Winning new car 'a handicap'

WHEN Tony Howell heard he had won a brand new Peugeot 208 in The Herald and Weekend Post Win a Car competition, his hands started shaking so badly that the game of golf he played later that day was nothing short of a disaster.

And to make matters worse, he had to wait until the official announcement today to explain to his mates why he could not make the simplest putt.

Garden service owner Howell, 59, and his wife, Lynette, 61, said they were over the moon about winning. "[It feels] awesome," she said.

The couple were at their Rowallan Park home when they learnt that they had won.

"When the lady phoned me [on Wednesday] saying we had won the car, I was taken aback. I was totally speechless. It's absolutely amazing. It's God's grace. It's God's blessing. It's answered prayers," Howell said.

The couple's lucky ticket was picked out of 158563 entries. "We entered from the very first day," Howell said.

While he is delighted about winning the car, he joked that it in no way improved his golf handicap.

"[On Wednesday] I had the worst game of golf. When [I was told] not to tell anybody I left home thinking: 'How am I going to play golf?' I was shaking and my mates said: 'Tony, what is wrong? Why are you playing so badly?' All I could [say] was that I couldn't tell them. I had the worst round. I shot a 91," he said.

The Howells plan to give their old car to their daughter-in-law, who has to leave home each morning at 6.20am to walk her son to creche, then catch the bus to work.

"[My wife] asked the Lord to let us win, if it was His will," Tony said. They plan to surprise their daughter-in-law with the good news today.

The couple drove the car straight home from the Peugeot offices in Cape Road, with Lynette getting the first chance behind the wheel.

"We're planning to go down to the Garden Route on November 30 for our wedding anniversary. We'll have been married for 39 years then and will definitely be taking the Peugeot with us," Tony said.

Peugeot general manager Johnathan McConkey said it was nice to know the car had gone where it was much needed.