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Quodomine & Thomas - top guns at Bangpra
IPGC Pattaya Golf Society at the OK Corral
A quality golf course always attracts a quality golf
field and Tuesday, January 9 was such a day as the Pattaya Golf Society
departed for beautiful Bangpra Golf Club to play its first Medal event of
the year.
The course was in fine condition with greens running at a minimum of nine on
the stimpmeter and they would pose the strictest of tests. The two flights
were divided at 15 and under and with a quarter of the field holding
handicaps of less than 10, the day was set for some fine golf.
In the first flight, Lewiinski’s visitors Bob Patterson and Dave Mascari
acquitted themselves well with net scores of 71 and 70 respectively for the
minor placings; Dave’s gross 75 being the best of the day. It was David
Thomas who stole the show in the flight, however, with a fine net 69 and his
card was a reflection of the dedication he applies to every round he plays.
Consolation for Patterson and Mascari came in the form of the birdie 2’s
they enjoyed on the twelfth hole.
In the second flight John Mason, who had gone twenty-six days without
holding a golf club, joined Chris Walsh in third place with net 77. This was
two shots behind the welcome sight on the podium of Rob Dolan whose 75 was
an excellent return if one forgets his discomforting 11 on the par three
twelfth!
The day’s best score was the net 67 posted by Paul Quodomine and his first
nine held the secret as he lay only 2-over to the course after six holes. It
was a fine display of concentrated golf and he thoroughly deserved the day’s
plaudits.
The ‘Booby Bevy’ went to Ray Underwood, for medical reasons, as he had
problems passing water on all the par-threes, plunging five balls into the
turgid depths on the four holes. Bangpra had been a stern test and the
Pattaya Golf Society had passed it with flying colours.
Parky in free fall at Eastern Star
Thursday saw the Pattaya Golf Society take the short trip to
Eastern Star to play a Stableford round on a course well-prepared, if a
little firm, and with greens reasonably consistent.
The two groups were cut at 15 and under and in Division One the quality of
the field was such that almost everyone posted scores of 32 or better.
Division Two was slightly more variegated but found Rob Dolan continuing his
good form, posting 33 Stableford points for third place, two behind Chris
Walsh’s 35 which marked his second visit to the podium in two outings. The
flight saw another rookie winner as Ray Underwood held things together well
throughout and finished on top with a fine reward of 39 points.
Division One remained tight all day and at the end three people held the top
position with 39 points each. David Thomas ended a fine week, and despite
dropping shots uncharacteristically on the first four holes, he climbed back
into the saddle with some thrilling golf whilst Mark Graham enjoyed his
final round before his return to the US, carding 39 points also.
What can we say about the other joint winner? Andy Parkinson has seen his
playing handicap drop seven shots in just five weeks and his short sojourn
on 15 was halted as he produced another sub-par round, this time totalling
39 points as well. He is currently in “free-fall” mode and it remains to be
seen where he will ultimately land.
There were four winners of the 2’s pot with Bruce Dreon, John Cunningham,
David Thomas and David Wilkinson all smiles at the presentation whilst the
aforementioned Parkinson lad had the ignominy of adding the ‘Booby Bevy’ to
his collection as he chipped a ball into a coconut tree on the practice
ground before his memorable round had even begun.
Highs and lows at Eastern Star, but how low will Parkinson go? Over to you
Mr. Handicapper!
Bob shoots the lights out
Phoenix Members Golf
Wednesday, January 10,
Phoenix Lake & Ocean,
Stableford
Another good turn out on a fine sunny day at the superbly manicured Lake and
Ocean course. Individual Stableford was the format for the day plus the
technical prizes of ‘near pins’ and ‘long putts’ on the 9th and 18th holes.
 Bob
Dean celebrates his record breaking round at Phoenix.
Most of the scoring was of average levels today but we did have one
exceptional score. Our dear friend Terry O’Conner (14) stole the show with a
superb gross 77 to give him the ‘A’ flight winnings with 45 points. Second
place in ‘A’ flight went to Mayo Deane with 35 points.
In the ‘B’ flight (h/cap 17 and above) Mayo’s husband Bob came in second
with 31 points and another lovely lady Angela Poustie claimed the top spot
with a credible 36 points.
With Terry O’Conner having such a good score, it seemed obvious that he was
going to win a few ‘technicals’. In fact three ‘near pins’ were recorded by
Terry, but sadly he was unable to convert any of them for a ‘2’. Angela
Poustie claimed the other ‘near pin’ and Bob Deane and Finn Olsen took the
long putts.
Friday, January 12,
Phoenix Ocean & Mountain, Stableford
Friday’s at Phoenix is going to be a trial period for golf from
the back (blue) tees for the men. It did not take long to realise that
although Phoenix is not the longest course, it certainly is not easy. From
the back tees the bunkers and the water come into play more than normal for
the big hitters.
For our first outing nine brave men started out in 3 x 3-balls. Coming in
third with 31 points, was Uli Leuenberger (23); second with 33 points was
Bob Deane (18), and the winner for the day with 35 points was our worthy
committee chairman, Ron Bridge (7).
Sunday, January 14,
Mountain & Lakes,
Stableford
Sunday is our well-established weekly event and how popular it
is. Records were flying through the window on this day. Firstly, our
attendance figures for the day reached an all time high with 39 players
making the trip. This, in large is due to our Mickey Mouse (or should I say
our Mickey Poustie handicap system). No matter how bad a player you may be,
you will win one day. The second record broken on the day was by our winner
who will now be cut 14 (yes 14) shots for next week.
Mountain and Lakes was our task for the day and third on count back with 39
points was our Sunday captain Ben Hogstrom (24); second with 42 points
playing came Thomas Nilson (21) and our winner for the day was Bob Deane
(21). Bob shot the lights out today with a superb 49 points (the third
record broken) and thus will be playing off a 7 handicap next week.
As they say in Thailand: Som nam nah!
Phoenix Members Golf Group meets every Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. For
more information contact Ben Hogstrom on (086 157 5310), Ron Bridge (081 452
5995) or Mike Gerrard (087 091 7565).
Tough going at Mount Shadow
PSC golf from The Peacock Place
Monday, January 8,
Mt. Shadow, Stableford
January 8, with the Christmas festivities all but a memory, we set out for
Mountain Shadow Golf Club. What a magnificent clubhouse they have, with
panoramic views of the course and surrounding countryside.
Our numbers have swelled considerably these days and we could have done with
a few more tee times but we were restricted to the six we had originally
booked. In future we will attempt to secure nine.
We could tell from our view from the nineteenth that the course was going to
play tough that day. Trees lining the fairways were blowing at all angles
and we were soon to find out that the greens had been cut mighty short.
There were some low handicap golfers in the group that morning but even they
struggled to feature in the prize giving.
Des Scott, playing off eleven, managed 34 points with Jack Spencer playing
off 10 scoring 32 points. In third place was Ken Little with 31 points and
Frank Frawley, playing off 7, came fourth with only 28 points. Needless to
say it was a resounding victory for the course.
Wednesday, January 10,
The Emerald, Stableford
On Wednesday the group was booked to play at The Emerald. Captain
Bob had some friends visiting him from overseas and was taking them to Soi
Dao for a couple of days and had delegated his secretary/manager Dave Evans
to take over his duties. The sheet for the day was full but on the morning
in question people phoned to cancel and people phoned to tag on and by the
time we left, the numbers balanced at 36 in total.
