COL Wormleaton and Neil Duffus are girding the ears for a day of gentle banter - as they attempt to play four rounds of golf back-to-back for a mighty cause.
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The 72-hole challenge - dubbed 'The Longest Day' by the Cancer Council - will run locally at The Island Golf Course at Nambucca Heads, and for Col, participation is personal.
Col was diagnosed five years ago with Stage 4 melanoma.
Six months after a skin check, Col saw his doctor about a small freckle on his back which the doctor biopsied as a precaution. The first words the doctor said when the results came back were - "I'm sorry".
Col learned it was inoperable as further investigations revealed the cancer had spread to his liver and a lump developed under his arm the size of a "grapefruit".
"I was given the choice of having medication via IV drip or taking a tablet, both of which had horrendous side-effects. Fortunately, because I had a certain gene, the medication proved effective," Col said.
However, it did cause nerve damage, particularly in his feet, along with a number of other side-effects, but the tumours continued to shrink. Col therefore walks the golf course barefooted.
The Nambucca Heads Island Golf Club has supported this event since its inception four years ago - and Col ('Wormo') and Neil ('Duffo') have been onboard since Day Dot.
Wormo will ride in a club-provided cart for the 72 holes, while Duffo will hike it: "He has shoes and I don't," Col chirped.
And while it will be fun, they'll keep score in a stableford format.
"Duffo is on a 24 handicap and he let's you know about it too - he'll say 'I'm putting for five a three'," bemoaned Wormo, an A Grade nine-marker.
The incorrigible pair are looking to start their 72-hole marathon at around 6am, and reckon they should be done and dusty about nine-and-a-half hours later.
"We'll be fast. There will be no practise swings and we won't be really looking for any lost balls - just move on to the next tee," Wormo said.
Duffo can't wait for the event on December 14, and reckons next year he'd like to try for 100 holes in the day. "He says that every year," Wormo noted.
If you would like to support Col and Neil's fundraising efforts in helping to find a cure for cancer, go to their fundraising page and donate:
All funds raised will go towards Cancer Council's life-saving cancer research, support services, prevention programs and advocacy campaigns.
"As a result of the economic impacts of the coronavirus, there will be less funding available for vital cancer research, prevention programs, and information and support services," Cancer Council's Coffs Coast community relations coordinator Brittany Raven said.
"But thanks to the generosity of the Nambucca Valley region, we can continue to support people impacted by cancer. It is the support of people like Neil and Col that allows us to continue our work."
The Longest Day can be held at your local golf club with friends and fellow members anytime during December. It is not necessary to play the full 72 holes. This year, the Cancer Council is inviting participants to try playing either two, three or four rounds of golf in one day.
If you would like to participate in The Longest Day, sign up at https://www.longestday.org.au/ and tee off to support a cancer free future.
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