SPORTS

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SPORTS

Crumpton Oaks Cider Monday Pool League

Results & Standings Sept. 23 (week 7)

Division 1

Team P W L +/- BP Pts.

The Butchers Arms 7 6 1 22 0 18

Shoot Pool 5 5 0 12 0 15

I-Rovers 6 3 3 7 1 10

Smile Bar 5 3 2 3 1 10

Links Bar 7 3 4 -1 1 10

Legends Pool 5 3 2 6 0 9

Sweethearts Bar 5 2 3 -8 1 7

Pook’s Bar 4 1 3 -5 0 3

Nicky’s Bar 5 1 4 -22 0 3

Acorn Pub 5 0 5 -14 2 2

Results: Pook’s Bar P-P Nicky’s Bar, Shoot Pool 10 v 8 Links Bar, Smile Bar P-P Legends Pool, Sweethearts Bar 10 v 9 Acorn Pub, The Butchers Arms 10 v 6 I-Rovers

Division 2

Team P W L +/- BP Pts.

Offshore Bar 6 5 1 22 1 16

Easyr-Con Bar 6 5 1 19 0 15

Shoot Pool ‘B’ 6 5 1 13 0 15

The Caddyshack 5 3 2 10 1 10

Cheers Bar 6 3 3 -3 0 9

Dean’s Bar 7 3 4 -6 0 9

Mai’s Bar 6 2 4 -4 0 6

Rabbi’s Elephant 6 2 4 -16 0 6

Wet Bar 5 1 4 -8 0 3

Wombat Bar 7 1 6 -27 0 3

Results: Mai’s Bar 8 v 10 Easy R-Con Bar, Offshore Bar 10 v 7 Dean’s Bar, Rabbi’s Elephant 10 v 7 Cheers Bar, The Caddyshack 9 v 10 Shoot Pool ‘B’, Wet Bar 5 v 10 Wombat Bar

British Bar Snacks Friday Pool League

Results & Standings Sept. 27 (week 6)

Division 1

Team P W L +/- BP Pts

Easy R-Con Bar 5 4 1 12 0 12

Shoot Pool ‘A’ 5 3 2 11 1 10

Mata Bar 6 3 3 4 1 10

Pook’s Bar 5 3 2 4 0 9

Legends Pool 5 3 2 3 0 9

The Butchers Arms 5 3 2 -2 0 9

Acorn Pub 6 2 4 -16 1 7

Links Bar 4 2 2 -4 0 6

Sweethearts Bar 5 0 5 -12 1 1

Results: Acorn Pub 4 v 10 Shoot Pool ‘A’, Easy R-Con Bar 10 v 8 Pook’s Bar, Legends Pool 4 v 10 Mata Bar, The Butchers Arms 10 v 9 Sweethearts Bar

Division 2

Team P W L +/- BP Pts

Shoot Pool ‘B’ 5 4 1 17 1 13

Smile Bar 5 4 1 7 0 12

Old Thai Angle 5 4 1 6 0 12

FCUK Inn 5 3 2 0 1 10

Dean’s Bar 5 3 2 8 0 9

Crazy Eddie’s 6 2 4 -2 1 7

Tie’s R Us 6 2 4 -8 0 6

I-Rovers 5 1 4 -8 0 3

Offshore Bar 6 1 5 -20 0 3

Results: Crazy Eddie’s 8 v 10 Shoot Pool ‘B’, Dean’s Bar 7 v 10 Old Thai Angle, FCUK Inn 9 v 10 Offshore Bar, Tie’s R Us 5 v 10 Smile Bar

Division 3

Team P W L +/- BP Pts

The Stag’s Head 5 5 0 25 0 15

The Rest Stop 6 4 2 15 0 12

Mai’s Bar 5 4 1 9 0 12

Buffalo Jacks 6 3 3 3 1 10

Wet Bar 4 2 2 0 0 6

Rabbi’s Elephant 5 2 3 -9 0 6

The Queen Vic 6 2 4 -11 0 6

The Ranch 4 1 3 -6 0 3

Connections 5 0 5 -26 0 0

Results: Buffalo Jacks 4 v 10 The Stag’s Head, Connections 4 v 10 The Ranch, Mai’s Bar 10 v 5 The Queen Vic, The Rest Stop 10 v 8 Wet Bar

Pattaya 8-Ball Monday Pool League

Results & Standings Sept. 23 (week 3)

Team Played Won Lost For Agst Diff. Pts.

Phimai Geordie 3 3 0 32 13 19 9

The Rest Stop 3 3 0 31 14 17 9

San Snack Bar 3 2 1 29 16 13 7

Crazy Eddie’s 3 2 1 27 18 9 7

Mata Bar 3 2 1 26 19 7 7

Shoot Pool 3 2 1 25 20 5 7

Rising Sun 3 1 2 21 24 -3 5

Buffalo Jack’s 3 1 2 20 25 -5 5

Mee Chew 3 1 2 18 27 -9 5

Cum On Inn 3 1 2 17 28 -11 5

Connections 3 0 3 13 32 -19 3

Parrot Inn 3 0 3 11 34 -23 3

Results: Phimai Geordie 9 v 6 Crazy Eddie’s, Rising Sun 6 v 9 Cum On Inn, San Snack Bar 12 v 3 Parrot Inn, Connections 2 v 13 The Rest Stop, Shoot Pool 10 v 5 Mee Chew, Buffalo Jack’s 7 v 8 Mata Bar

Dolly Dalton Jomtien Pool League

Results & Standings Sept. 25 (week 18)

Team Played Won Lost Bonus Pts

Party Girls 18 17 1 1 52

Winners Bar 18 15 3 3 48

Country Road 17 15 2 2 47

Jimmy’s Den 18 12 6 6 42

Woaw’s Bar 17 11 6 5 38

Flying Dolphin 17 10 7 5 35

Simple Simon 18 9 9 8 35

DK bar 18 7 11 10 31

Shenanigans 17 8 9 6 30

Aussie Ally’s 17 7 10 9 30

Rioja 18 7 11 6 27

Take Care Bar 17 5 12 10 25

Windmill Bar 17 5 12 10 25

Lion Pub 17 3 14 9 18

Wombat Bar 18 0 18 6 6

Results: DK Bar 8 v 7 Jimmy’s Den, Rioja 4 v 11 Party Girls, Wombat Bar 4 v 11 Flying Dolphins, Windmill Bar 7 v 8 Take Care Bar, Simple Simon 4 v 11 Country Road, Winners Bar 8 v 7 Woaw’s Bar, Lion Pub 5 v 10 Shenanigans

WKD Tuesday Darts League

Results & Standings Sept. 24 (week 20)

Team P W L B/legs Pts.

Londoner 20 18 2 15 36

I-Rovers 20 18 2 13 36

Mee Chew Sports Bar 20 15 5 13 30

Shoot Pool Roxy 20 14 6 13 28

Buffalo Jack’s 20 14 6 13 28

W. Tankies 20 13 7 9 26

Crazy Eddies 20 9 11 10 18

Jantha Coffee House 20 8 12 10 16

Shoot Pool 20 7 13 10 14

Mai’s Bar 20 7 13 9 14

Yates Bar 20 6 14 7 12

Nervous Wreck 20 5 15 10 10

Scandalic 20 3 17 7 6

Cum on Inn 20 3 17 1 6

Results: Cum On Inn (5-0)-(6-1) v W. Tankies, Mai’s Bar (2-1)-(8-0) v I-Rovers, Mee Chew Sports Bar (9-0)-(3-1) v Jantha Coffee House, Nervous Wreck (6-1)-(4-0) v Shoot Pool, Scandalic (3-1)-(7-0) v Buffalo Jack’s, Shoot Pool Roxy (3-0)-(12-1) v Londoner, Yates Bar (3-0)-(6-1) v Crazy Eddies

Legends Wednesday 9-Ball Pool League

Results & Standings Sept. 25 (week 14)

Team P W D L +/- Pts.

Shoot Pool 12 9 2 1 60 29

Mata Bar 12 9 1 2 60 28

Easy R-Con Bar 12 9 0 3 30 27

Pook’s Bar 14 8 2 4 34 26

Legends Pool 12 8 1 3 22 25

Links Bar 12 7 3 2 40 24

George & Dragon 14 4 1 9 -40 13

Legends All-Stars 11 3 3 5 -32 12

FCUK Inn 13 2 3 8 -38 9

Queen Vic 12 2 2 8 -34 8

Wet Bar 14 1 3 10 -64 6

Buffalo Jacks 12 0 5 7 -38 5

Results: Buffalo Jacks 10 v 10 Pook’s Bar, FCUK Inn 10 v 10 Legends All-Stars, George & Dragon 7 v 13 Shoot Pool, Legends Pool 12 v 8 Wet Bar, Links Bar 9 v 11 Easy R-Con Bar, Mata Bar 13 v 7 Queen Vic

John Kepplers Cider Pool League

Results & Standings Sept. 26

Team Pts. For Against Diff.

Brasshouse 63 219 158 61

Panitas 57 209 168 41

Ice Bar 54 194 183 11

Barking Frog 45 204 173 31

Smarty’s 45 184 193 -9

Siam Country Res 39 189 188 1

Pats Bar 36 188 189 -1

Lucky Bar 30 159 218 -59

Sweet Dream 24 160 217 -57

Happy Day 6 48 95 -47

Results: Panitas 5 v 8 Siam Country Res, Sweet Dream 6 v 7 Ice Bar, Barking Frog 9 v 4 Smarty’s, Lucky Bar 2 v 11 Pats Bar, Happy Day 8 v 5 Brasshouse

Crumpton Oaks Dry Cider Wednesday Darts League

Results & Standings Sept. 25 (week 7)

Team P W L Bonus Diff. Pts.