Initially the first tee looked like a battle zone with competitors, caddies
and buggies jostling for the earlier slots and Vice Captain Dave looked a
little stressed out at times, but everyone was in good spirits and
eventually everything fell into place and off we went.
The course these days is in great condition and a true test of golf. The
greens were quick enough but not as quick as they have been of late. No one
played to their handicap on the day and the highest points scored was 34.
We split the field into three flights, A Flight (0-12) being won by a
regular visitor to the rostrum these days Chris Davison with 33 points,
second with 31 was Barry Barnes and third with 30 points was Mark Joshua.
The B Flight (13-16) was won by the lovely Suzy Lawton with 33 points; Ken
Little was in second with 32 points and Vice Captain Dave Evans third with
30 points. Maybe he wasn’t so fazed after all. The C Flight (17-36) was won
by Mike Fletcher with 34 points, while in second was Trudy Chadbourn with 33
points on count-back over Harvey Samuel.
2’s were recorded by Mam Trayling, Brian Webb and Barry Rothberg. Ed
Trayling one of our venerable members, who is 78, had a nice round of golf,
scoring 31 points and only just missed out on the prizes. Well done Ed.
If you would like a game of golf with a friendly society come and join us at
The Peacock. We meet on Mondays and Wednesdays and our schedule appears in
The Pattaya Mail. If you would like further information, telephone David on
087 928 7859 or Bob on 087 941 2474.
Molik, Pavlyuchenkova and
Montinee get main draw wild
cards in Pattaya Women’s Open
The US$170,000 Pattaya Women’s Open, professional women’s
tennis tournament is Asia’s longest running professional tennis event on the
Sony Ericsson WTA tour.
This year’s tournament has attracted a strong line-up of tennis stars,
including Thailand’s No 1 Tamarine Tanasugarn, who last year reached the
final of the PTT Bangkok Open, Vania King, the American teen sensation who
beat Tamarine in the final, last year’s runner-up in Pattaya, Jelena
Kostanic, India’s Sania Mirza, and Japan’s Akiko Nakamura.
 France’s
Marion Bartoli will be the top seeded player at this year’s Pattaya Women’s
Tennis Open, 3-11 February.
Top ranked in the tournament is France’s Marion Bartoli, triple WTA tour
title-holder in 2006, who finished No 18 in the year-end rankings. Other
well-known players joining the Pattaya Women’s Open are Russian Maria
Kirilenko, Argentina’s Gisella Dulko, and Italy’s Mara Santangelo.
The Organising Committee has given wild cards in the main draw to 3 players,
Australia’s Alicia Molik, former world No 8 who is continuing her comeback
on the tour, ITF World Junior Champion 15 year-old Russian Anastasia
Pavlyuchenkova, winner of the Junior Australian & U.S Opens and runner-up at
the Junior French Open in 2006 and Thai rising star Montinee Tangpong.
The singles final will be televised “live” on ITV on Sunday 11 February from
15.00 - 17.00. There will also be “live” international television coverage
to Russia, Ukraine, the Middle East and Eastern Europe on both Saturday 10
February and Sunday 11 February.
Tickets for the tournament are on sale at the venue from Friday 2 February
at the following prices: Saturday 3 February - Sunday 4 February:
(qualifying rounds) - Free Admission; Monday 5 February - Thursday 8
February: (1st and 2nd rounds of main draw) - 300 baht; Friday 9 February -
Sunday 11 February: (Quarter-finals, semi-finals and final) - 300, 500 and
1000 baht.
The Pattaya Women’s Open is supported by Pattaya City, the Tourism Authority
of Thailand, Chonburi Provincial Administration, Sony Ericsson, Bangkok
Express, Wilson, Yonex, and Head.
For information and tickets contact Pentangle Promotions Co., Ltd: Tel
02-3823491- 3, Fax: 02-3823490 or check the official website at:
www.pentanglepromotions.com
The Beautiful Game?:
Riz Taylor
Soccer 1 - Football 0
The world’s most popular footballer’s talents may be on
the downslide, but once again you can’t fault David Beckham’s timing or his
ability to keep tongues wagging.
Under Real Madrid manager Fabio Capello’s strict new regime the club is
looking to move on from the unsuccessful ‘galactico’ disaster in recent
seasons, the period in which a huge attacking name was signed each summer
and the acquisition of ‘boring’ defenders took a back seat.
After Luis Figo’s move to Inter and Zinedine Zidane’s retirement, Beckham
looked like being next for the chopping block. Speculation was rife that up
to fifteen major European clubs, including both Milan sides, Liverpool and
Arsenal, were keen on signing the former England captain at the end of his
contract this summer.
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the past ten days, you’ll know
that Beckham announced late last week that he’ll be commencing employment
with the Los Angeles Galaxy come August. “Los Angeles Who?” said everyone,
some of whom live in the city itself. What on earth was David Beckham,
darling of the masses, doing heading to the footballing backwater of the
United States to ply his trade?
That question was quickly answered. Already at the top of the football rich
list, Beckham’s new contract will be easily the biggest in the history of
football, and dwarfs that of even the biggest in American sport, a record
that is currently held by baseball star Alex Rodriguez who nets $25million
(US Dollars) every twelve months. The exact figures are cloudy, but it seems
likely that thanks to his wages, image rights and sponsorship deals Beckham
will double that amount by trousering something in the region of $1million
(US Dollars) each week over the course of the next five years. Not bad for a
32 year-old who has lost a yard of pace that you might argue he never had in
the first place.
The LA Galaxy will hope to recoup some of their outlay by selling the odd
shirt or two with Beckham’s name printed on the back, but what other
benefits will Beckham bring other than a few nice cross-field passes and a
free kick or two? After all, the club regularly attracts 20,000 fans each
week in a stadium that holds just 24,000.
This deal, though, is about more than just the LA Galaxy; it represents a
huge gamble by Major League Soccer to establish itself as division worthy
our attention. Although he’ll turn out for them each week, the MLS league as
a whole will be hoping that Beckham’s arrival raises the profile of American
“soccer” across the world.
No doubt about that, but what really matters over the long-haul is the small
matter of capturing the imagination of the American public, whose attentions
are already held by the NBA, NHL, NFL, NASCAR and so on. Whilst football is
the most popular sports amongst American kids - with up to eight million
players - most seem to grow out of the game by adulthood and prefer to
follow one of the established sports.
And let’s not forget that this has been tried before. In the 1970’s the
likes of Pele, Cruyff and Beckenbauer headed Stateside to participate in the
North American Soccer League, and didn’t that fall flat on its backside?
The future looks uncertain, but the beautiful game is far more popular in
the US than it was in those days, and unlike the ‘Pele era’ the average
player age is far younger too. Stars of the MLS have also performed well in
the Premiership and continental leagues in recent years, suggesting that the
gap in class is a great deal closer than us snobby Europeans might like to
imagine.
LA Galaxy are owned by sports and entertainment giants AEG, and their
president Timothy Leiweke was in buoyant mood after the big announcement.
