‘Badger’ bags it at Greenwood

PSC golf from Tropical Bert’s

Derek Brook
Tuesday, June 10, Greenwood – Stableford
This was to be one of those awkward days when some of the players were to play Match play against another outlet whilst the remainder were to play as normal, a stableford competition. We will disregard the matchplay, as technically it was an away game and it will be reported elsewhere, suffice to say we all went back to Bert’s and a good night was had by all.

Phil (Badger) Barnsley racked up 42 points at Greenwood last week.

In the competition, it was played on the A & C Nines, and as is usual these days the course was in good condition, however we had some funny runs on the greens, or so most people described their putting. This course always seems to be windy, and on this day, guess what? It was windy and stormy and the biggest rain deluge of the year chased us from the course.
It is quite cosy in those rest stops, yes we were really lucky, and you can even get hot coffee to dry you out and warm you up. Mind all good things must come to an end, and we soon emerged into a world of rivers and soaking wet grass. The temperature however was superb and apart from the fact that the sole of my golf shoes will probably fall off in the near future, we were able to get on with the game.
Back at Bert’s we got on with the presentation and the winner with a fine 42 points was Badger. I asked him where his nickname came from and he told me his hair was so wiry they thought he looked like a badger when he was younger. In second place was Gordon Clegg with 39 points and we then had to look in the dust before we found Koji in third with 31 points and Nigel Perry in fourth with 30 points. T.T.F.N.
Near Pin: Nigel Perry, Koji Yamada, Grant Dawson
Long Putt: Dick Warberg, Badger

Smith shoots 73 gross at Pattana

PSC golf from The Bunker

Monday, June 9, Pattana - Medal
A Flight
1st Paul Smith (3) net 70
2nd Alan Sullivan (15) net 72
3rd John McDonald (6) net 77
B Flight
1st Bryan Rought (21) net 81
2nd PJ Redmond (19) net 82
3rd Colin Stokes (24) net 83
Playing Medal at Pattana Golf and Sports Resort on the Brookei and Calypso courses, it certainly separated the men from the boys.
With the cut at handicap 15 we saw a big difference in class between the two flights where in the A Flight Paul Smith had a fine round to win with a two-under par net 70, a level par net 72 was only good enough for second place for Alan Sullivan and a five-over for John McDonald got him third place.
In the B Flight it was a very modest net 81 that won, which was scored by Bryan Rought, one shot behind in second place was PJ Redmond and a shot further back in third place came Colin Stokes.
The near pin prizes went to Alan Sullivan, Paul Smith, John McDonald and PJ Redmond.
Wednesday June 11
– Matchplay v The Driving Range (see the MBMG Matchplay report on page 57)
Friday, June 13, Burapha - Medal
1st John Graham (11) net 79
2nd Tony Berry (9) net 80
3rd Richard Baldotto (27) net 81
Friday the 13th saw no major mishaps for the Bunker Boy’s apart from John Graham getting lost on the way to the course!
Not too many golfers turned up today (maybe it was the date?) but John Graham made up for his poor navigation skills by winning with a net 79, ahead of Tony Berry net 80 and third placed Richard Baldotto net 81.
Near pin prizes went to Colin Stokes, John Graham and Tony Berry.

The ‘Chairman’ signs-off in perfect style

PSC 79th Members Open Golf Tournament

The winning team: (L-R) Larry Willett, Dennis Willett, Sus Ige and Tony Oakes.

Derek Brook
Friday, June 13, 2008 – Eastern Star
Once again the test for the Members Open was to be a 4-Ball Florida Scramble, and if you have never played one you really have to try it. The main difference from the conventional scramble, as played in most areas, is that all players have to take 4 drives and the ball that is taken, that player cannot play the next shot. If the next ball is not on the green then only the three again whose ball was not taken can play. Of course once you are on the green all 4 players can putt. Now we all understand, do we not?

The outgoing Golf Chairman Tony Oakes (left) presents a bottle of the ‘good stuff’ to willing assistant Tim.