Mee Chew Sports Bar 7 7 0 5 33 14

Legends Sports Bar 7 5 2 4 15 10

I-Rovers A 7 4 3 5 7 8

W. Tankies 7 4 3 3 1 8

Jantha Coffee House 7 3 4 5 -1 6

I-Rovers B 7 3 4 4 -5 6

Yates Bar 7 1 6 0 -17 2

Mai’s Bar 7 1 6 2 -33 2

Results: I-Rovers B (2-1)-(7-0) v Legends Pool & Sports Bar, Jantha Coffee House (3-1)-(6-0) v Mee Chew Sports Bar, Mai’s Bar (5-1)-(4-0) v Yates Bar, W. Tankies (6-1)-(3-0) v I-Rovers A

‘Heineken’ Stu wins his first Monthly Mug

PSC Golf from The Growling Swan

Stephen Newton, Niall Stuart, Stu Rifkin, Peter Grey, Peter Bye & Gary Monley.

Peter Blackburn
Monday, Sept. 23, Plutaluang – Stableford
We had 35 golfers signed up for the day’s event and as it was Kevin Waycott’s 60th birthday it was suggested that he had boosted the numbers by contacting “Rent-A-Crowd”, but in actual fact we just wanted to celebrate with a genuine good bloke.
As we assembled at The Growling Swan hearty welcomes were handed out to Roald Thorsen from Norway and a welcome return to golf for Sandy “Cyndy Lauper” Leiper after a month or so off. We also welcomed newcomers Rick Forrest & Chris Playforth from Lakelands Golf Club in Perth, Western Australia and Greg Hill, John Player, Murray Hart, Sel Wegner, Dave Bowers, Dave Fletcher, Dennis Steele & Keith Buchanan, who are just about all Pattaya residents.
It was sadly time to say farewell to JJ Harney who will shortly be returning to Ireland, Mark Stapleton who is off back to Melbourne, Australia for a month or so and good friend Dave Neal who is returning to the UK after 6 weeks of golf in Pattaya.

John Pirrel, Graham Buckingham, Charles Cunningham & David Fletcher.

Everyone showed up on time so our 3 mini vans left a couple of minutes early at 8.28 am and in drizzling rain we headed south down Sukhumvit and arrived at the Plutaluang complex 43 minutes later. It was quite busy and we were allocated West & East nines, an unusual combination for us and as we proceeded to the West 1 tee the heavens opened so we ran for cover. We had faith though and sure enough after about 15 minutes the rain abated and we managed to send our first four-ball away in very light rain at 10.00 am which in fact was our allotted tee time.
The rain soon stopped completely and naturally preferred lies were in place so we proceeded at a steady pace on the West nine which was in excellent condition, especially considering the recent rains and the greens in particular were of a very high standard.
After a first nine of just over two hours we came to a screaming halt at the East 1 tee where a few groups had been “slipped in” and weren’t the quickest in the world but after a twenty minute delay we were underway again and did not experience any real delays after that. Four hours & 30 minutes later we were back in the clubhouse after a round which was most enjoyable and the company was excellent.
We had 3 Grades - A Grade for handicaps 0 to 13, B Grade for handicaps 14 to 20 & C Grade for handicaps of 21 and over with 4 places in each grade. There were also rewards for nearest the pins on the four par threes and longest first putts on the E9 & W9 greens.
One of my playing partners, John Pierrel played steady golf all day and took out the A Grade first prize with 37 points, one point ahead of Chris Playforth in second spot. There were 3 players on 34 points vying for third and fourth places so a count back was required which resulted in Birthday Boy Kevin “Wayco” Waycott (20 point back nine) taking third spot from Sel Wegner (18 point back nine) in fourth place and Peter Bye (17 point back nine) just missed out.
The B Grade was won on count back by Charles Cunningham (17 point back nine) with Dennis Steele (16 point back nine) in second place, both having 34 points. With 2 golfers on 32 points another count back was required to decide third & fourth places and it was Thientong Charoenrung (16 point back nine & 11 points on the last 6 holes ) finishing third from Stu “Heineken” Rifkin (16 point back nine & 9 points on the last 6 holes) in fourth place.
C Grade was won by Graham “Grunter” Buckingham with 37 points, 1 point ahead of John Davis in second place. Patrick Poussier was third on 35 points and Phompinmon Seesa finished fourth with 33 points.
A Flight (0-13)
1st John Pierrel (11) 37pts
2nd Chris Playforth (10) 36pts
3rd Kevin Waycott (10) 34pts
4th Sel Wegner (12) 34pts
B Flight (14-20)
1st Charles Cunningham (17) 34pts
2nd Dennis Steele (15) 34pts
3rd Thientong Charoenrung (19) 32pts
4th Stu Rifkin (14) 32pts
C Flight (21+)
1st Graham Buckingham (22) 37pts
2nd John Davis (23) 36pts
3rd Patrick Poussier (23) 35pts
4th Phonpinmon Seesa (26) 33pts
Near Pins: W3 – Graham Buckingham, W8 – Keith Buchanan, E2 – Dennis Steele, E5 – Roald Thorsen
Long Putts: W9 – Sel Wegner, E9 – Murray Hart
The Growling Swan NAGA Award, (awarded to the golfer who has the worst score on the day and discreetly their score is not made public) was won by first timer David Fletcher and he accepted the award in very good spirit.
Back at The Growling Swan afterwards there was a big crowd as Wayco was generously providing a meal to celebrate his 60th and it was indeed scrumptious and very much enjoyed by all. Another great day of golf with a terrific turnout.
Thursday, 26th Sept. – Burapha, A & B – Stroke – Monthly Mug
It was time for our monthly round of stroke-play and the classy Burapha was the chosen venue for us to compete for the 16th Growling Swan Monthly Mug. There were 28 golfers signed up but after one no-show and yours truly being a late withdrawal due to a chronic sciatic nerve problem the starting field was reduced to 26.
Gathering at The Growling Swan we welcomed Gazza from Perth Australia and Muncha’s Dad, Les Moloney from Donald in country Victoria, Australia.
Departing the GS 1 couple of minutes early at 8.28 am the 3 mini vans arrived at the course just 30 minutes later. The first group got away 15 minutes early at 9.50 am and it was reported that the course was as usual in excellent condition and the round was completed in the good time of four hours & ten minutes.
In addition to the Monthly Mug award we were able to have 3 grades with A Grade being for handicaps 0 to 17, B Grade for handicaps of 18 to 31 and C Grade for handicaps 32 and over with 3 prizes in each grade. There were also rewards for nearest the pins all the par threes and longest first putts on the A9 & B9 greens.
It was a delighted Stu “Heineken” Rifkin who was the winner of this month’s Monthly Mug with a fine score of net 69. The winner of A Grade was Peter Bye with net 70 and with 2 golfers on net 72 a count back was required which resulted in Murray Hart (net 33 back nine) taking second place from Martin “Toddy” Todd (net 36 back nine) in third spot.
The B Grade winner was Stephen Newton with a net 72 and John Davis was second with net 74. Shane “Jockey” Young finished third with net 75.
Gary Monley won the C Grade with a net 82 and Russell Calcutt was second with net 83 and Sandy “Cindy Lauper” Leiper third on net 86.
Monthly Mug
1st Stu Rifkin (14) net 69
A Flight (0-17)
1st Peter Bye (13) net 70
2nd Murray Hart (13) net 72
3rd Martin Todd (8) net 72
B Flight (18-31)
1st Stephen Newton (27) net 72
2nd John Davis (23) net 74
3rd Shane Young (30) net 75
C Flight (32+)
1st Gary Monley (36) net 82
2nd Russell Calcutt (36) net 82
3rd Sandy Leiper (35) net 86
Near Pins: A3 – Peter Bye, A6 – Brad Todd, B3 – Paul Hack, B8 – Stu Rifkin
Long Putts: A9 – Peter Grey, B9 – Niall Stuart
The Growling Swan NAGA Award was well won once again by Niall Stuart who accepted the cap gracefully and wore it for a while back in the bar. Presentations were of course back at the bar on this occasion and we thanked Peter Grey for his continued sponsorship of this monthly event and also for providing the delicious chicken dinner afterwards.
Max then paraded Deefa the Dog and there were plenty of donations to which of course go the needy people of Pattaya.
Note: Growling Swan Golf welcomes golfers of any persuasion – low & high handicappers alike, female golfers and beginners. We generally play Mondays & Thursdays, meeting at The Growling Swan (formerly The Bunker Bar) in Soi Chaiyapoon at 8.00 am with transport departing at 8.30 am. For bookings or more information please contact Peter on 0806 351 386 or email to [email protected].
We also play bowls out of the Growling Swan every Wednesday and Sunday. Sunday is Lawn Bowls and Wednesday is Indoor Bowls. All are welcome and for anyone that is interested the transport leaves The Growling Swan at 10.00am on each of those mornings. For more information please contact Paul Rennison on 0843 454 005.

The Aussies rule

PSC golf from The Golf Club

Dan Willetts with new pal Dale Shier.