“David Beckham will have a greater impact on soccer in America than any
athlete has ever had on a sport globally,” he said, perhaps caught up in the
moment. “David is truly the only individual that can build the ‘bridge’
between soccer in America and the rest of the world.”
Immediately after the Beckham announcement a number of players were linked
with moves to join up with him. Egdar Davids is said to be close to signing
up for a spell across the pond, whilst fellow galacticos Luis Figo and
Ronaldo have also been touted as the next major signings.
Immediately after the news, Fabio Capello lost his short temper and declared
that Beckham had made his last appearance in a Madrid shirt.
“We can’t count on him and we won’t count on him because he has committed
himself to another club,” Capello said. “Let’s make this clear: a player
that has such an important contract with another club can’t play for us. He
will not play. He will train with us but he is not going to play.”
David Beckham the player will bring little to the MLS, and David Beckham the
marketing sensation will find himself crowded out by other big names from
the worlds of sport and film that will surround him in Hollywood. But what
Beckham’s arrival might do is lure more talent into the MLS, and more
importantly give American sports fans the reason to watch just one game to
see what all the fuss is about. Could this be all it takes to put America on
it’s way to being football’s next hotbed?
Part of me finds that a scary thought. How long before time-outs, two-minute
warnings and teams made up of 300 players loitering around the touchlines
giving each other high-fives? I wish Beckham all the best, of course, and
hope America does finally take to the beautiful game, but not THAT much.
Norman & Kenny win - but miss out
IPGC golf from The Haven
Monday, January 8,
Treasure Hill, Stableford
Division 1
1st Norman Isherwood 35pts
2nd Phil Groves 32pts
3rd Doug Hollingsworth 31pts - c/b
From Brent Philp 31pts
Division 2
1st Kenny Priddy 35pts
2nd Les Utting 31pts - c/b 19
3rd Serge Straeten 31 c/b 18
From Wendy Hollingsworth 31pts
The long trek up the 331 was in the most part well rewarded, although
with a very strong wind and playing from the white tees, the scores were
not very impressive in stark figures. An added difficulty were the
bunkers, where seemingly the course had decided to put too much sand in
each, which resulted in an almost definite dropped shot for every bunker
visited.
Norman Isherwood managed to stay out of most of the hazards and strolled
to a three shot win over the usually impressive Phil Groves, who could
not quite get to grips with the bunkers.
Brent Philp was unlucky not to have made a rare visit to the podium as
he lost out to Doug Hollingsworth on the count back, a further stroke
adrift in third place.
The Second Division was also headed by a fair margin as Kenny Priddy
managed to avoid many of the bunkers to lead home the trailing pack by
four shots. The stragglers were led by Les Utting and Serge Straeten in
that order on count back.
Alan Howell had the only ‘2’ in the First Division whilst Wendy
Hollingsworth had the lone one in the Second Division.
Before presenting the prizes Richard Livingston, the resident PGA
teaching professional, welcomed new members Kevin Butler and Ben
Wilkinson and also welcomed back Bob Duxbury, Les and Jean Utting, Alan
Hanlon and Chris Voller.
Wednesday, January 10, Phoenix, Stableford
Division 1
1st Norman Isherwood 36pts
2nd Alan Keith 35pts
3rd Alan Hanlon 33pts
Division 2
1st Kenny Priddy 39pts
2nd Steve Lockhart 35pts
3rd Fred Land 32pts
Norman Isherwood was again to be found at the head of the field as he
continued to benefit from the lessons and hours of practice in the
recent weeks. This time the competition was a little stiffer as Alan
Keith ran him close until the final hole. Alan Hanlon got quickly into
the Thailand swing as he slid into third place a couple more behind.
Kenny Priddy had a second win in the week as he also took advantage of
recent free lessons from the Whippersnapper. Steve Lockhart bettered his
best score on this trip by 14 points as he cruised into second place
three ahead of Fred Land, the latter being unable to get the same
benefit as Kenny from his close contact with Russell.
Tony Charlwood slipped in the only ‘2’ in the Second Division but in the
First Division the pot was shared by Barry Traynor, Rick Holmes, Doug
Hollingsworth and Cliff Hornsby
Prior to the prize giving Richard welcomed new members Hakan Hedlund and
Derek Holt.
Friday, January 12,
Eastern Star, Stableford
Division 1
1st Dave Stockman 36pts - c/b3 8
2nd Roy Thornton 36pts - c/b 3 6
3rd Alan Hanlon 35pts
Division 2
1st Lynn Ward 34pts
2nd Roar Berger 33pts - c/b 21
3rd Al Rolnik 33pts
Norman Isherwood was trying to equal The Haven record of three wins in a
week but fell sadly short as he slumped to a six-over and was well out
of contention.
The day belonged to Dave Stockman and Roy Thornton. Playing in the same
group, they battled each other all the way round, with Roy thinking he
had just done enough on the last hole only to find he had miscalculated
Dave’s points and that Dave had nicked it on the count back. Fortunately
there was a good supply of sick bags available at the nineteenth. Alan
Hanlon was again in fair form as he finished in third another shot
behind.
With Kenny Priddy unable to contest for his third win of the week due to
his absence at Amata Springs, the Second Division was still keenly
contested with Lynn Ward just pipping Roar Berger and Al Rolnik; the
latter finding himself unusually in the junior section due to the high
quality of the field, although the scores would hardly have indicated
it.
John Ward added to the family’s spoils on the day with the only ‘2’ in
the Second Division, but the First Division was shared between Jack
Spencer, Cliff Hornsby Barry Traynor, Alan Howell, Phil Groves and
surprisingly Tony Barritt, who knocked in his first one since he retired
to Thailand.
Back at The Haven, Richard welcomed new members John and Lynn Ward and
also welcomed back Paul Hartley.
Derek and Henry make
‘short’ work of Burapha
PSC golf from Tropical Bert’s
Tuesday, January 9, Burapha,
Stableford
There seems to be a lot of people sick in Pattaya at present, the reason
I say this is that players sign in to play, and want to play, then have
to phone up and cancel at the last moment because they are not well.
 Tuesday
winners: Derek Brook (left) and Henry Cignac.
Despite this we still had a good field of players going down to Burapha, it
is after all one of our favourite courses, and we arrived to find that the
place was packed with buses and all four nines were in operation.
One of the officials there said the place was packed all the time, and when
we arrived at the start we were asked if we minded playing A & B nines as
the other two were full. Now as A & B are, in my opinion, by far the best,
we hurried to A1 before any one else could slip in there. Mind, we still
expected a slow round.
This nine was in great condition, fine fairways and greens that were fast
and true, and we managed to speed round in just over 4 hours. One thing we
noticed was that the Tees on some of the holes were way forward; this is a
management ploy when they are busy to get the players around, so a short
course would mean good scores, despite a heavy wind. If a player did not
score 42 points they were not going to be in the shake up.
In the A Div (0-17) the winner was Derek Brook, having his best round for a
long time, just ahead of Paul Huneker who also had a super round and will
win with less points. In the B Div (18-up), the winner was Henry Cignac on
count back over Hashimoto Shinubo.
T.T.F.N.
