Richard Knightly triumphed at the Senior Scratch Cup at Laytown & Bettystown, but took an extraordinary route to the trophy
Locking your keys in your own car. You’ve all done it before, but always wonder how on earth you managed it.
Richard Knightly was left in this quandary before playing in the Laytown & Bettystown Senior Scratch Cup in Ireland at the weekend.
The 35-year-old, who has been a member at Royal Dublin since the age of 12, took a 7-iron out of his bag to hit a few balls in the net, as there is no range at the County Meath venue.
Down went his car boot door with his clubs and car keys now locked inside. Things were made more awkward when realising he needed to drive to the 14th tee for the shotgun start.
“It was about 7.30 in the morning,” Richard told NCG. “I didn’t have any stuff and I couldn’t even drive home if I wanted to – which was very funny.
“And then if you ring the AA on a Sunday morning at 7.30, they’re not going to come too quickly.
“There’s a little tiny window in the back of the car – the irony is I know this because someone tried to break into my car before and that’s how they got in – so I knew if you go through that window, you can pop it open.
“The first time, it didn’t break at all, and the second time with the 7-iron, I popped the window. I got my hand in and got the door open.”
Knightly could be forgiven for thinking this was the start of a day to forget, but this couldn’t have been further from the truth as he made an almighty recovery.
He shot rounds of 73 and 69 to finish at the top of the leaderboard and could’ve won the tournament outright if it wasn’t for a bogey on the last hole.
But Richard, a pharmacist off the course, entered a playoff with Caolan Rafferty of Dundalk which he eventually won on the third hole.
Now a +4 handicapper, Richard has a busy schedule ahead with the West of Ireland Championship at County Sligo and the Lytham Trophy on the horizon.
He will hope to begin these tournaments in a far less stressful fashion…