Steve Ellison
Monday, Sept. 23, Green Valley (white tees) – Stableford
1st Dan Willetts (11) 43pts
2nd Dale Shier (14) 41pts
3rd Mike Newbert (10) 40pts
It was a week of Aussie Mania as The Golf Club was host to a great gang of lads from Down Under, both on the course and in the bar. The Aussies always do well here in Pattaya, and if you have played golf down there you will know the courses are generally more difficult than ours. Those boys have to work hard for their handicaps!
I had the good fortune to play “The Vines” just outside Perth some years back and she chewed me up and spit me out. At least I got to meet loads of kangaroos who came out on the course to feed for the last 6 holes before sunset. It was one of those unforgettable golf experiences that no other sport could possibly conjure up.
If we did indeed have a golfer of the week prize, it would have to go to Danny Willetts. With a first place and two second place results to claim, he featured on every podium this week. Danny is the guy who keeps things beautiful and organized around the Opera House and The Rocks and this end of the Harbor Bridge as he and his crew keep it all pristine for the City of Sydney. This is one of the most beautiful stretches of land on the planet and it is no wonder why it has to be on your “bucket list” of places to see.

Scotty Wilson, Gabe Enright, Rick Allison and Dan Willetts.

Our old pal Dale Shier chose the wrong day to have a great round. Funny how that works out that sometimes you do so well only to find another chap has had an even better bit of luck on the course. On many other days, he would have strolled away with the win with a terrific 41 points. Sorry about that Dale, but at least your love life is back on track!
Mike Newbert rounded out the top 3 and with a 40-pointer to claim third and he can hold his head high. Mike also had a super shot this week and had a hole in one on one of the hardest par-3’s in Pattaya, the fearsome 17th at St. Andrews. Well done buddy! I smell a comeback on the cards.
Tuesday, Sept. 24, Laem Chabang (white tees) – Stableford
T1st Phil Proctor (17) 38pts
T1st Les Cobban (10) 38pts
T2nd Greg Mennie (22) 36pts
T2ndMasao Ishikawa (16) 36pts
T2ndDan Willetts (11) 36pts
Pattaya’s only “Jack Track” was the chosen venue for today’s outing, and at the Sports Day rate of 2,300 all in, it proved to be a very popular event with 6 tee times on the agenda. The course was in very good condition and we had not a drop of rain to deal with.
One forgets just what a great golf course and beautiful facility that Laem Chabang is. I personally think the 9 holes of the C course are the best that Pattaya has to offer and some of the best designs Mr. Nicklaus has created.
There were ties all around and 3 at second place found Greg, Ishi, and Dan (again) all at that 36 point level. Phil and Les had to share the victory with a really good round of 38 points, a difficult number to get to at Laem Chabang, so all credit to you lads.
Thursday, Sept. 26, Phoenix Gold, Lakes & Mountain (white tees) – Monthly Medal
1st Rick Allison (2) net 70
T2nd Gabriel Enright (22) net 74
T2nd Dan Willetts (11) net 75
The newly renamed Phoenix Gold was the venue for our September Monthly Medal and the claim to an Antigua winner’s shirt. Phoenix Gold is a popular and convenient golf course which looks to be undergoing some changes with the new management. You had better buy a big pack of drinks tickets before you head off as no cash is accepted at the drinks stand, for one.
The course was in pretty good shape for this (rainy) time of year and we had a big field of happy golfers who remained dry on the day.
The Aussies were obviously back in fine form and completely dominated the podium with an Aussie 1-2-3 on the day. Good on ya mates!
Dan Willetts was in the chase once again, and his net 75 grabbed him third spot in the pecking order. His mate Gabriel Enright was just one shot behind and turned in a very respectable net 74 to take sole second. Gabe is kind enough to donate his talents to build our fantastic new website www.golfclubpattaya. com, so thanks a million for that mate!
Rick Allison turned out to be the Man of the Month and deservedly wins the Monthly Medal for September. He did it by playing off just a 2 handicap, so it certainly turned out to be a well earned win.
Thanks to all the lads who joined us for golf this week. I had one guy say to me this week that he “wasn’t good enough” to be playing with us. For the record, we welcome all handicaps, as we remember we were all beginners once and none of us will ever truly master this tempestuous and fickle little mistress we call golf. Come on out and have some fun!
Note: The Golf Club is located on Soi LK Metro. We try to schedule summer “Sports Days”, so come join us for a seriously fun day out. Just call 085 434 3377 or see our website www.golfclubpattaya.com and for more information mail us: [email protected] and see updates at www.facebook.com/golfclubpattaya... all handicaps welcome!
Heads Up: We have Kabinburi scheduled for our October Road Trip, leaving on Thursday 10th for an easy one-nighter that includes 2 green fees, hotel and breakfast for 2 for just 2,900 baht. Call 089 525 2565 or drop by TGC to sign up. It will be all nice and dry by then.

John and Nick double up

PSC Golf from Lewiinski’s Golf Society

Sunday’s winner Ulrik Sinding (right) with Golf Manager Colin.

Sunday, Sept. 22, Green Valley – Stableford
A Flight
1st John Stewart (8) 37 pts
2nd Bob St Aubin (12) 37 pts
3rd Pat Reagan (13) 36 pts
B Flight
1st Ulrik Sinding (36) 39pts
2nd Christian Boysen (24) 39pts
3rd Mike Craighead (23) 36pts
Near Pins: No 4 J P Maffray, No 9 Ed Wyckoff, No 12 Dave Driscoll, No 16 J P Maffray
The day’s honours were shared by newcomer to the society ranks Denmark’s Ulrik Sinding and fellow Danish mate Christian Boysen, each in the junior flight and each with 39 points. The sharing came to an end, however, when the count back handed the biggest bag of loot to Ulrik and bid “Aloha” to second place Christian. Who said Thailand has never been invaded?
Mike ‘the mechanic’ Craighead did not need the help of the calculator as his steady even par round closed the flight.
The steady and always accurate play of John Stewart ensured him of the top spot in the premier flight as his 37 points was more favorably dispersed on the inward nine than that of the unlucky and one of the society’s most generous members (and we have many) Bob St Aubin who, as he always does, donated his winnings including a half share of the ‘2’s pot to the Bann Jing Jai Orphanage.
Co. Dublin’s Pat Regan was Ireland’s representative on the podium as he took the bronze with a steady even par card.
JP Maffray shared the ‘2’s pot with ‘Saint’ Bob.
Tuesday, Sept. 24, Khao Kheow - Stableford
A Flight
1st Nick Shaw (16) 33pts
2nd JJ Harney (12) 33pts
B Flight
1st David Edgar (18) 36pts
2nd Mike Jeffreys (17) 31pts
A low turnout by society standards bucked up against Mango monsoon to take on the always challenging Dye designed Khao Kheow. The lads found the course in excellent condition and a tough test of golf as the scores would indicate.
Man of the match was David Edgar with a solid even par round while Mike ‘the Welsh wizard’ Jeffreys took the second B Flight place a distant five shots in arrears.
Nick ‘Elvis’ Shaw hit all the right notes as he and Co. Waterford’s JJ Harney topped the senior flight with 33 points each, the scales tipping in Nick’s favour. JJ was not too disappointed as he was the sole heir to the rollover ‘2’s pot
Wednesday, Sept. 25, Burapha A&B - Stableford
A Flight
1st John Pierrel (11) 38pts
2nd Colin Sansom (12) 37pts
3rd Jean LaRoche (15) 36pts
B Flight
1st Nick Shaw (16) 41pts
2nd Serge Streaton (16) 36pts
3rd Christian Boysen (24) 35pts
Once they get a taste for it, you have a problem. Nick Shaw followed up Tuesday’s A Flight win with a B Flight and man of the match performance and 41 sparkling points. Nick was five clear of monsieur Serge Streaton who was one clear of the tandem of Denmark’s Christian Boysen and Co. Wicklows Jimmy ‘good’ Day. Christian citing a lower member number grabbed the bronze leaving Jimmy in a daze and potless.
In A Flight John Pierrel was the class of the lot as his 38 points was one clear of Colin Sansom. The bronze spot went the same way as B Flight, needing a count back to separate Canadian Jean LaRouche and Freddy ‘the Viking’ Starbeck - Jean got the count back decision as Freddy received the same fate as Jimmy.
Freddy did receive a little compensation in the way of a 2, along with all the A Flight place winners.
Friday, Sept. 27, Mountain Shadow - Stableford
A Flight
1st John Pierrel (11) 37pts
2nd Peter Henshaw (16) 33pts
3rd Freddy Starbeck (13) 32pts
B Flight
1st Christy Knight (22) 37pts
2nd Burlan (Japan) (21) 33pts
3rd John Heaney (20) 32pts
Top man on the day honors were shared by A Flight’s Texan John Pierrel, who carded his second win on the trot to promote him to the bold print, and B Flight’s always smiling Christy ‘Good’ Knight. John’s 37 points was a stroke clear of Peter ‘the silver surfer’ Henshaw. Freddy Starbeck and Colin Sansom locked it up on 32 points - only a count back preventing Colin from adding another podium spot to his vaunted CV.
With Christy sitting firmly on the B Flight top podium spot, second place was filled by a fine golfer from Japan whose name I can neither write nor say - apologize for my lack of Japanese - but I congratulate him on his fine play. The podium was completed by Irishman John Heaney a further shot in arrears.
Both flight winners John and Christy shared the ‘2’s pot.
Note: Lewiinski’s is situated on Pattaya land Soi 1, Beach Rd Soi13/13 near Walking Street. Anyone wishing to play with us just pop in and add your name to the list or call Colin on 089 826 0764. Transport is provided.

Peerless Pelly takes monthly medal

PSC golf from The Outback Golf Bar

Monday, Sept. 23, Burapha - Stableford
It was a quiet day on the A and B nines, not only for Burapha with very few players but also for the Outback.

Friday’s winner Dennis Pelly on top of the Outback’s new half size copy of the Swilcan Bridge, with Sugar Ray (3rd), and both seated - Stefan Hoge (4th) and Sel Wegner (5th).