Near Pin: Ed Graham, Kevin Dunne, Paul Huneker, Derek Brook, Terry
McGuire, Bill Knight, Hashimoto Shinubo
Long Put: Mike Wing, Daryl Evans
Players struggle with
racing greens at Bangpra
PSC golf from The Bunker
Monday, January 8, Khao Kheow, Medal
Monday saw the Bunker Boys play a Medal comp at Khao Kheow Country Club.
The cut was lower than usual at handicap 15 and under and in the A
Flight there was a tie for first place between Charlie Gooch and John
Hughes, both scoring level par net 72’s whilst third place went to
William Macey three shots back on net 75.
 Alan
Sullivan and partner celebrate his win at the Phoenix Country Club.
In the B Flight, John Truman came out on top with a one-under par net 71
ahead of second placed Thea Van Spellen, net 73 and third placed Ken
Ellmore, net 74.
‘Near pin’ prizes were claimed by Mashi Kaneta, Rab McDonald, Dougie
Crowe and Charlie Gooch.
Wednesday, January 10, Bangpra, Stableford
Bangpra golf club was the venue for Wednesday’s Stableford
competition.
The cut was made at handicap 17 and under and the always-fast greens
proved to be as tricky as ever, with no one in either flight able to
break par.
In the B Flight Brian Maddox came third with 28 points, Thea Van Spellen
was second with 32 points and Jack Robinson won with 36 points.
In the A Flight Jim Treen and Geoff Parker tied for the runner up spot
with 32 points each and Cyril Wallwork took the honours with one point
more to win with 33 points.
Gerry Cooney, Binni Jostenssen, Mashi Kaneta and Brian Maddox won the
‘near pin’ prizes.
Friday, January 12, Phoenix, Medal
Phoenix Country Club hosted our second Medal comp of the week
and we had some surprisingly modest scores win the prizes today. A net
74 scored by Alan Sullivan was enough to secure the A Flight win;
Charlie Gooch came second one shot behind with net 75 and three players
- Rab McDonald, Gerry Cooney and Cyril Wallwork shared third place one
further shot behind with net 76.
In the B Flight the scores were slightly better; Trevor Sharman won with
net 72 and Richard Baldotto and Thea Van Spellen shared runner up spot
with net 73.
‘Near pin’ prizes went to Alan Ducket, Andy Pach, Trevor Sharman and PJ
Redmond.
Birdie drought leaves
large rollover unclaimed
IPGC Jomtien golf
Monday, January 8,
Eastern Star, Stableford
Arriving at the very blustery and popular Eastern Star course, the topic of
conversation was the triple rollover in the 2’s competition for the Division
Two lads and lasses. There have been no winners since before Christmas, so
with 7 groups going out it was all to play for. Surprisingly (or not),
however, no one managed a 2 in either of the divisions today, meaning
everything was carried over to Wednesday’s outing.
There was one winner for the bottle prizes for ‘nearest the pin’ in Div 1,
Tom Sathrum, and collecting his first ever prize for a similar feat in the
lower division was Bob Green. Tony Duthie bagged the other prize for his
12ft short of the pin shot.
Remarkably, in the Stableford competition the top three players in Division
2 all scored 33 points, meaning the dreaded count back came into play. The
sand lady, Miss Nom, had a back nine of 15 points; two better was Steve
Gider, but Ben Findon’s 18 took first place.
Tom Sathrum’s brilliant 38 points deservedly won him the Division 1
competition while six points behind, Joop Medze pipped Arthur Hancock on a
13/12 count back.
The Rich Man Poor Man guest house has kindly donated 10 complimentary dinner
vouchers to be won over the next few weeks, so anybody not winning a prize
on the day and is present at the prize giving will have their name go into
the hat. Our first winner was Fred Duffy.
Wednesday, January 10,
Crystal Bay, Stableford
A full group arrived at the very dry and parched Crystal Bay
course for a double rollover in the 2’s for Division 1 and a Quadruple in
Division 2. It had been agreed earlier to cap the winnings and the balance
put into the rollover account for the extravaganza game every 8 weeks or so.
As it transpired, only one 2 was recorded today, that by Joop Medze playing
off 14. There was also only one ‘nearest the pin’ in Division 1 by Bill
Hewitt, whilst two bottles went to Alan Bissell and Bob Lathwell in the
second flight.
The Stableford competition saw a first win for Dan Tracey with 34 points,
Alan Bissell second on 32 and Les Halls in third on 31 points. A slightly
higher score in Division 1 was Bill Hewitt’s 36 points, followed by Joop
Medze’s 33 and Paddy Wilson’s 32 points.
Although finishing second the ‘ladies tipple’ was awarded to Mr. Bissell for
not reaching the ladies’ tee twice from his drives, and not performing the
gentleman’s agreement as one does.
Friday, January 12,
Eastern Star, Stableford
Our second regular Friday trip to this well maintained course for
a straight Division 1 and 2 Stableford game, no 2’s or nearest the pins just
a split down the middle for the prizes.
Back in form, the sand lady’s 35 points won her the Divison 2 prize with in
second place Bob Lathwell on 32 points. Paddy Wilsons, or should I say
Hamilton Wilson’s count back on the back 6 of 13 beat Joop’s 12, after both
scored 33 points in the premier flight.
Jomtien golf meets every Monday and Wednesday for competitions at various
courses, and on Fridays to play Eastern Star. Tee off times are at 10.30 and
we normally leave Paweenas Bar in Soi 5, Jomtien at around 9am. Please sign
up in the bar or call Glyn on 086 837 5464. Club hire and transport are also
available.
A great day out at The Emerald
PSC golf from The Oohsa Bar
Steve, Barry, Ed & Dave: The
top four at The Emerald.
Tuesday morning, January 9, saw a good group of golfers
meeting at Oohsa Bar before departing for a day out at The Emerald golf
course.
On arrival at the course we found it to be in excellent condition and a good
test for most of us. The fairways were in good nick and the greens were
excellent, albeit a little quick. A pleasant breeze helped to make the day
even more enjoyable and we set about our game in a good frame of mind.
As the comments were listened to in the clubhouse later, it was obvious that
some good scores had been registered and so it was back to the Oohsa Bar for
the awards.
Our winner was Steve Hamstead, playing off a 13 h/cap, who scored a very
creditable 41 points. He was followed by a group of three on 37 points and
on count back it was Barry Quirk (H/c16) in second, Ed Horrocks (H/c31)
third and Dave Arrowsmith (H/c6) in fourth place.
‘Near pins’ were won by Dave Arrowsmith, Steve Hamstead, Terry Morris and
Jeff Wylie whilst the long putt award went to Ed Horrocks. The final event
of the day, the keenly contested killer pool, went to Yves Philibert.
Our next trip will be to Treasure Hill, which is always a pleasure to play
and if you are interested in joining us please call Keith Hodges on 087 916
7171 or call into the Oohsa Bar on Soi Kao Talo for more information. You
will be made most welcome.
