What can you say? The Championship has been decided pretty much for weeks, but is Oliver satisfied? No way, after tearing the course apart last Saturday AND Sunday he came back to give it another work-out today. The conditions as far as the weather was concerned were as good as we have had for quite a while and it is a bit of a shame that the numbers partaking were not greater than the 17 or so who turned up. It seems that the delicacies that Oliver turned out on the bar-b-que afterwards were not enough to tempt more to turn up. Oh well, those who were there will be able to gloat about the marinated chops and chicken wings, gourmet sausages and beef and bacon burgers that were available in plenty. Not to mention the pide and wholegrain sourdough to keep your fingers from getting sticky. There was also some dead horse but it seemed a shame to spoil the fare by slathering it with the indeterminate substances that they pass off in squeeze bottles these days.
Back to the golf. Oliver’s form did slip a little from last week and he only managed a 73 off the stick to card a 65 nett. His playing partners report that he duffed quite a few off the tee. Must have been some great recovery shots if that was the case. Needless to say that the Championship was deservedly his by a country mile.
Targe was more than a little miffed that he was pipped at the post again to go through the year without a win to his name. A swag of good placings did stand him in good stead though and he was well up in the Championship Table. His nett 66 cost him a little on the handicap front, just in time for the start of the new Competition Year.
Following closely behind and obviously positioning himself for the upcoming Vin O’Meara was the little tear-away Zimmer who put together a very respectable 74 off the beater for a 67 nett. He was closely followed by Pepsi and Harry who both played to their handicap with nett 68. Last in the points parade was AndrewB who got in by the skin of his teeth by handing his card in during the presentations to tip Brendon out of the list with a 69 – his favourite number.
This week was also the first round of the 2013 Club Stroke Play Championship and scores carded by those who played today over the next two weeks will be aggregated with your playing handicap for this week to determine the winner of this new event. Can somebody please knee-cap Oliver?
Can you believe it, but the nearest the Pin for the ball on the 12th didn’t go off, partly down to the fact that somebody didn’t put their name on it because they thought they would be too far away and they wanted to save the ink. The ProPin on the 18th (no Jackpot despite Gordons best efforts) was won by Gordon who was the only one to get close it seems. Despite the seeming lack of accuracy, there were 11 birdies so there must have been a fair number on the longer holes.
Keith (not his distant cousin Frank) was back on the track today to put in his second card on the come-back trail. Pepsi was another one who might have been looking out for position in the Vin O’Meara as he was going great guns for about 12 holes and then the wheels seemed to fall off. Mehmet was also off his best in that group and Chrispy claims that this put him off his game as well. Harry started off not at his best with doubles and a triple on the first three and that included a draughtie on the third which went awfully close to being an airie. The long rough didn’t help the second shot much either.
When people stopped stuffing themselves from the bar-b-que, there was then the important business of the Calcutta Auction which ended up going quite well despite the small numbers present. There was a certain amount of one-up-manship in some of the bidding but in the end most ended up being about fair value. There were a few doubtful starters sold so if you haven’t made your intentions clear could you please do so so that we can finalise the pool. Don’t forget that, if you have been bought by somebody, you have the option to take up a half share in the pool for half of the bid price. If you don’t take up that option before the event starts you have forfeited any claim. For those that wish to, there will be nominations next week before the round for the fixed price pool. You buy your-self for $25 – best nett score(s) in the pool take all.
We are also coming up to the Annual General Meeting and the nomination and election of the Committee for the coming year. If there is a role that you would like to contest, please put your hand up as soon as possible so that the necessary paper-work can be put in place in time for the meeting on 21 December. Don’t forget this is also the Stuart Clarke Champion of Champions and Break-up event.
Results for Saturday, 30 November 2013
1st Oliver Gross(65) 2nd Targe Mifsud(66) 3rd Kazim Akdag(67) 4th Harry Boughen(68) 4th Andrew Petricola(68) 5th Andrew Blight(69)