Nevertheless it was fast and furious for the 19 who played, with some great scoring from Keith Allen and David Davies on 42 and 41 points respectively. Pete Stonebridge (37) took third from Barry McIntosh (36) in fourth.
The man in fifth was Rune Gundersen, who is new to the game and playing off 36 still, but he scored a six-pointer, which I have never heard of before, when he holed his second shot on the par 4 second, for a ‘2’.
The other two ‘2’ came more traditionally from Geoff Stimpson (6th) and John Fitzgerald on the 12th.
1st Keith Allen (18) 42pts
2nd David Davies (26) 41pts
3rd Pete Stonebridge (15) 37pts
4th Barry McIntosh (20) 36pts
5th Rune Gundersen (36) 34pts
Wednesday, Sept. 25, Siam Plantation - Stableford
Only two groups for Siam Plantation today where the staff and caddies always offer great smiles and make you feel welcome. The course was again in its fantastic condition, but with a very strong breeze the course had the win and all players struggled to play to handicap.
Best score of the day went to Tony Pike who had 36 points off his 9 handicap, from Stephen Mann and Stephen Blazsanyik (Waldo for short) who both had 33 points.
There were two ‘2’s from Waldo and Tony Pike.
Finally and regrettably this was the Outback’s last regular visit to Siam Plantation as we have been unable to secure a reasonable deal for the high season but we expect to be back next May.
1st Tony Pike (9) 36pts
2nd Stephen Mann (12) 33pts
3rd Stephen Blazsanyik (16) 33pts
Wednesday, Sept. 25, Bangpra - Stableford
Ninbe Outbackers returned to play Bangpra after a break of a few months; the conditions were perfect with a slight to moderate breeze and a few clouds hanging around.
Just for a change and with three 3-balls, we decided to play a bit of a fun game - best two scores out of three to count. This format worked well and all were happy to play it.
We played ‘lift, clean and place’ on the fairways as the carts were only allowed in the rough; one may have thought that the greens might have slowed down due to the recent rains - but if you were above the hole you were sure gonna three putt.
The most unlikely trio of Muzza (Murray Hart), Tosser (John Lawton) and Sugar Ray won with 75pts, two ahead of Suzi, John Fitzgerald and Rune.
Finally, as usual the wildlife was spectacular there as we saw troops of monkeys, monitor lizards, chip monks and big birds, it was fascinating to watch. Not so sure about the golf though! Although we will be back before the start of the high season.
Sugar Ray got the only ‘2’.
Friday, Sept. 27, Green Valley - Stableford
With no one in front of us, the 29 players in the Outback sponsored monthly medal got away early in perfect weather and all finished in well under four hours. The greens had been renovated and sanded but still ran well. “I have never seen the course in better condition” was the general comment from most players.
Welcome back to Andy Todd, who only just made his tee time, having only arrived the night before with his mate, Paul King, and a warm welcome to Brendan Cope who was having his first hit with us.
Dennis Pelly had the day’s low gross with 78 off the stick and with it won the medal as well as the monthly trophy with a great net 68; beating Steve Mann and Sugar Ray Handford who both had net 69’s. Well done Dennis on winning the double but it’s a pity you managed to drop the trophy just after you received it.
The scoring generally was amazingly close with 13 players scoring 74 net or better, including Stefan Hoge in fourth (net 70), Sel Wegner in fifth (also with a net 70), Paul Bourke in sixth (net 72) and Joe Mooneyham in seventh (net 73).
No Race2Bkk points this week as this year’s competition is now closed and the final to be played at Lotus Valley on Wednesday, 2nd October.
2014’s Race2Bkk competition will start at the beginning of November with the final provisionally in August, just before the Hua Hin trip.
There were only two ‘2’s today, from Sel Wegner (12th) and Jimmy Little (16th).
1st Dennis Pelly (10) net 68
2nd Stephen Mann (12) net 69
3rd Sugar Ray Handford (16) net 69
4th Stefan Hoge (16) net 70
5th Sel Wegner (12) net 70
6th Paul Bourke (9) net 72
7th Joe Mooneyham (14) net 73
Note: The Outback Golf Bar is situated about 6km from Sukhumvit Road along Soi Siam Country. Call Jack on 081 578 1956.

Galloping Gibson on a roll

Phoenix Members Golf Society

Tuesday’s winners pose with the staff at The Relax Bar.

Mike Gerrard
After much rain the fairways of Phoenix were for once off limits for carts on Tuesday, Sept. 24 and winter style rules of ‘lift clean and place’ were in operation as well.
Since his return from the ‘Emerald Isle’, Steve Gibson has found superb form by scoring 39 points or more in three of his last four outings. Despite implementing a manual handicap cut for this Tuesday he still managed to notch up another 40 points to win the day and the Trattoria Italaiana monthly voucher. With Friday being the last game of the month, Steve was also well placed to win the Blue Olive monthly award should he return one more decent score.
In second place today was another returnee, Richard Baldwin, with 35 points and in third place yet another returnee, Eamon Murtagh, managed 34 points. Fourth place was claimed by Patrick Browne with only 31 points.
All of the above top three stated that they had not been playing whilst back in their respective home countries, so we can only assume a good lay off helps to forget how to play bad shots!
Near pin winners were Gerry Huhges (2) and Bill Hewitt (2).
After an horrendous game (one of the worst I have ever seen him play) Stuart Gordon was the recipient of the lucky draw free massage, with (“I never win the lucky draw”) John Bartley receiving the free drink prize - both kindly donated by our hosts The Relax Bar at Ban Amphur. And I suppose it had to be inevitable that Joris Goetschalckx would win the consolation 50 baht.
After the presentation we sat around the table to discuss the future and what it may hold for both members and guests under the new owners of Phoenix (more on this as and when we have confirmed policies from the new owners). It is fair to say that apart from a couple of minor changes nothing has been written in stone as yet.
From there a nice group of us went to Trattoria Italiana where our sponsor for the day and good friend Giorgio Baccioli took good care of all and we ended the day well contented. Tough drive home though!

Greig signs off in winning fashion

PSC golf Bunker Boys @ The Ranch

Monday, Sept. 23, Pattana B & C – Stableford
The morning was grey and threatening rain as we set off for the trip to Pattana, but the expected rain never materialized, and the round was played in dry conditions throughout. We elected to play off the white tees, with a course distance of 6,700 yards, but with the fresh breeze and the fairways providing very little run, the course played too long for some on the day.

Colin Greig claims his second consecutive Golfer of the Month title.

Starting on the B nine (par four, handicap rating two, with water both sides of the fairway and all around the elevated green), always presents a difficult challenge so it was no surprise that no one managed record a par today, and those scoring a bogey walked off the green feeling very relieved to have made a good start.
The round progressed smoothly without any holdups, but the generally poor scores on the day reflected the difficulty of some of the long holes. The conditions were always going to favour the longer hitters, so it was no surprise to anyone that Alan Freeman came home the winner, a point clear of Gerry Cooney.
1st Alan Freeman (3) 34pts
2nd Gerry Cooney (13) 33pts
3rd Geoff Parker (14) 31pts
Near Pins: Alan Freeman, Colin Greig, Dave Keats, and Gerry Cooney.
Wednesday, Sept. 25, Royal Lakeside – Stableford
Some players are deterred from making the longer trip to Royal Lakeside, so it was a small group that departed from The Ranch on a bright, sunny and breezy morning.
When we arrived at the course, the car park was almost empty and we tee’d off at our leisure, as soon as the first group was ready. It was immediately obvious that the wind was going to be the decisive factor on the day, making those holes playing directly into it, play extremely long. The fairways were in their normal excellent condition, but the greens on the outward nine had been lightly sanded making them difficult to read and even more testing than usual.
As we struggled through the first nine holes, the consensus of opinion in the leading group was that 30 points would be a good score on the day, but Gerry Cooney did considerably better than that, coming home four points clear of the rest.
All in all the Lakeside course offers great value for money, and on a day like today with a strong wind, presents a very testing challenge, and is well worth the extra ten minutes on our typical journey time.
1st Gerry Cooney (13) 34pts
2nd John Graham (9) 30pts
3rd Tony Robbins (13) 30pts
Near Pins: Geoff Parker, Gerry Cooney, and John Graham.
Friday, Sept. 27, Mt. Shadow – Stableford
Fifteen golfers today for our visit to the demanding, but always popular Mountain Shadow course. Once again the course was quiet and we tee’d off a few minutes ahead of our scheduled time. The course was in good shape, the weather was fine, and the round progressed smoothly, so the only grumbles came from those golfers who fell foul of some of the tricky holes here.
Colin Greig was playing his final round before returning to Scotland for a few weeks, and he went out in a blaze of glory, carding an impressive 42 points to finish seven points clear of second placed Peter Habgood. Colin’s gross score of 75 (off handicap 9) could have been even more impressive had he not four putted on the short par four sixteenth green, the only blemish on his card for the day.
Colin’s victory was his fourth of the month and sealed the Golfer of the Month title for the second month running. Have a good trip Colin, and thanks for giving someone else a chance to win the title for October.
1st Colin Greig (9) 42pts
2nd Peter Habgood (18) 35pts
3rd Gerry Cooney (13) 34pts
Near Pins: Alan Freeman, Colin Greig John Graham and Gerry Cooney.
Note: The Bunker Boys are a PSC affiliated golf society, who now play out of The Ranch bar on Pattaya 3rd Road (in front of the fire station, and almost opposite the Buffalo Bar). We play three times per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, so if you enjoy a fun day out, and a friendly but competitive golf competition why not come and join us.
We meet at The Ranch at 9 a.m. for breakfast and transportation, and new players are always welcome. Contact “Buff” on 086 046 5091 or 080 605 5663 for all enquiries. You can find all the news, schedules and results on our website at www.bunkersociety.com.