Friday was Aberdeen’s Day
IPGC golf from Lewiinski’s
Sunday, January 7, Green Valley - White
Tees, Stableford
A Flight
1st Nick Strasshine (6) 41pts
2nd Steve Little (7) 38pts
3rd Jeremy Masse (10) 38pts
B Flight
1st Don Lehmer (13) 43pts
2nd Paul Henshaw (14) 40pts
3rd Peter Henshaw (14) 38pts
C Flight
1st George Jackson (16) 37pts
2nd Ed Junger (20) 36pts
3rd John Allen (18) 36pts
D Flight
1st David Foulk (23) 39pts
2nd Lou Szigligeti (21) 37pts
3rd Bruce McAdam (21) 33pts
NP’s: #2 Jack Grindvold; #9 Nick Strasshine; #12 Lou Szigligeti; #16
Don Lehmer
2’s: Steve Little, Brian Holden, Don Lehmee, Seamus Cotter, John
Allen, Barry Chadbourn, Charles Sheppard, Christy Knight, Lou Szigligeti
Non-counting 2: Rick Sharp
Ah the Lady’s Man. No wonder Nit is married to him, who wouldn’t want a
fellow that had 43 points to take MoM honors. Following the Lady’s Man in B
Flight, were the son-father duo of Paul and Peter Henshaw with 40 and 38,
respectively.
The Premier Flight showed why they are called that on this Sunday as big
Nick Strasshine fashioned a gross 73 which tallied 41 points. His total,
however, was one shy of Robert McCarthy’s Medalist round of 72, a common day
for this excellent +2 player. The inappropriately surnamed Steve Little was
second in A Flight with a superb 38 points that had better inward dispersal
than did the 38 points of relatively diminutive Jeremy Masse.
The Junior Flight was led in by David Foulk and his 39 points, two clear of
the Zigger, who also had a Near Pin and a “2”. Bruce McAdam couldn’t wipe
the grin off his face as his modest 33 points was good for D Flight bronze.
Ol’ One-Ball came off the carpet to total a C Flight winning 37, one more
than a pair of engineers, Ed Junger and John Allen. Ed’s slide rule won the
silver over John’s computer in the count back.
Monday, January 8, Bangpra - White Tees, Stableford
A Flight
1st Simon Philbrook (6) 39pts
2nd Paraig McManus (6) 36pts
3rd Brian Holden (8) 35pts
B Flight
1st Ian Kidd (28) 44pts
2nd Alex Sala (14) 39pts
3rd Barry Copestake (14) 37pts
2’s: Jan Eriksen, Barry Copestake, Dave McFeely, Colin Davis
Ian Kidd was an ecstatic B Flight winner as the newcomer tallied 44 points
to put a fair-sized dent in his 28 handicap. Alex Sala’s 39 points,
excellent any other day, seemed a bit common but it did provide him a two
shot cushion in second place. Barry Copestake took the last spot in B Flight
with a better than handicap 37 points.
Simon of Philbrook topped out A Flight with 39 points, three clear of
Irishman Paraig McManus, and yet another in front of the Demon Deacon.
Wednesday, January 10, Burapha C & D - White Tees,
Stableford
A Flight
1st Paraig McManus (6) 39pts
2nd Pat Hanafin (5) 38pts
3rd Pat Regan (6) 37 points
B Flight
1st Ray Dell (14) 39pts
2nd John Hillier (13) 38pts
3rd Don Lehmer (13) 38pts
C Flight
1st Eddy Beilby (19) 40pts
2nd Ed Junger (20) 39pts
3rd Mike Craighead (20) 38pts
2’s: Steve Little, Kevin Moraghan (3), Eddy Beilby
Non-counting 2: Rick Sharp
This mid-week tilt belonged to the Man of Leisure and his 40 points. Eddy
was one clear of Airbus’, soon to be Boeing’s, Ed Junger and yet another
ahead of The Mechanic.
Ray Dell, refreshed after a several week layoff, topped out B Flight with 39
points, one more than his close mate John Hillier and good friend, The
Lady’s Man. Humble Johnny had the better of the count back over Don.
Irish Paraig McManus put the pedal down a little harder on this day after
only coming second on Monday. His 39 points topped fellow Micks, Pat Hanafin
by one and Pat Regan by two.
A notable sidelight on the day is that Col. Kevin had three “2’s”, but still
only managed 32 points. Those other fifteen holes must have been nightmares
for the 17-handicapper.
Friday, December 12, Crystal Bay - White Tees, Stableford
A Flight
1st Mark Wood (6) 38pts
2nd Pat Regan (10) 37pts
3rd Paraig McManus (6) 36pts
B Flight
1st Place Neil Cameron (18) 36pts
2nd Ray Dell (14) 35pts
3rd Brian Lee (14) 33pts
2’s: Pat Regan (2), Paraig McManus (2), Bob Patterson (2), Peter
LeNoury, Sonny Crawford
What a day for Aberdeen. Two of its favorite sons topped out Friday’s two
flights; Mark Wood in A Flight and Neil Cameron in B Flight. (Note: in an
earlier column it was chronicled that Mr. Cameron had asserted that if his
handicap ever provided a stroke-a-hole [i.e. 18] he would hang up the clubs.
I would direct your attention to the handicap field in the data above). With
two Scots winning, it was decided to just take the bell down, it would not
be needed on this day.
Following Mark in the top flight were the omnipresent Irishman, Pat Regan
and Pagair McManus. Paraig needed, it should be noted, a count back to edge
GM Bob. It was Pat’s second stop at the pay window on the week and Paraig’s
third.
Following Neil in, were Ray Dell, for his second podium in as many outings,
and affable Brian Lee. Brian, however, needed a count back as Ed’s slide
rule failed him this time.
Robert McCarthy, to the surprise of no one, was the day’s Medalist with
gross 71.
The Road to the Super Bowl - Part 3
And then there were four
Howie Reed
It’s possible that these four playoff games were the best since the
NFL expanded the playoff format. Toss out the Indy-Baltimore ‘snoozer’ and
there were two ‘barn-burners’ that went down to the wire, with one that went
past the wire into overtime.
The Indianapolis Colts (14-4) made their play off return to their former
home in Baltimore successful with a stifling defense that allowed only 2
Matt Stover field goals on the way to a 15-6 win. It was written in these
spaces, “Does anyone think that the Indianapolis defense will hold the
Ravens to 10 points? The wise guys say ‘No’”. As usual the wise guys were
wrong. Those that complain there’s no foot in football should have loved
this one.
The Colts rode the ‘hoof’ of kicker Adam Vinatieri into next Monday’s AFC
title game. Vintieri had field goals of 23, 42, 51, 48 and 35 yards to
account for the Colts 15 points. This was a very patient Colts team - taking
what was given and forcing nothing. The Ravens offensive was horrible but
that’s hardly news.
The N’Awlins Saints scored a late TKO to beat the Philadelphia Eagles 27-24
in a game that had a little bit of everything. There was great running, good
passing, a fake punt, even some defense and great physical play.
Both Quarterbacks played well as each had a TD pass with no interceptions
but it was the running backs on both sides that lit it up. The Eagles’ Brian
Westbrook had 116 yards with 2 touchdowns - The Saints Duce McAllister came
through 143 yards while running mate Reggie Bush got 52 yards along with a
touchdown.
The Eagles trailing by 6 had a 1st and goal at the 6-yard line in the 4th
quarter. After some questionable play calling they settled for a field goal
that closed the score to 27-24, which of course is where it ended. The
Eagles had one last chance when they picked up a Drew Breese fumble on their
own 44. After a “false start” penalty caused by the crowd noise -the Eagles
punted on 4th and 15 with 1:56 left. They never got the ball again as the
Saints offense ran the final 1:48 off the clock.