The day started as normal, all being greeted by a happy smiling Tim, then into the changing rooms and onto the start. With limited numbers, we had 60 players, the tee-off was quite gentlemanly and the speed around was fairly quick.
The course at present is in good condition, however in their continued need to improve, the management has laid in some temporary greens while extensive work is carried out. In fact the general consensus was that the temporary greens were every bit as good as the normal ones.
On the day the winds were very strong all through the 18 holes, however on several of they reached gale force proportions and all the players were blasted. The golfers who are not good wind players were blown totally off their game and all suffered. I wondered how the scores would be as this was surely a leveler.
Back in the clubhouse I just had time for a quick shower and a sip of coke before it was time to do the presentations – and to find that the microphone did not word. The best laid plans etc. Anyway, that was finally sorted out and it was on with the show.
This was to be Tony Oakes last Members Open as Golf Chairman, as he will be not running for the position at next Saturday’s A.G.M. Tony had some thanks to say, firstly to the Eastern Star and then to the people who had provided help during his tenure as Golf Chairman. To all he gave a bottle of whisky from him personally. Mine is in the drink cabinet now – thanks Tony. Nigel Cannon, Alan Pearce and Tim were all thanked publicly and also presented with their whisky. Then to the results.
In fourth place was the team of Henry O’Brien, Kevin Dinan, Ebrahim and Kris Helgasson who came in with a fine net 60.3, not a bad score in the strong wind. In third spot we had the team of Paul Smith, John McDonald, John Hughes and Alan Sullivan who returned a fine net 60.1 to beat the team in fourth place by just 0.2 of a shot. It was tight at the top and in second place was the team of Geoff King, Michael Gray, Norman Best and Ian Halfpenny with a score of net 59.3.
So to the winners, and it was fitting that on his final tournament the Golf Chairman, Tony Oakes, led a team that included Dennis Willett The PSC President, Larry Willett and Sus Ige to a fine win with a net 58.4. Tony says this is his first win at a monthly tournament and his timing was indeed exemplary.
All was not over as we then had the part most of us like best: ‘The Lucky Draw’. Then ‘Home James’ and another monthly tournament was done for this year. T.T.F.N.
Long Drive: (0-18) Tony Oakes; (19-36) Nigel Cannon
Near Pin: Graham Ramsey, Geoff King, Greg Richie, Steve Hamstad, Donald Wilson, Keith Hodges.

Daryl and Phil take the plaudits at Pattana

PSC golf from The Café Kronborg

Derek Brook
Monday, June 9, Pattana Sports Club – Stableford
It was very steamy day on the Pattana B & C layouts for a stableford event in two flights with the cut at handicap 18.
Phil (Badger) Barnsley won the A Flight with 37 points ahead of Mike Gosden in second with 35 points and Walter Bachli came in third on a count back from Martin Davey, both on 31 points. Daryl Evans took the B Flight with 33 points ahead of Gordon Clegg in second with 32 points and Nigel Perry in third with 30 points.
Prior to Thursday’s outing I was getting ready to leave for the Cafe Kronborg when the call came, ‘Go back to bed Derek, there will be no golf today’ said Dave. Soi Diana was under water, so I went back to bed. Good here init! T.T.F.N.