Allen and Mike scoop the Medals

IPGC golf from The Haven

Monday, Sept. 23, Mountain Shadow - Stableford
CSS 73
1st Phil Groves (8) 38pts
2nd John Carlin (15) 31pts
3rd Alwyne Burley (15) 31pts
4th Serge Straeten (15) 30pts
Once again Crystal Bay, where the group was scheduled to play on this day, must be commended for caring enough to telephone before the group had left for the course to advise that carts would not be available following heavy overnight rain. In the circumstances, having too many players who required golf carts, the day’s event was rescheduled to their sister course Mountain Shadow to the satisfaction of everyone.

Allen Raaen.

The above is a line of customer service that would be well followed by other courses in the Eastern Seaboard Golf Association and might go some way towards mitigating some of the less favourable actions proposed recently for prospective players, especially those that live in the region full time and who possibly deserve some little consideration as paying customers and not just a cash cow to be milked at will.
With ideal conditions for golf, apart from the general wetness of the course, and a ‘lift and place’ in the fairway ruling on the day, a very good day’s golfing was enjoyed by all although the scoring did not fully reflect that situation.
Phil Groves had an exceptional round compared to the rest of the field, leaving them at least seven strokes adrift as he returned a very tidy card without a single blemish of a zero hole to be seen and take the top prize.
John Carlin and Alwyne Burley managed to run Phil the closest as they needed to be separated by a count back for second place, which John won following a better 18 to 16 over the inward nine.
That left Serge Straeten, who has been in good form at other venues recently, to take fourth spot a further one shot behind them.
Once again there were no 2’s in the second division but John Carlin had one in the first to scoop the pool.
Before the presentations were made there was a welcome back for Serge Straeten.
Wednesday, Sept. 25, Khao Kheow - Stableford
CSS 74
1st Mike Hill (21) 38pts
2nd Allen Raaen (8) 35pts
3rd Trevor Schirmer (12) 33pts
4th Shuichi Kodaka (17) 33pts
5th Markku Tynell (22) 32pts
Today’s competition was set over the A and B courses following the quick one month renovation of the A course. The scores however did not show how good a condition the course was in and a fine day under overcast skies with the occasional flurry of rain saw the CSS for the day go out two strokes to 74, with Allen Raaen being the only qualifying golfer to meet the standard set at within two of handicap.

Mike Hill.

Mike Hill had an excellent round that underlined his recent general improvement, finishing two under handicap and a clear winner by three from Allen Raaen in second place.
Trevor Schirmer won a count back for third over Shuichi Kodaka with a better 17 to 12 after Shuichi seemed to collapse following a great outward half that had seen him go three under handicap.
Markku Tynell slipped into fifth place just a further stroke behind them.
Back at The Haven there was a farewell for Andre Holmem returning to Denmark after a successful golfing holiday, playing every day except Saturdays.
Trevor Schirmer slipped in the lone 2 in the first division while after seemingly weeks of blank days the second division was cleaned out by Markku Tynell who was so worried he might have to share the huge rollover pot after knocking a two-footer in on the third hole on the A course, he banged in another on the shorter 5th from fifteen feet to make doubly sure.
Friday, Sept. 27, Pattana B & C - Monthly Medals
CSS 71
Division 1 (0–15)
1st Allen Raaen (8) net 73
2nd John Carlin (15) net 74
3rd Trevor Schirmer (12) net 77
Division 2 (16+)
1st Mike Hill (21) net 70
2nd Phillip Cass (20) net 80
3rd Hal Hart (18) net 83
After two tough outings earlier in the week there were very few of the hopefuls that relished the trip to Pattana on Friday to compete in the Monthly Medals, but with a first class course in good condition under clouded skies and some light rain, most of the players ended the day very satisfied with their results although not all of the returns were keepsakes.

Hal dines on lobster tails courtesy of Alwyne.

Allen Raaen continued with his good run of form for the week to take his fifth Medal of the year, which will make him one of the few contenders in the year end Gold and Silvers, but it was nip and tuck right up to the end with Allen needing to birdie the last to take the win ahead of John Carlin. John could only manage a double bogey on the last hole which denied him the chance of his first Monthly Medal.
Trevor Schirmer took third place three behind John after he too finished with a double after he led the competition after nine.
The second division was headed by Mike Hill who won his second Medal of the year by the huge margin of ten strokes as the rest of the division struggled to get to terms with the length of the course.
Phil Cass came the nearest, but too many triples spoiled any chances that he might have had on what is at the best of times an unforgiving course for those that would test their chances, so he settled for a creditable second spot.
Hal Hart had been hoping to add another Medal to the first one that he won in June but he suffered a spate of quadruples and even a quintuple during a less than memorable front nine but came back into a placement contention with a level handicap return over the C courses to eventually take third place. But he did gain some success from the day as he once again dined on lobster tails following yet another win over Alwyne in their ongoing challenge.
John Carlin had his second success of the week 2’s by being the only player to achieve one in the first division while after Markku’s fireworks during the previous outing it was once again back to normal with none in the second division.
Prior to the presentations being effected there were welcome backs for Takeshi Hakozaki, Mark Armstrong, Russell Gilroy, Jens Gunnarsson, together with ones for Garry and Lind Beck.
Note: If you would like to play with The Haven group, you can contact mobile 082 219 0965 or call in to The Haven Hotel, at 185 Soi 13, between Beach Road and 2nd Road. All transportation to the course is arranged and you do not need to sign up prior to the day, but you should be there by 8.15 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday on the days that you wish to play. A schedule of courses to be played can be found on our web site at www.thehaven-hotel.com.

Tough test at Treasure Hill

PSC golf from Siam Country Resort

Thursday runner up Joel Flor with refreshment.

Tuesday, Sept. 24,Plutaluang - Stableford
First to Tuesday when we went to Plutaluang, with the West & East combo our test at a tad over 6500 yards from the white tees. The course was in good condition, with the greens looking good, although a little on the slow side. I think this is by design as the course gets a lot of player traffic and more close cutting could well be to their long term detriment.
Best score of the day went to Jeff Wylie (5) with a satisfactory but unspectacular 35 points, edging Jonathan Pratt (11) by a solitary point.
Near pins went to Martin with 3, while Jonathan got the other.
Thursday, Sept. 26,Treasure Hill - Stableford
Thursday was a visit to Treasure Hill, where the course continues with renovation and maintenance of greens and approaches. The fairways and rough are a little bit longer than usual, making the course a stern test indeed if you stray from the short and narrow.
Owen Walkley (15), who has been struggling with his game of late, shot what I considered to be a quite spectacular 36 points under the conditions to easily lead the field home. Joel Flor (23) filled second spot with a satisfactory 32 points, while near pins went to Owen & Jeff.
Note: Siam Country Resort, Restaurant & Bar is located just off Siam Country Club Rd, after going under the arch past the 7/11, turn right after 50 metres, with the venue on the left another 200 metres along. Golf from here is generally played on Tuesday & Thursday, with the Resort hosting prompt presentations on both days.
As a PSC affiliated venue we welcome ALL golfers, including ladies & seniors who have opted for the “Silver” tee option. Call 089 094 1841 for scheduling or enquiries. Hope to see you there, cheers & good golfing!

Barry makes it two in a row

PSC golf from Tropical Bert’s

Dick Warberg (right) presents the MBMG Group Golfer of the Month award to Barry Oats.

Tuesday, Sept. 24, Green Valley - Stableford
Tuesday was an important day for the Tropical Bert’s golfers as it was not only a fine day for golf (after all the wet weather the last few days) but also an exciting finish to Golfer of the Month competition (more on that later).
Our usual Tuesday fearless leader, Derek, is back home for a few weeks and Dick Warberg filled in admirably.
After a nice breakfast the group headed to Green Valley and the weather was mostly cloudy with a slight breeze – perfect. The fairways were in their usual excellent condition, but some heavily sanded greens made putting a guess for all but the most skilled flat stick players. Still, some high point totals showed more than one player could master the conditions.
In first place with a whopping 40 points was Barry Oats. As we shall see, this score had much impact on the Golfer of the Month race. Second place went to Barry Elphick with 37 points, and third to Graham Buckingham with 36.
Near pins were awarded to Barry Elphick, Graham Buckingham, and Rita Zoebeli.
Going into the final round for Golfer of the Month, the contest was close with several players in contention. One regular had a three point lead, and only a fine showing could take over. Sure enough Barry Oats had a fantastic come-from-behind-finish to win this month’s MBMG sponsored prizes! Congrats to Barry and thanks to MBMG Group for supporting this event.
Friday, Sept 27, Mountain Shadow - Stableford
It was Groundhog Day at Tropical Bert’s on Friday, but no one realized it yet that morning as the gang assembled for morning munchies and a couple cups of ambition. The destination this day was Mountain Shadow and though some people made a wrong turn or two on the way, everyone managed to arrive on time at the first tee.
The weather was humid and a bit warm at times, but scattered clouds and a steady breeze kept things tolerable. Mountain Shadow is a tricky course with plenty of rolling fairways and greens to test every skill and currently it is in excellent condition, so between the fine weather and good grass anyone with disappointing results was out of excuses.
Back at the 19th hole much talk centered around two near pins that were near aces, one ending a scant 2 inches from the cup.
Back at Bert’s for food and refreshments, it was time for an accounting of the day’s deeds. When it was all done the scorer had to check to make sure he didn’t have the sheet from just three days before - this was just too familiar. But there was no mistake - in first place (again) was Barry Oats with 38 points, and in second place (again) was Barry Elphick with 37 points!
Congrats to both Barry’s, and more than one golfer heard “I Got You Babe” in their head. Third place went to Walter Baechli (36), and poor shooting on one par 3 created a fourth place, won by Alan Sullivan (35).
Near pins went to Tom Herrington, Nigel Perry, Mark West.