For the first time in their history the Saints go to the title game. All in
all they and their city has come a long way since last year.
The Chicago Bears (14-3), who’s receivers played the Seattle secondary like
a timpanist does his drum during Tchaikovsky’s 1812, needed overtime to
escape with a 27-24 win and a title game against New Orleans next Monday.
With all the pre-game concern centering on Bears QB Rex Grossman, it was
Seattle’s QB Matt Hasslebeck who couldn’t deliver at crunch time. Seattle
had every break in the world but refused to do anything to help themselves.
One Chicagoan said, “It looked like neither team wanted to win.”
Any overtime game is filled with drama starting with the coin toss. In 2003
the Seahawks were playing the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs. When it
went to OT, the Seahawks QB Matt Hasslebeck made the call. “Heads, we’ll
take the ball and score.” He won the toss. His first pass was picked off,
run back and the game was over. This time Hasslebeck was on the sidelines.
The Seahawks won the toss, did nothing, punted and lost on a field goal. Bye
now!
The first half of the San Diego-New England game was all San Diego although
they did darn little with it. The New England offense was “offensive”, being
out gained by the Chargers’ LaDainian Tominson all by his lonesome with 174
running and receiving yards. Then, with 1:56 left in the second quarter, the
Patriots picked the ball up at their own 28 and went 72 yards in 11 plays to
get back in the game at 14-10.
The second half was almost an instant reply of the first with San Diego
squandering good field position and chance after chance.
The Chargers mounted their most effective drive of the game with 13:19 left
in the game, moving the ball 83 yards on 9 plays for a TD and a 21-13 lead.
Following another exchange of possession, New England’s then found
themselves with First Down at the Chargers’32.
Despite tossing three interceptions, Tom Brady hit the next 3 out of 4
including a 4-yard TD strike to Rache Caldwell. At 21-19 the Pat’s went for
two with a little “trickeration”. Brady was in the shotgun with Kevin Faulk
alongside. At the snap of the ball Brady jumped as if the ball was over his
head while Faulk grabbed the ‘porkhide’ and walked into the end zone for 2.
Following the kick off San Diego got only 5 yards in three tries so punted.
With 3:30 left it was pure Tom Brady. With 3rd and 10 at his own 34 Tom
Brady hit Mr. Caldwell on a 49-yard stunner which set up the winner field
goal from 31 yards.
In a strange side bar to this game, the loss by San Diego may hasten the
departure of coach Marty Schottenheimer. Some may blame the Charger loss on
the “Shottenheimer curse” which has seen his playoff record fall to 5-13.
NFL insiders have reported for months that the relationship between Marty
and GM A.J. Smith is “icy” at best. Not so - I heard they spoke three words
last year.
Championship Games
Monday, Jan 22 (3am Thai) The NFC Title Game:
This game promises to be one that might just be worth getting up early
for. The Chicago Bears are favored by 3 over the New Orleans Saints in a
game that many think could go to the lads from the French Quarter.
The theory is that if the Bears had to go to OT to beat the SeaHags, what in
the heck will they be able to do with Saints running backs Duce Staley and
Reggie Bush? It’s also a fact that Bear receivers will have a lot harder
time getting open against the Saints cover crew than they did against the
woeful bunch from the Land of Starbucks.
If there is an edge for the Bears it might be the weather and playing
outside on grass. Usually a team that plays indoors on fake stuff suffers
when outside. The Saints went 6-2 outside but haven’t played in Chicago
weather, which at best this time of year can be terrible.
Fans of both teams can smell the Super Bowl. This game is an upset waiting
to happen.
Monday, Jan 22 (6:30am Thai) AFC Title Game:
The New England Patriots visit Indianapolis with the Colts favored by 3.
This is not another case of “here we go again.” This is a new and different
Indianapolis Colts. This is a Peyton Manning that is more patient, takes
what the defense gives him while awaiting for his own defense to do their
job.
These two teams met earlier in the season with the Colts visiting the
Patriots and walking away with a 27-20 win. In that game is wasn’t Manning
but the defense which starred with 4 interceptions.
Running backs Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes have filled in very well for
the departed Edger James. Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark are
still as good a trio as any in the NFL. The big surprise has been the play
of the defense the last two weeks. The Patriots running game isn’t all that
great to start with but if the Colts “D” plays another good game the Pat’s
are in big trouble.
There is no doubt that Tom Brady and Pat’s Coach Bill Belichek will be well
prepared. They’ll be playing inside with a noise level that makes mistakes
the norm. The Pat’s don’t make mistakes when it counts. They play a system
that works with players that understand their role. Manning to fill out his
resume’ needs only a trip to the Super Bowl - this is his best chance.
Steve breaks his ‘duck’
IPGC golf from The Caddy Shack
Tuesday, January 9, Green Valley
Green Valley was the venue for a Medal competition and, surprisingly at this
time of year, we could tee off before the allotted time. The course is
always in good condition but today the greens were almost impossible to
read.
 Steve
Collins grabbed his first win with the Caddy Shack after a fine performance
at Green Valley.
In joint third place were Phil Smith and Phil Mitchell with net 77’s, and
after a count back going to the back 6, Phil Mitchell came out on top.
Second place went to Paul Butler with a net 76 and the winner was Steve
Collins on net 75, recording his first win at the Caddy Shack.
There were two 2’s recorded with Jan Eriksen and Mark Graham sharing the
honours.
Wedensday, January 10, Laem Chabang
This was a special trip to Laem Chabang over the B & C courses
for a Medal event. This course is the number one in the area and it goes to
prove that golfers don’t mind paying the price for quality conditions - the
starting sheet was filled within hours and more than 20 golfers were
disappointed they could not get a game.
In third place were Samantha Taylor and Dan Rogers with net 75’s; second was
Paul smith on level par and the winner was John Trueman on net 71.
There were three 2’s shared between Roger Altham, Paul smith and Alan Gower.
Friday, January 12, The Emerald
Today we played The Emerald with the cut being set at 15 and under. In
Division Two, Samantha Taylor came second with 29 points, one behind the
winner Brian Kelly. Division One had John Hughes and Paul Smith tying for
second spot on 35 points; John winning on count back, whilst the winner was
Phil Mitchell off 5 handicap firing 39 points.
There were five 2’s recorded between Paul Smith, Emmet White, Phil Mitchell,
Samantha Taylor and Mark Joshua.
Melgram still top as Harvons take over in Division 2
San Miguel Lawn Bowls Leagues
Barry Hooper
 The
fifth week of play in both leagues saw a full two nights of action on the
Green. Melgram retain top place in Division 1 on 10 points but Harvons are
the new leaders in the second division after Austar came off second best to
The Golfers.
First Division Games & Results
Match 1: Hopefuls versus Hat Tricks was a walk over for Hopefuls
after the withdrawal of the Hat Tricks from the league. A new pairing to
replace them is being prepared.
Match 2: Ying Yangs v Bankers was a close affair with neither team
getting the upper hand and a 15-13 win for the Bankers.
Match 3: Shoemakers v Roos had a replacement made for the injured Jan
of Shoemakers but they still managed a win by 15-8.
Match 4: Melgram v Cunning Stunts was a high scoring affair with
Melgram holding on for a 24-18 win and maintaining top spot in the league.