Milner on-form wins back to back

PSC golf from The Outback Golf Bar

Monday, June 9, Burapha - Stableford
The numbers grew to 52 golfers today, due to an additional 10 golfers from the Caddyshack who were here to defend their unbeaten matchplay record against the best of the Outbackers (see MBMG league story on this page).
It was Crystal & Dunes from the white tees for a change and the remaining 32 golfers were divided into two divisions. Prior to today, only one round of the summer eclectic has been played on these nines compared with four on A & B. Bob Lindborg fancied his chances and joined the eclectic on C & D.
Welcome to Marc Napier & John Emmerson today from The Golf Club, and it turned out to be good day for Marc, easily taking A Div. by 7 shots with a magnificent 42 points, whilst relieving John of a couple of bob as well. Bruce Milner was the best of the rest taking second from Richard Line (you’ve got to go back sometime!) on count back. Rosco took B Div. from the Outback Golf Bar resident turnip, Dennis, with scores of 37 and 35 respectively.
Div A (0-16)
1st Marc Napier (11) 42pts
2nd Bruce Milner (13) 35pts
3rd Richard Line (9) 35pts
4th Tony Kitchen (15) 33pts
Div B (17+)
1st Rosco Langoulant (17) 37pts
2nd Dennis Persson (17) 35pts
3rd William Mooney (20) 34pts
4th Joachim Oestreicher (24) 33pts
2’s: Neil Hughes, Jack Spencer, Bernie Segrave, Roger Moore, Peter Henderson, Tony Kitchen, Marc Napier and Bruce Milner.
Tuesday, June 10, Phoenix - Stableford
It was a hot and humid start for the eleven Outbackers who arrived at Phoenix to be met by a new Tuesday organiser - but an old face! - Nigel Cannon.
It was Mountain and Lakes with an empty course in excellent condition and all was going well until the last 3 holes when it rained and rained and rained. However, credit to all 11 players who completed the round. Then into the clubhouse for a drying out followed by a cold beer.
Nigel announced that count backs were required for both 1st and 2nd, Rick winning from Bob -and 3rd and 4th, Joachim winning from Nigel.
There were no 2’s so a rollover for next week!
So early risers join us on a Tuesday at Phoenix at 8 am (max 20) sign-up at the Outback Golf Bar or call Bob, enjoy the game and have a free afternoon!’
1st Rick Evans (4) 36pts
2nd Bob Pearce (11) 36pts
3rd Joachim Oestreicher (24) 31pts
Wednesday, June 11, Khao Kheow - Stableford
Twenty-four Outbackers braved the course (B & C) and the weather today but not so many returned a score. Those that did would have been surprised just how low they were, but fair play to anybody just for finishing. It was a vicious storm and not really pleasant playing conditions.
Bruce battled well for his 26 points, second time in the winner’s circle this week, while Murray just hung on in there with a fighting 34 to take Div B.
If you fancy walking round the course and not playing golf, apparently it will cost just 20 Baht less than playing!! Hmmm.
Div A (0-17)
1st Bruce Milner (13) 26pts
2nd Bob Philp (7) 26pts
3rd Bernie Segrave (8) 23pts
Div B (18+)
1st Murray Hart (18) 34pts
2nd Neville Steward (18) 30pts
3rd Paul Crosland (19) 29pts
2’s: Bob Philp & Suzi Lawton
Friday, June 13, Siam Plantation - Stableford
It seemed as though it was going to be a quiet Friday with two big scrambles on elsewhere, but you cannot keep golfers away from a class course, and this is class.
Forty-six Outbackers played today starting from two tees, Tapioca (B) and Pineapple (C), a little bit before time which created pandemonium for Capt’ Bob. It would be wrong to say he dealt with it with consummate ease but he did deal with it in his own brazen style.
Peter Harris, who was caught slightly on the hop, arrived hurriedly on the 197 yard Par 3 third, only to put the ball on the green, sink the putt for a birdie 2 and walk off thinking nothing of it. That was one of only two 2’s however, the other one coming from Capt’ Bob.
Bruce Milner had the round of the day firing an excellent 37 points, which included a couple of birdies and a scratch on the 18th. That win takes his haul to 2 wins and a 2nd for the week, hang on to that h’cap B1!
Veteran Outbacker, Mark Brenton had a great result taking Div C with 32 points, whilst Don Pavlovic, who has been cut from 15 to 13 as a result of his win last week, still took Div B with a respectable 33.
Course facts: This week again 11 white tee boxes & 7 yellow giving a total length of 6504 yards.
Overall
1st Bruce Milner (13) 37pts
2nd Jim Brackett (5) 34pts
Div A (0-12)
1st Paul Greenaway (12) 31pts
2nd Jon Pratt (7) 29pts
3rd Jack Moseley (8) 29pts
Div B (13-18)
1st Don Pavlovic (13) 33pts
2nd Ben Findon (17) 30pts
3rd Les Hall (17) 29pts
Div C (19+)
1st Mark Brenton (28) 32pts
2nd Cambell Potts (20) 31pts
3rd William (John) King (24) 31pts
2’s: Capt’ Bob & Peter Harris.
Friday, June 13, Emerald - Stableford
The alternative Friday venues are designed for a small number of golfers. This week was no exception with three groups of Outbackers making the trip to the Emerald. The course was recovering from some recent maintenance work but it did not stop Mick Moore producing one of his better rounds of golf to take the day with 37 points.
1st Mick Moore (25) 37pts
2nd Kathy Doody (19) 34pts
3rd Barry Rothberg (20) 31pts
2’s: Barry Chadbourn
Note: The Outback Golf Bar is situated about 6km from Sukhumvit Road along Soi Siam Country. All are welcome to come and join us for a beer and a hit. Just call in and put your name down on the list or give Bob a call on 087 941 2474. More information can be found on our website www.outbackgolfbar.com.