Kett steals the limelight in Hua Hin

The Travellers Rest Golf Group

Andy Rich
The wealthy members of the TRGG headed off on tour this week to Hua Hin, leaving us poor lot at home to fight over the scraps. The stay at homes had a couple of friendly games of golf amongst themselves but all unofficial.
The tourists I am sure had a great time but I shall have to wait to hear all the gossip before I can post the juicy tit-bits. They were however kind enough to post the results of their competitions.
Tuesday, Sept. 24, Sea Pines G.C. - Stableford
On Tuesday the TRGG took on Sea Pine and only one point separated the first three. Scott Wilshire took first place, managing to play to his handicap, while Rod Ewan just managed to pip Tom Kett on count back for second.
1st Scott Wilshire (15) 36pts
2nd Rod Ewan (12) 35pts
3rd Tom Kett (19) 35pts
Wednesday, Sept. 25, Banyan G.C - Stableford
It was off to Banyan on Wednesday and judging by the final scores our golfers found it tough going, although once again it was a very close finish. Derek Thorogood got the better of David Booth on count back to win the day and Rod Ewan trooped into third place a couple of points behind.
1st Derek Thorogood (16) 32 pts
2nd David Booth (15) 32pts
3rd Rod Ewan (12) 30pts
Thursday, Sept. 26,Springfield G.C. - Stableford
On Thursday the tour drew to a close with a visit to Springfield (A & C courses). Tom Kett rounded off a good week of golf by winning the competition rather easily. Coming in second and third were Fergus Brennan and David Booth respectively, both finishing on 32 pts and once again only being separated on count back.
1st Tom Kett (19) 37pts
2nd Fergus Brennan (13) 33pts
3rd David Booth (15) 33pts
Good luck to all you golfers for the coming week and if you would like to play a round of golf with the TRGG, please phone Fergus Brennan on 086 056 7019 or pop into the Ned Kelly Bar in Soi Lengkee and add your name to the weekly lists which are posted on the notice board.

Golfnutter: Tiger – Is he really POY?

Nominations for Player of the Year: Mickelson, Scott, Woods, Stenson and Kuchar.

On Friday 27 September, the PGA Tour announced that Tiger Woods’s fellow players had just voted him their player of the year (POY). This was as a result of Tour players voting (electronically) for their chosen preference from one of the five players nominated. The Tour does not release other details such as what percentage of the vote went to whom, or who finished runner-up.
As is often the case, this year’s POY contest was not without controversy. Sure, Tiger won five times on the PGA Tour, three more than any other nominee. He also won the Vardon Trophy (lowest adjusted scoring average), the money title, and regained the world number one ranking.
But he did not win a major.
Are majors that important? In a word, yes. Whilst there’s no formulae that states one major equates to five tour wins, the reality is that it does, and more. A major guarantees endorsements and appearance fees for sometime thereafter, but of greater significance is it cements the player’s name into golfing history.
Put another way, would Tiger swap his five wins for one major? Or, if any player could swap their year with anyone else’s, would they choose Tiger’s?
This is a ballot by the players, and there is no telling how they will vote, or how they define what it takes to win. Best player, best year, or is it simply a popularity contest? They have certainly come up with some baffling results in previous years.
Rather than be regarded as another year when he won POY, Tiger’s 2013 could well be remembered for his inexplicably bad weekend play at the majors, along with four rules infractions. The most public of these infringements occurred when Masters Officials offered Woods what amounted to a highly questionable excuse to continue playing, after he had signed an incorrect scorecard on the second day. Woods missed a golden opportunity to join a pantheon of sporting greats, and do what many others would have done – withdraw.
More revealing than this was Woods’s behaviour at the BMW Championship. After being confronted by the head rules official, who showed Woods a video depicting his ball moving (as he attempted to remove surrounding debris), Woods stubbornly insisted the ball had only oscillated, and had returned to its exact same spot.
Anyone who has viewed the video – it went viral – can see that the ball moved; it came to rest in a different place. Yet even after seeing the same evidence, Tiger still insisted the ball merely oscillated. Despite his protests, Tiger was, correctly, penalised two shots. Journalists who follow the Tour started hearing new in-jokes involving the punch-line “oscillate” emanate from the locker room.
Add these two events to the penalty in Abu Dhabi and the much-debated drop at the Players, and Tiger’s year with rules infringements becomes a big deal. But not, it appears, big enough to cost him POY.
Of the other four contenders, the two strongest would probably be Scott and Mickelson. Adam Scott won the Masters and The Barclays, which some argue has the strongest field in golf. He also finished in the top five at two other majors.
Phil Mickelson, like Scott, had no such problems with the Rules of Golf. What he did have was the round of the year – a fantastic finishing 66 that enabled him to overcome a sizeable deficit and capture his first claret jug. This round is widely considered as one of the greatest closing rounds in major golf. The win, played on one of the toughest links courses on the Open rota, announced Mickelson’s completeness as a player, even though he is still one major shy of winning all four. The missing major is of course the US Open, an event where he again finished runner-up, for the sixth time.
Mickelson also had the best four-round total of the year – a 256 in Phoenix that tied for the second lowest in Tour history – and he won the Scottish Open, which probably doesn’t count as it’s not part of the PGA Tour. But if the players are judging who had the best year, then performance on other tours should count, surely.
This is the third time Woods has won POY despite not winning a major. In acknowledgment Woods thanked his peers: “It’s been just a fantastic year all around. It’s also an incredible feeling to be voted by your peers, and to have that type of respect is something that’s very humbling.”
Seeing evidence of one’s ball move, after claiming it didn’t, is humbling, except, it appears, if you’re Tiger Woods. Peer respect? If Tiger’s battles with the Rules continue, even he could lose the locker room.
Phil Mickelson would have been my POY.
Happy golfing,
Golfnutter

Cavaliers romp to scramble success

The Billabong Bar Golf Society

Scramble winners (L to R) Robert Cross, Jeff North and Geoff Couch.
Wednesday, Sept. 25, Green Valley - Stableford
Green Valley, even though the greens were top dressed, was in majestic condition today and the scores were on the better side of thirty for most. There were some muddy spots that maybe in hindsight we should have played winter rules as in ‘pick and place’ but by looking at the scores it probably wasn’t necessary.
It was a real log jam at the top of the leader board, with 37 points only good enough for fifth place, Owen Walkley was that recipient. Coming in fourth was Sel Wegner with 38 after being beaten on a count back by Alan Bissell in third. Second prize went to Bruce McAdam aka B2 with 39 points and taking the leaders spot was Jack Butler with 40 points.
There were also a couple of ‘2’s coming from Alan Bissell, playing with the Billabong for the first time, and the other coming from a scintillating shot played by the Irish comedian JJ Harney, dropping it two feet from the flag on the twelfth. We said goodbye to JJ for a while as he was heading home to say hello to the family and to take over his new pub.

(L to R) Alan Bissell, Sel Wegner Bruce McAdam and JJ Harney.

Friday, Sept. 27, Plutaluang - Scramble
Once again our monthly scramble was a huge success and with nine groups playing we were all away in less than an hour and the drinking and fun began in earnest. The course was in good condition but some of the greens were under repair, making some putts and chips a little harder and it reflected in the scores with nobody beating 60 for a change.
If, like the lads from the Billabong, you left your last drive for the last hole as we did for Don Wilson, it does seem to put a little pressure on, but at least Don put his shot on the fairway. There was one team who shall remain nameless who left one player till the 18th and he managed to put it out of bounds. Interesting to note his drive was taken but they all played it three off the tee - nice way to finish, I’ll bet that golfer got some ragging for his effort.
Coming in third today was the team of Dale Autin, Brian Autin, Jim Grieve and Tom Thompson with 61.5. Second place went to Bob Philp, Darl White, Don Wilson and Ian Chipman with a net score of 60.5, and in first was the team of Graham Beaumont, Jeff North, Robert Cross and Geoff Couch with a net score of 60.1.
It seems the Courtyard Cavaliers need Robert Cross as there ringer because every time he plays in their group they win, albeit today by a mere 0.4 of a shot. The next scramble will be the 25th October same venue same course.
Note: The Billabong Golf Bar is situated just off Siam Country road looking straight down Lake Mabprachan. Give Bob a call on 082 204 3411 if you are looking for a game.

