce North of Carmen has marvelled McDiarmid. North went on to defeat Clark in
nearly legendary status when it comes to the annual the the playoff for medallist honours.
ITamarack golf tournament. “It was the second-best shot I’ve ever seen in my life.”
“He hit shots I’d never seen before,” said McDiarmid, a Second-best? North had the best shot, too, said
regular rival of North’s in the championship flight, and a McDiarmid, detailing a miraculous second shot from the
good friend. right rough on the 13th hole. His ball went through the
“And without a doubt, he’s the most gentlemanly player I fairway, landed on a downslope on some dried and packed
ever played against,” said McDiarmid. “He’s out there mud, with the ball about six or eight inches below his feet.
cheering for you. The only guy I ever saw, other than Garth “I was convinced he was going to hit a long iron and play to
Collings, who was actually cheering for you while playing hit the green in three but when I looked back, he’d taken
against him in a match.” his three-wood out,” said McDiarmid. “He went over two
One round — one hole, in particular— will never leave sets of trees with that three-wood. His ball mark was about
McDiarmid’s memory when it comes to North lore. three feet over the (greenside) trap and he made eagle.”
“It was the late ’80s or early ’90s and we were playing While North may have been the author of two
together in the second qualifying round,” McDiarmid recalls. memorable shots, McDiarmid says the Tamarack’s best
“Bruce was 74 in the first round and even (par) in the second match-play golfer ever, in his mind, is Brandon’s Bob
as we teed off 18. Somebody came back and told us that Cornell.
Brian Clark had finished at 144, even par, and looked like he A two-time Tamarack champ, ‘Plumber’ was never out of
was going to win the medal.” a match, said McDiarmid.
The steely determination of North took over. “I gotta make “I remember one match I was three up with five to go
a two, Jack,” said North. “Gotta make a two.” against Bob,” said McDiarmid. “I thought I had things under
McDiarmid said North took such a vicious swing at the tee control, but …”
ball on the par-4 18th that “the trees were moving,” but Cornell rattled off a birdie-par-birdie-birdie run on the
overswinging led to a relatively short drive that landed next four holes to tie the match on the 17th green.
about 110 yards from the green on the 335-yard hole. McDiarmid, somewhat rattled, popped up his drive on 18
“He got up to his ball, walked all the way up to the green, and had a full nine-iron into the green. Cornell’s drive,
took a good look at the pin, and walked back. He hit a sand meanwhile, landed on the fringe of the green. But match
wedge and, unbelievably, it took two bounces and went in,” play being match play, McDiarmid knocked his nine-iron to
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