Perhaps the greatest golfer never to win a Media Masters, Peter 'Bookie' Jeffery, has finally broken through and etched his name on the historic silver claret jug.
The 'always the bridesmaid, never the bride' reputation (he has been runner-up five times) was shrugged off at the end of June at the traditional three-day blast in the heat of the Siam Country Club.
And not only did he win the Masters, but in a hastily organised evening playoff for the Media Classic (a two-day tournament played in Macau in March which ended in a controversial draw), Bookie despatched rival Didier 'Escargot' Guerin to the dustbin of golfing history.
It was a momentous week for Bookie, who turns 50 on July 6, a date which will probably go down in history as Bookie Independence Day.
The week marks not only his coming of age and his victory in the Masters and the Classic, but also his recent departure from Reader's Digest.
The exit from the corporate world and his involvement in his entrepreneurial company Asian Integrated Media have certainly catalysed his creative juices.
But back to the golfing details. In this, the 23rd Media Masters, Bookie finished at five under par 211 for the tournament to claim a four stroke Masters victory and the fabled Green Jacket.
Runner-up Jonathan Badman was matching Jeffery stroke for stroke until late in the match but fell victim to the infamous Amen Corner, carding double bogies while Bookie steadily forged home. Low gross winner Francois Theron of UBC and Jim Robinson of Hongkong Land were tied for joint third at level par 216. Now all eyes turn to the Media Open on July 9 at Discovery Bay, Hong Kong, where Bookie will attempt to become the first player to pull off the Grand Slam of Media golf.