Murphy’s Law

The Pattaya Golf Society at Rabbi’s Elephant Bar

The Pattaya Golf Society travelled to Crystal Bay on Monday, 23rd September to play a stableford event on the A and B nines which were in very good condition despite being very soft after a few days of heavy rain. Thankfully the day stayed dry and a stiff breeze moderated the high humidity, making the golfers, all required to walk, more comfortable.
The day saw the return of old friends Pat Murphy and Jesper Hansen and both featured in the results. Sharing third place were Greg Gawron and local member Takeshi Hakozaki with 35 points and in second was Jesper with a level par 36 point round. The winner was the gritty old campaigner Pat Murphy with his best round for a while, an excellently constructed 38 points.
There were no birdie ‘2’s and Rabbi’s free beer went to Mr Len via Barry Dunn whilst the latter picked up the Booby Bevy for his split figures of 13 and 19 points. It had been a good way to start the new golfing week from Soi Buakhao.
Hansen’s form continues
The Pattaya Golf Society chose Burapha as the venue for its monthly medal event on Wednesday, 25th September and found a relatively empty combination of the A and B nines in excellent condition, if a little soft. The greens were very consistent and running at a medium fast pace.
The day went well with form man Greg Gawron, posting net 77 for a share of second place with Mr Len whose third shot on the par five eighteenth disastrously was subjected to a duck hook and visited the water leaving him to try to rescue the hole. The winning opportunity had gone and he finished with net 77 also. That left Jesper Hansen as the leader by one shot on net 76.
The ‘2’s were cancelled for the day as they were replaced by near pins on all the par threes, generously sponsored by Greg Gawron and Mr Len. As the sole winner was one of the sponsors, the technicals were passed on to the next event at Emerald.
Return of Purdie Power
The Pattaya Golf Society visited Emerald on Friday, 27th September to conclude another week of golf, this time choosing stableford as the format for the day. The course was in reasonable condition bearing in mind the remedial fairway repairs but this did not inconvenience the golfers and a fine clear day provided the backdrop to a good competition.
In third place with 32 points was Greg Gawron, playing his final round this trip, and second place was secured by Glenn Martin’s 33 points after an impressive front nine. The winner was Andrew Purdie, freshly returned from a golf treat at Pebble Bay and Oregon, and shaking off jetlag he returned 35 points with a combination of his natural power and occasional accuracy!
Replacing the ‘2’s competition were near pins on the par threes, generously sponsored by Greg Gawron and Mr Len and with three of the par threes at approximately 200 yards long it was left to Mr Len to win the rollover with an accurate effort on the fifteenth.
The Booby Bevy later went to Greg Gawron after his round proved to be his poorest effort this trip. The PGS week had again ended in fine style.

Head & Bissell lead the field at Navy

Jomtien Golf with the IPGC

Monday, Sept. 23, Plutaluang – Stableford
We alternate the four courses here on each visit and luckily enough the North was closed as we had booked the East and South today. Yet again there was heavy rain overnight here in Jomtien and it was still raining as we met at Siam Cats in the morning. There were a few cancellations over the phone and in the end we only had five groups out today.

Sid Ottaway.

There was a 10-19 cut in division 1 and 22+ in division 2 and as we teed off on the East course, the weather was still unpredictable and after three holes the first group encountered some light rain which lasted for around 20 minutes and then it dried up for the rest of the round.
There were three 39’s in today in both divisions; Don Head winning division 1 after edging Mike Chatt on a 14/12 back-six count back, and Billy Fitzgerald came in third with 35, a meagre score for him in recent times.
Alan Bissell with another 39 points won division 2 from Jimmy Johnson in second seven points behind and Roar Berger took third on 30.
After his recent return from the UK and not on the podium today in the stableford, Chris Voller made up for it with three nearest the pins in division 1 plus a birdie ‘2’ on South 7. Don Head picked up the other near pin on East 5.
In division 2, Roar Berger, Glenn King, Eiichi Matsumoto and David Phillips took the near pin prizes with Glenn converting one to a ‘2’ on the 4th on the South to take the rollover pot.

Wednesday, Sept. 25, Khao Kheow - Stableford

We had another five groups out today with the cut in division 1 at 11-20 and division 2 at 21+ and we were playing the B and A courses off the yellow tees at 6,360 yards, rather than the white at 5880.
It was a tough test today for all divisions with Curtis Hessler winning division 1 with 32 points and John Oxley beat Terry Madsen on a 17/16 back-nine count back for second after they both came in with 30 points each.
There were no count backs in division 2 and Burnie Sinclair was a happy chappy on the top of podium with 31 points. Glenn King took second one point behind Burnie and Bryan Priestley was third with 29.

Glyn Evans.

Near pins went to Terry Madsen (2), Roar Berger, Ray Gott and Bryan Priestley.
Terry Madsen birdied the 5th on the A course for the only ‘2’s winner in division 1 and there was a rollover in division 2 to Pleasant Valley on Monday.
Friday, Sept. 27, Eastern Star - Stableford
No rain here overnight so ‘pick, clean and place’ did not come into the frame today, although there were a few worm casts on the fairways on the first couple of holes.
We had six four-balls out today with the cut at 11-20 in division 1 and 21+ in division 2. The majority of the white tees hadbeen moved to just in front of the yellows and this was reflected in the scores today.

Iain Walsh.

There were 3 returns of 38 in division 2 with Iain Walsh winning after beating the organizer on a 14/13 back-six count back and poor Sid Ottaway picked up third place, losing on a 19/19/17 back-nine count back.
Marty Rock topped division 1 with 37 points, Terry Madsen was second two points behind and Karl Flood finished third with 34.
Surprisingly, with the forward tees, there were no ‘2’s in either division today so a rollover in division 1 and a double in division 2 to the next Friday.
Near pin prizes were picked up by Karl Flood, Wilf Latham, Marty Rock, Chris Voller, Glyn Evans, Sid Ottaway (2) and Bob Poole.

Perry saves the best till last

PSC golf from Café Kronborg

Monday, Sept. 23, Pleasant Valley – Stableford
1st Odd Holm-Hansen (22) 38pts
2nd Mike Winfield (22) 38pts
3rd Ted Morris (13) 36pts
4th Tore Elliassen (14) 36pts

Nigel Perry – 46 points at Greenwood.

Pleasant Valley was the test today and after a departure under partly sunny skies we arrived 40 minutes later with the rain coming down pretty steadily. Thankfully it had mostly abated by the time we were ready to tee-off and the overcast and misty skies gradually improved as the day went on f
The course on the day was naturally very wet but otherwise in fine condition.
As we played in groups of threes it was a quick round of 3 hours and 40 minutes and when we returned to the clubhouse we officially welcomed Ian Pickes from Canada, Tore Elliassen and Odd Holm-Hansen from Norway and Ed Wycoff from the USA.
Odd Holm-Hansen was the winner today on a count back from Mike Winfield, both on 38 points and Ted Morris took third on count back from Tore Elliassen.
Thursday, Sept. 26, Greenwood A & C – Stableford
1st Nigel Perry (25) 46pts
2nd Dave Richardson (23) 40pts
3rd Oddur Olafsson (13) 35pts
4th Niels Hansen (14) 35pts
Greenwood was the test today and after a quick check-in we were off C1 15 minutes early under partly sunny skies and in hot conditions.
The course on the day was dry and in fine condition even though the greens have been recently cored and sanded, but this didn’t affect the putting or chipping.
We got around in 4 hours and 20 minutes and back in the clubhouse welcomes went out to Oddur Olafsson from Iceland and Nigel Perry, who sadly had to fly back to the UK on Sunday. Nigel signed off in sparkling fashion and had the game of his life here, winning with a grand 46 points. Dave Richardson was a distant second with 40 and Oddur Olaffson third on a count back over Niels Hansen.

Culley christens new driver with victory

PSC golf from The Caddyshack

Monday, Sept. 23,Greenwood - Stableford
On Monday, Rick Culley registered his first win with his new RBZ driver as he came home with 37 points off his 13 handicap. Ramsay Smith (H/cap 22) had to be content with second place after edging a count back over Barry Pussel, both finishing with 33 points eah.

Rick Culley.

Despite threatening rain we had a completely dry round.
Wednesday, Sept. 25, Plutaluang - Stableford
Wednesday saw us make the trip to a very busy Plutaluang and our golf leader Bruce Tollitt (20) took the day’s honours with 35 points from Brian Orr (15) in second on 33.
Friday, Sept. 27,
Green Valley – Stableford
A round figure of a dozen players took on the society’s home course of Green Valley on Friday, which provided an even more difficult challenge than normal, with all the greens being lightly sanded.
Emmitt White (14) coped with the conditions best to record a fine 39 points and take the win ahead of Vincent Smyth (12) and Bruce Tollitt, both finishing tied on 36 points but with Vincent having the better inward nine to take second.
Note: The Caddyshack is located on Soi 17 off 3rd Road or soi 8 off Thepprasit Road. All golfers are welcome and reservations can be taken at 081 865 3104

Bruce Tollitt.

Raonic triumphs over Berdych to win Bangkok title

Milos Raonic (left) hoists the champion’s trophy after defeating Tomas Berdych (right) in the final of the Thailand Open 2013 in Bangkok, Sunday, Sept. 29.

Number three seed Milos Raonic of Canada denied top seed Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic his first title of the year, with a 7-6(4), 6-4 victory in front of a packed Impact Arena stadium in last Sunday’s singles final of the Thailand Open 2013 in Bangkok.
The singles final was graced by Her Royal Highness Princess Ubonrat, who bestowed the winner’s trophy to the Canadian as the match was concluded.
Both players held serve strongly through the first set with the exception being the twelfth game which saw Raonic save the only break point he faced in the match to force a tiebreaker.
But it was the Canadian who gained the only mini-break on the first point of the breaker with a down-the-line return winner off the forehand side. He maintained the advantage to win the tie-break 7-4.
The second set saw Raonic quickly grab the only break of the match, in Berdych’s first service game. The world #11 was then in cruise control as he sealed his first Bangkok title, the fifth of his career.
The Canadian fired 18 aces, made 95 percent of points on first serve, and saved the only break point he faced.

Raonic powers a forehand past Berdych in the final.

