Despite starting out with admittedly "average play" during the two-day Central Otago Charity Golf Classic, Mr Endicott-Davies left the tournament a record-holder - he is the only golfer to have played in all 40 of the charity tournaments.
Organisers were thrilled but Mr Endicott-Davies almost did not play, tournament convener Garry Anderson said.
He missed the closing date for registrations and was only on the reserve list. He later made it on to the tournament list proper after another player pulled out because of illness. .
But things were still not straightforward.
An unscheduled week in hospital after he had made it on to the tournament list threatened his participation once more, and then a week before the tournament his golfing partner Kerry Hopwood, also of Alexandra, fractured the middle finger of his left hand when he caught it in the door of a truck.
Mr Hopwood said yesterday his strapped finger "hurt every time I took a shot" but he had been determined to play and enjoyed the tournament.
Mr Endicott-Davies said he was pleased to be out of hospital and golfing again in the "beautiful Central Otago weather" during the weekend.
About 260 golfers played in the men's tournament, which was the biggest two-day tournament in New Zealand, and attracted golfers from all over New Zealand and some from Australia, Mr Anderson said.
In the past 39 years, the charity tournament had donated more than $150,000 to Central Otago groups such as Friends of Dunstan Hospital, the Alexandra and Clyde fire brigades, Alexandra St John, Living Options, CanLive and Central Otago@Heart.
This year's recipient is the Otago Rescue Helicopter.
- Pam Jones