Second Division Games & Results
Match 1: Tanjo v Lighter Men gave Tanjo an 18-10 win.
Match 2: Panac v Banita had a new line up for Banita with Ian joining
Barry. The first end was a four against Banita followed by seven consecutive
ends for single points, all against Banita. But one end can change a score
line quickly and Banita banged in a six-pointer and then shortly after a
three-pointer. With the match now a close one, Panac managed to keep their
heads and came out with a 15-12 win.
Match 3: Golfers v Austar. Yet again a close affair, as many matches
are lately, with this one going down to the latter ends of the sixteenth for
a 14-10 win for the Golfers.
Match 4: The newly formed Odd Couple v Celtic Warriors was again a
close but high scoring match with the score line tied most of the way
through. This was the position going into the final end with both teams
having their chance of a win. Odd Couple got the single point needed however
for a 14-13 win.
Match 5: The match of Harvons v Gunners could not be played due to
Aussie John being unable to play due to illness and in true spirit of the
sport he advised the opposing captain that the match was a walk over.
John Merritt gets back in the frame
PSC golf from the Bowling Green
Report & Photos
Barry Hooper
Tuesday, January 9, Treasure Hill, Stableford
A Flight
1st John Merritt (17) 36pts
2nd Alex Sala (14) 36pts
3rd Takeshi Hakozaki (11) 33pts
B Flight
1st Joel Flor (23) 40pts
2nd Maldi Tierney (27) 33pts
3rd Neil Harris (22) 33pts
C Flight
1st Somkid Bunseim (36) 36pts
2nd William Chang (36) 36pts
3rd Thaeeporn Sangwong (38) 31pts
Near Pins: Tom Herrington, Tony Oakes, Hugh Byrne, Petter
Anderson
2’s: Alex Sala (2), Tony Oakes, Tony Fox, John Merritt (Eagle 2)
 Saturday’s
A Flight winner Derek Eastham surrounded by the three beautiful lady
players on the day; Tewin Lamthong, Paula Byrne and Mam Morel.
Windy conditions and the always-friendly staff greeted the large field
at Treasure Hill. Due to the numbers, it was decided to split the group
into three separate flights. John Merritt took the A Flight with 36
points, Joel Flor topped the B’s with 40 points and in the C Flight,
Somkid Bunseim held off William Chang on count back after both players
had finished on 36 points.
John Merritt doubled-up on his flight win with an Eagle to claim a share
of the 2’s booty.
Thursday, January 11, Khao Kheow, Stableford
Flight A
1st Richard Wakeling (14) 35pts
2nd David Arrowsmith (6) 35pts
3rd David Hewson (6) 33pts
4th Mike Hardman (12) 31pts
Flight B
1st Colin Cronin (22) 33pts
2nd Tony Burnett (22) 32pts
3rd Koji Yamada (17) 31pts
4th Barry Rothberg (18) 31pts
Flight C
1st Mam Morel (35) 35pts
2nd William Chang (36) 33pts
3rd Tony Geeland (23) 32pts
4th Peter King (31) 31pts
Near Pins: Geoff Wilson, William Chang, David Hewson, Alex Sala
2’s: Richard Wakeling, Dave Hewson
Another large turnout meant another three flights were the order of the
day. The course was in magnificent condition -hard but fair - but
unfortunately, in the main the golfers taking part could not bring their
game up to the level of the course, as was shown in the scores
Saturday, January 13, Eastern Star, Stableford
Flight A
1st Derek Eastham (15) 38pts
2nd Walter Baechli (15) 35pts
3rd Angus Neilson (6) 32pts
Flight B
1st Douglas Leitch (18) 38pts
2nd Andy Galvin (20) 38pts
3rd Harvey Samuel (18) 36pts
Flight C
1st John Morel (30) 40pts
2nd Mam Morel (35) 35pts
3rd Joe Kubon (28) 34pts
Near Pins: Mam Morel, Andy Galvin, John Merritt, Barry Rothberg
2’s: Fergus Brennan, John Merritt, Nick Collins
An excellent day out at an excellent golf club with some good golf
played to boot. The only gripe was that so many of the winning players
did not return to the Bowling Green for the presentation of the prizes.
Come on lads support your organiser, he does a very good job and
deserves more of your support.
If any one is interested in golfing with the Bowling Green we play every
Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. We meet at Bowling Green at 7:45am for
breakfast and transportation and new players are always made to feel
welcome. You can phone Tewin on 086 056 7019 or the Bowling Green
038-720742 or send an email [email protected]. Just give us a call
and join us for a great day of golf.
Card error chaos
PSC golf from The Café Kronborg
Thursday, January 11, Eastern Star,
Stableford
On this day the test was to be Eastern Star but how would it pan out? We
all know this course is a tough one.
 Thursday’s
winners: Bjorn Kristjohansson (left) and Johann Reynisson.
A full list of players arrived bright and early at the course; booked in
quickly and were soon at the first tee. As luck would have it we were
allowed to get away quickly, but with the course packed we expected a
slow round.
We were lucky however, and the groups ahead got a move on and in the end
we managed to get around in only a few minutes over 4 hours. A quick
change meant we were soon sitting in the fine restaurant, waiting for
the cards to come in.
The thing about taking the cards in is that you never know what to
expect. On this day the cards had much better scores than expected, but
a trend set in, many of the cards were filled in incorrectly.
Unfortunately five of the winning cards were in this category and the
players had to be told they were no longer eligible to win - such is
life.
So, after much deliberation, the winner of the A Flight (0 to 18) was
announced as Johann Reynisson with 40 points, ahead of Brian Noguer in
second with 37 points, Ted Morris in third with 36 points and Derek
Brook in fourth with 35 points.
In the B Flight, the winner was Bjorn Kristjohansson with 41 points,
with Brian Mitchell in second on 40 points, John Swanson in third with
38 points and Mike Winfield in fourth with 33 points.
TTFN
Near Pin: Ursula Lehner, Brian Noguer, Derek Brook, Alain Taddie
Long Put: Graham Buckingham, Johann Reynisson
The Square Ring:
by Howie Reed
It had been erroneously reported that Vic Darchinyan
(27-0) was going to defend his IBF flyweight tile last week in
Australia. The entire world that comprises ‘The Square Ring’ universe
reported that Victor Burgos (39-14-3) would be the opponent. Not so. The
match is now on for March 3 somewhere in the USA.
We’ll try reporting on another fight that is supposed to take place in
Australia this Sunday. This one involves Danny Green 22-3 against Paul
Murdock at 26-6-1. Some clever chap gave Danny the nickname “The Green
Machine”, which is sometimes accurate except when he steps up in class.
On these occasions it’s a case of someone tossing sand in the gears of
“The Green Machine.”
Green’s tried to ‘step up’ three times, losing to Anthony Mundine and
champ Markus Beyer twice. The first Beyer loss was particularly galling
to the mechanics that built the “Green Machine”. That match in August of
2003 was held on Beyer’s home turf of Germany, which may account for the
result. The Square Ring quotes from the official record: “Beyer was down
in rounds one and two. Green incurred a point deduction for a head butt,
albeit accidental (WBC rules) in the 2nd round. Green worsens Beyer’s
cut with an intentional head butt. Beyer cannot continue (doctor’s
ruling) & therefore wins by DQ.”