“I think I struggled a lot more than him (Berdych) in the beginning. He found the rhythm better. In that tie-breaker, it just really came down to that one return and he was playing pretty solid after that. That return sort of gave me a little bit of a boost. It sort of gave me an insight on what I needed to do. I started to be more aggressive and tried to put the return in and to take control,” said the 2013 Thailand Open champion at the post-match press conference.
“It’s special to win here because I came back here second time and I enjoyed it. I’m happy with how I went the whole week,” he added.
“I’ve done a lot of great things since Montreal. I was not playing my best tennis there but I sort of worked it out and got the insight on what I needed to do. And I know that was within myself.”
While Berdych has yet to end his title drought this year, having reached the final in Bangkok gave him an important boost in securing one of the remaining five spots for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London.
“He was exceptional. He was serving really well and didn’t give me many chances. I was able to keep with that. I served quite well. Basically, the match was about two points. Both of them Milos handled better and so he deserved to win,” said the runner-up.
In the Doubles final, #3 seeds Britain’s Jamie Murray and Australia’s John Peers captured their third title of the year, defeating fourth seeded pairing of Tomasz Bednarek of Poland and Johan Brunstrom of Sweden 6-3, 3-6, 10-6.

Ladyboy water-volleyball tourney is back

Ladyboy water-volleyball returning to Areca Lodge, Soi Diana on October 26.

Tony Sales
Everyone involved in the first Pattaya Ladyboy Water-Volleyball competition for charity last year had no idea how well things would go. In fact we really had no idea until the day of the event how successful it would be, although we knew by then we were on track to raise more money for local charities than we initially hoped.
Inspired by informal ladyboy volleyball tournaments on the beach in previous years, last year’s event was indeed a huge success. The ‘girls’ — more than 40 ladyboys from various bars around Pattaya and one team from Phuket — netted 285,854 baht for the Pattaya Orphanage/Children’s Home Foundation Pattaya and the Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya’s Water4Life project.
The orphanage used the money it received to cover permanent repair for a leaky room in an orphanage classroom. Rotary Club used its proceeds for its Water4Life program. The tournament raised enough money to provide water filtration systems — and consequently fresh, clean water — for two different rural Thai villages.
Everyone, organizers, spectators and of course the ladyboys playing volleyball, had a wonderful time. Not to mention our goal of displaying the positive role that ladyboys play in our community — one that’s often overlooked.
It was such a successful day that we’re happy to say that the 2013 Pattaya Ladyboy Water-Volleyball Competition is slated for Saturday, October 26. Once again the Areca Lodge on Soi Diana is providing the venue. There will be eight teams of ladyboys representing eight bars from around Thailand taking part. Those signed up are Baby Boom, Kings II Bar, La Bamba Bar, Sensations and Stringfellows from here in Pattaya, TJ’s Music Bar from Naklua, Cocktails and Dreams from Phuket, and Temptations/Cockatoo from Bangkok.
Like last year, the bars and the ‘girls’ are all donating their time and effort to help raise money for charity, and raise money we have! To date we’ve collected more than 500,000 for charity from ticket sales, bar sponsorships, donations and items for the charity auction held the day of the event — and we’ve still got a month to go.
We hope that in the ensuing weeks leading up to the tournament at the end of the month, we can more than double last year’s total.
Where will that money go? This year we are supporting four charities here in Pattaya, Phuket and Bangkok. Once again proceeds will go to Rotary Clubs Water4Life program. In addition to Water4Life, proceeds will go to another worthy Pattaya charity: HEARTT 2000. Led by Dr. Philippe Seur, HEARTT 2000 is a group of volunteers that assists those afflicted with HIV-AIDS.
In Bangkok, proceeds from the tourney will go to St. Camillus Foundation of Thailand’s Camillian Home program. Camillian Home’s goal is to provide children living with disabilities as normal a family life as possible, as well as creating a barrier-free environment for people with disabilities and their families.
Our fourth charity this year is Phuket’s The Life Home Project. Life Home’s aim is to provide a shelter for mothers who are HIV positive and their children where they can live safely in a supportive community.
While a lot of folks are helping out, either through donating time and effort or money, none of this would be possible without the ladyboys themselves. As the orphanage’s Rev. Fr. Michael Weera Phangrak remarked last year, it might surprise people just how active ladyboys are in helping their community, and the Pattaya Ladyboy Water-Volleyball Competition is just one example.
For more information or to see how you can help, email [email protected], or visit www.lbwvb.com.

Olympic training begins early for Pattaya sailors

While Rio 2016 feels years away, Thai sailors began serious training for the next Olympics this past month in Santander, Spain, where the first 50% of Olympic Sailing places will be awarded next year at the Santander 2014 ISAF Sailing World Championships (SWC).

Kamolwan ‘Bam’ Chanyim is all smiles at the Cuidad de Santander Trophy.

This Cuidad de Santander Trophy, held from Sept. 9-15, offered aspiring Olympians the chance to become familiar with the conditions they will face in the first Olympic qualification round. Representing Thailand at the regatta were Pattaya-based windsurfers, Siripon Kaewduang-ngam and two-time Olympian Ek Boonsawad, plus Sattahip’s two-time Laser Radial national champion Kamolwan ‘Bam’ Chanyim who aspires to be the first Thai woman to qualify for the Olympic sailing competition in her class.
Siripon Kaewduang-ngam, 19, proved she is ready to fill the space previously held by three-time Thai Olympian Napalai Tansai. She turned the heads of several of Olympians and top ranked female windsurfers as she finished in tenth position in the RS:X Women’s division, with five top ten results in the fleet of 23.
“I learned a lot from Napalai about sailing and techniques,” she said, “but conditions here are very different (than at the Perth 2011 ISAF SWC, where she sailed with Napalai). In Perth, it was high winds. In Santander, it was very cold with light wind, which I am good in, but, the shifty wind and swell were challenging. The seaweed also slowed me down, but I am proud of my results.”
Ek Boonsawad, 24, placed 15th in the RS:X Men’s division, just short of his target. On the final day of racing, however, he held his head high: “I couldn’t achieve my goal of finishing in the top 10,” he said, “but the final top ten included Olympic gold medalists and world champions.”

Sirpon Kaewduang-ngam (right) races in the RS:X Women’s division in Santander, Spain. (Photo courtesy Martinez Studio/Cuidad de Santander Trophy)

The RS:X men’s division, with 29 sailors, was indeed the most competitive in the Santander Trophy classes with 14 Olympians, including the 2012 gold and silver medalists, as well as the current world champion and five of the top ranked RS:X sailors in the world.
In the Laser Radial class, Kamolwan Chanyim, 17, finished 14th in a fleet of 23, with three top ten finishes including a fifth in her final race. She spent more time in the classroom, gym and in television and newspaper interviews than on the water however, as she was a guest of the Spanish Federation of Sailing which invited her to Phase Two of the special ISAF Emerging Nations Program (ENP), her participation made possible by new sponsor Kingdom Property.
“I am very grateful for the opportunity to be part of the ENP,” she said. “I gained a lot of knowledge especially in sailing tactics and exercise. In the strange conditions (light, shifty winds and unusual swells of one meter with wind-driven waves moving in the opposite direction), I realized I can’t sail here the way I learned in Thailand.”
The ENP provides high performance training for potential Olympians from smaller sailing nations, including medical and fitness tests, intensive instruction in physical fitness and sports psychology, and ongoing top level coaching.
The ENP’s Dr Carmen Vaz said Kamolwan was selected along with six other women from around the world for a multiple of reasons.
“We had to be able to say ‘this girl can go somewhere’,” she said. “The country was important because we want to see new nations qualify for the Olympics in each class. (‘Bam’ would be the first Laser Radial sailor to qualify for Thailand.) The sailor had to go to one of our training camps also, so our coaches could evaluate their sailing level, tactics and feeling for the sport. (‘Bam’ was sent by the Yacht Racing Association of Thailand to their camp in Indonesia in 2012.) They also had to be physically fit and of the right body shape and size. And they had to have the right attitude, to want to learn. This is in fact the most important.”
Phase III of the ISAF Emerging Nations program will see those that the ENP team believes really can qualify for Rio 2016 invited to undergo further training in the lead up to Santander 2014 SWC.
The SWC is usually held in the year prior to the Olympics, but Santander 2014 will be staged two years in advance in part to encourage continued high performance training through the four year period between Olympics.

Young triathlete makes good

After technical problems robbed 8-year old Sarah-Michelle Clear of a high ranking in Chantilly, Paris, recently, she took part in her latest international triathlon on Sept. 15 in Bangkok.

8-year old Sarah-Michelle Clear poses with her trophy after completing the Tri Kids Triathlon in Bangkok, Sunday, Sept. 15.

Sarah-Michelle was first out of the water after her swim at the Bangpoo Golf & Sports Club, and with a boy (Gustave number 25) hard on her heels she emerged first out of the transition with her bike on a 2km cycle. Swapping first and second place with this boy she managed to enter transition first and start her 1km run.
With this very strong boy leading her into the last 100m by 10–15m she put into practice the technique that she had been taught by Olympic coach Mark Gregory, and she sprinted in a very disciplined manner to beat her opponent to the finish line, winning by a metre or two and be the 1st female in her age group across the line.

Sarah-Michelle powers along during the cycling phase of her event.

This was most probably Sarah-Michelle’s last triathlon of the season and she is deservedly pleased. Having risen at 4 a.m. that morning for the long drive from her family holiday home in Pattaya, she was less than at her best for the start of the race at 8.45 a.m. with a large entry of 43 kids. With her were five members of her family making it a truly special occasion. After being presented with her trophy the event was over, so after packing up it was back to Pattaya with a little smile on her face.
Sarah-Michelle was born in Pattaya in 2005 before moving with her family to live in the UK. This year she started competing in triathlons to raise funds for a children’s cancer charity. You can read all about her triathlon challenges to raise funds for the Demelza Children’s Hospice Charity, and maybe make a small donation at: www. sarah-michelle-clear.me.uk.