A week before Dan heads off to SoS territory for a six month stint of work doctoring at Shepparton Hospital, Charles is packing his bags for a stint of lawyering in London (he might be there already given the delay in getting this blog written).
In Charles last week before heading off, he and Dan, both on the same handicap (19) went toe to toe all day.
Charles stood on the 18th tee with his nose in front by one shot and feeling confident the bragging rights would be his.
With their mate Sebastian (one of three guests who joined us on the day) looking on, Charles fluffed his way down the 18th and put a 5 for 1 on his scorecard for a 36 points total. This left Dan facing a tricky curling right to left 6 footer for a 4 for 2 to join Charles on that score. After various deliberations checking the line, and with Sebastian getting out the phone to film the putt, adding to the pressure of the moment, Dan managed to roll it in and join Charles with the clubhouse lead.
On the day, by the time announcements were made and the winners photo taken, Charles and Dan were declared the joint winners. This didn’t factor in Blighty’s flighty accounting. When Harry got to checking of the cards, Blighty was upgraded from 35 to 36 points and joined Charles and Dan in a triple dead heat for the first.
Blighty’s elevation from 2nd to equal first means all the placegetters announced on the day snuck up one place.
The other guests who joined us this week were Joe Walton and Dan McArdle who played with Peps and CJ. We won’t talk about Peps last three holes – 3 pars would have seen him with 37 points and the win, but instead it was a bogey, bogey, double bogey finish and 33 points which was still good enough for 3rd place points.
Joining Old Reliable Craig on 34 points in 2nd was CJ who Dan Mc and Joe said played remarkably well especially given his extreme jet leg – an apparently very strenuous world whiskey tour on Friday night.
SoS, off the back of a variation on his usual adventures on the 17th (one ball in the Yarra to the left, the next into the pond on the right) signed for 31 points and 4th placed points, while Michael (after the Blighty adjustment) managed to sneak in a championship point for 5th with 30 points. Harry, Raj and Stan were the others in the field of 11 playing for points, plus the 3 guests.
We are going the short blog this week – given the lateness of publication, and none of you ever read it to the end anyway, so just a few highlights.
Charles was very enamoured with his new driver, a Taylor Made Stealth 2, bought with a thank-you voucher from his workplace. It certainly worked better than his old driver – a Cleveland of his dad’s, said to be of late 90’s/early 2000’s vintage. Charles drive on the 10th was as good as Stef or Beast in their prime, a big high draw over the trees and a wedge in. Has Stef passed his prime I wonder?
SoS had a very interesting journey down the 14th. Having hit it out on the 16th fairway off the tee he was somewhat mesmerised waiting and watching and watching and waiting and watching some more as Dan stood over his shot into the 16th green. Dan has been known to take his time standing over the ball and SoS became worried Dan had fallen asleep. Ever patient, SoS might have quietly mentioned his concern to Dan. The whole experience of being quiet and patient obviously did SoS no harm as he lobbed his next on to the 14th green and then rattled in a monster putt for the birdie.
Blighty lost his first ball on the 17th but made a near eagle with his second ball, a crucial rescue to keeping his score ticking along. Craig made a monster birdie putt on the 5th after missing a tiddler on the previous hole (such a stupid game golf). Like Peps, quite a few “if onlys” for Craig who could easily have finished higher on the podium. There were only 4 birdies across the field for the day which must be close to a record low.
The nearest the pins were closely fought. Craig won the money on the 15th with a shot to 4.17 metres. The tee was down the bottom so a much easier shot this week than normal.
CJ came within an inch or two of knocking Craig off for the money, but had to settle instead for knocking Michael off for the ball on the 18th. His 6 iron there to 1.91 metres was a beauty. Peps won the ball on the 4th, a tidy little 9 iron in there.
The coming fortnight is the two rounds of our next major, the Fred Howe Winter Cup. Indeed Melbourne looks like it is turning on some serious winter to get ourselves in the groove for the Fred Howe.
With double points on offer, watch out for Raj and Brendan to make a run at Michael’s lead in the Club Championship, not to mention Prez Priems, SoS, Porks, Harry, Craig, Bobby and CJ who could all vault up the leader board with a win. Johnny Q could too if he turns up.
Results for Saturday, 13 Jul 2024
1st Andrew Blight (36) 1st Charles Gibbs (36) 1st Dan Marie (36) 2nd Craig Cameron (34) 2nd Chris Priems (34) 3rd Andrew Petricola (33) 4th Stephen O’Sullivan (31) 5th Michael Gourlay (30)
Seniors Results: 1st Andrew Blight (36) 2nd Chris Priems (34) 2nd Craig Cameron (34) 3rd Michael Gourlay (30)
Nearest the Pin Results: ProPin – 15th Craig Cameron BallPin No 1 – 4th Andrew Petricola BallPin No 2 – 18th Chris Priems