Many thought that if the fight had been anywhere but on Beyer’s home
turf, the “intentional” head butt that ended the fight would have been
deemed “accidental”. It was a “do-over”.
Paul Murdock had his shot at a light heavyweight title when he traveled
to Germany to face Zsolt Erdei last year. He came up short, losing via a
TKO in 10. This upcoming fight might be a case of winner moves on and
loser enrolls in mechanics’ school.
Jeeves do you have anything this week?
“Yes, your Lordship. It is with sadness that I read about the passing of
one of the greatest boxers ever from Canada, Yvon Durelle. He was 77
years old when he died with a record of 90 wins, 24 loses and 2 draws.
He fought every name fighters for the 19 plus years that he made his
living in the square ring.
He traded punches twice with Floyd Patterson but is better known for his
first fight with Archie Moore in December 10 of 1958. It was held in
Montreal with former heavyweight champ Jack Sharkey the referee. Durelle
put Moore down three times in the first round and once in the fourth. He
appeared to be in control until the 11th round when Moore decked Durelle
4 times for the KO. Durelle was one of the greats and a credit to the
sport.”
Jeeves, Archie’s daughter J’Marie is a good friend and became a part of
the Moore-Durelle legend. The Lady Mongoose wrote of his passing, “I
don’t remember too much of the days surrounding the funeral of my
father, Archie Moore. One moment that stands out is the call to one of
his greatest opponents, Yvon Durelle.
“He had attended a benefit at the Molson Centre along with my father and
other boxing greats a year before. They hadn’t seen each other since
their championship fight. No one really knew what to expect. Here you
have an American champion and a Canadian champion reunited after two
infamous battles. Although both in their twilight years, anyone that
knows the sport and knows boxers, knows they NEVER loose their edge.
“Dad always said, ‘I like Yvon! If it wasn’t for him there wouldn’t have
been a fight.’ A quote he said the night he won the Light-heavyweight
Championship and asked everyone in the room to toast Yvon Durelle.
“The occasion at the Molson Centre turned out to be extremely joyous,
with both men greeting each other like long lost brothers: Yvon, ‘The
Fighting Fisherman’ boasting about the size of his hands to Archie, ‘Th
Ol’ Mongoose.’
“Yvon takes off his ring which looked to be a size 14 or so, puts it on
Archie’s finger and laughs his hearty laugh as it swallows his finger.
They laughed and hugged, as Archie said, ‘Man! You hit me with those?’
as he let out an elongated whistle in disbelief.
“Later we had a private dinner with the Durelle’s. The two reminisced
and even though it was before I was born, I felt like I was at ‘the
fight’. They spoke of the air, the canvas, the ring, the media, the
aftermath. They remembered everything even though it was some 38 years
and many, many fights later.”
J’Marie concluded, “The passing of Yvon Durelle has shaken me to my very
core. As the 10 count bell rings in my heart for ‘The Fighting
Fisherman’, I know ‘Th’ Ol’ Mongoose’ is helping him in the heavenly
ring, where they will wave their golden gloves forever.”
As mentioned probably more times than is necessary, Ricky Hatton gets
back into the ring on Sunday morning in Las Vegas. If Hatton is to be
believed, and why wouldn’t he be, this might be one heck of a scrap.
He says of his opponent Juan Urango (17-0-1), “He’s a lot like me. He
doesn’t take a step back and neither do I, so it should be a great
fight.”
Some have questioned Hatton’s motivation for the fight as he may be
looking forward to a bout with Jose Luis Castillo (54-7-1) who squares
off on the same card against over-matched Herman Ngoudjo (15-0). “I’ve
only got one person on my mind ... Juan Urango”, said Hatton.
What does Hatton think of the bright lights of the Las Vegas Strip?
“It’s the pinnacle of a fighter’s career, especially a British fighter.
It’s a dream come true”, he said. Word of caution to Hatton as sometimes
dreams turn in to nightmares. Ask any punter the morning after.
Yes Jeeves what is it?
“Your Lordship, remember when you wrote that Ricky Hatton was a pal of
darts star Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor? You were right but now for the rest
of the story.
“Until recently Hatton was a part of his local pub darts team, which
probably surprised one or two people when he showed up for an away game.
Phil has visited Ricky at his local, The New Inn in Hattersley. In fact
they played a match together with Taylor winning 2-1. After one of
Taylor’s world titles he gave the winning darts to Hatton, which are now
on display in his games room. I got all this from Paul who is the
“official spokesperson” for Hatton. Oh yes, Paul also says that Hatton
should get a MBE.”
‘Most Excellent Order of the British Empire’, Jeeves?
“No your Lordship, Paul says it means Manchester’s Best Entertainer.”
This year is supposed to be the year when the heavyweight division
shakes itself out of the doldrums with a “real heavyweight champion”
emerging. It’s still possible, especially with Samuel Peter looking good
again in his second win over James Toney. It’ll be interesting to see if
the WBC has their way in forcing Oleg Maskaev to defend against Peter,
as he should, rather than opting for a bout with Wladimir Klitschko.
Probably the least talented of the many heavyweight champions is Nikolai
Valuev (45-0) who represents the WBA branch of heavyweights. He defends
on Sunday in Basel, Switzerland against Jameel “The Joke” McCline
(38-6-3). Valuev’s list of recent wins includes Monte Barrett, Owen
“What the Heck” Beck, John Ruiz and Larry Donald. Valuev has met and
beat the ‘usual suspects’.
McCline, after losing to the easily forgettable Zuri Lawrence, has a
string of 6 wins. Those wins came against Andy “Free” Sample, Dan Ward,
Marcus McGee, Rob Calloway, Marcus Rhode and Terry Smith. A list not
likely to force one to miss the local wet T-Shirt contest.
‘The Square Ring’ knows only slightly more about Muay thai boxing than
it does about the workings of the Thai female mind. On both subjects
‘The Square Ring’ keeps trying.
There is a chance that Muay thai boxing may be ready to spread its’
wings. One positive step has been the World Boxing Council giving
“official recognition” to the sport and sanctioning world title bouts.
Next up is the WBC Middleweight title fight between champ Steve Wakeling
and interim title-holder and Thai champ Lamsongkram Chuwattana, the
Rajadamnern superstar.
If Pattaya peeps have some time before ‘Happy Hour’ at their favorite
watering hole they might like to catch the champ Steve Wakeling training
down at the Fairtex Gym in North Pattaya. Be a good way to get some
exercise with a little work ... before a little taste!
Speaking of which ... Jeeves the time has arrived for a little
readjustment in my attitude. “Would your Lordship require maybe some
cold lager, a couple of cigars, and how about some Diana Washington on
the music machine?”
Jeeves you are a treasure.
Montana remains in first place
Pattaya Sports Club Friday Bowling League
After week 19 of the 30-week league, Montana is still
in first place after winning three points from second place Diamond
Shop. House of the Golden Coin moved into third place after taking three
points from Café Kronborg.
VFW Post 9876 is in fourth place as they took three and one half points
from Domicil. In other games Three Sisters won three from Jack & Tar,
Café Ole won three from Brother D and Mai’s Thai Restaurant won all four
points in their match with Shenanigans.
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