MBMG Pattaya Golf Matchplay League 2008

Monday, June 9 Burapha - Outback Golf
Bar 6½ v Caddyshack 3½
The MBMG Matchplay league leaders, unbeaten to date, took on the Outback Golf Bar mindful of the fact that their opponents had already taken one point off them earlier in the season. The Caddyshack came with a familiar looking side with just one new face, Jon Pratt.
Having just lost unexpectedly to Angkana House, Bob & Jack from the Outback scrutinized the Caddyshack team before making their final team selection. A couple of newbies were press ganged: Briany Christie to deal with Jeff North and Don Pavlovic was matched against the stand in Caddyshack captain, Peter Henderson. Vincent Smyth, who had previously shot a near gross level par against Richard Line from Tropical Berts, was to face Capt’ Bob Philp who can swing a golf club through any amount of chat.
Jack, who dropped himself today, kept an eye on proceedings from one the marshall’s carts (courtesy of Burapha) and after four holes was happy see the Outback up in 6 matches. After 8 holes, the Caddyshack had pulled one back, but were only up in 2.
The Par 3, (11th) drink stop at the top of the hill on Course D was the next vantage point, from where there is also a good view of the long Par 4 (13th). Vince had had two free drops on the hole where he was getting a shot from Bob, long in 2 and chipped back on leaving a 15 footer or so. Bob thought he’d get away with a half, but Vince drained the putt, to go 1 up.
When the final score was known, Bob got back to beat Vince by one; good wins coming also from Geoff Doody beating Ramsay Smith 4 & 3 and Bernie Segrave overwhelming Graham Beaumont 6 & 5. Damien Trant lengthened his unbeaten run for the Caddyshack team, to 8 wins from 8, with a convincing result over Don Frances 5 & 4.
Back the bar, many drinks were enjoyed by all, as was there many a tale to tell. Jack promised not to gloat, but he did! Well done the Outback team and thanks to the Caddyshack for the spirit in which it was played.
Tuesday, June 10, Treasure Hill
- The Bunker 9 v The Driving Range 1
Treasure Hills may seem to be a tough course for a match play competition but it is usually in good condition, and on this occasion, empty. But the weather decided to make playing golf even more difficult with most players rushing for cover to escape the thunder, lightening and heavy rain which came after the leading group had played 6 holes. It then rained on the parade for the rest of the game.
While sheltering, there was probably 20 golfers seated, The Bunker boys found themselves down in 4 matches and up in 1. Paul Smith, who had arrived before his three playing partners, was in the unusual position of being 6 down after 6. For no apparent reason the opposition in the form of John King and Phil Mitchell decided to play through everyone at the hut, brave the extreme conditions and teed off on the 7th. Paul, salivating with his pot noodle rushed to the tee and caught up with his partners on the fairway. What followed resembled a war zone more than a game of golf and Paul made an astonishing comeback (what was in that pot noodle) to find himself on the 17th tee 1 up and no opponent who had lost 7 of the last 8 holes and was on his way back to the clubhouse to have a shower and therefore forfeited the game. John MacDonald maintained his composure through all this to beat John King 3 & 2.
William Macey and Michael Benton for The Bunker were both all square on the 10th but powered through both winning 4 & 2. PJ Redmond, 4 down at one time, and the ever-reliable John Hughes, who will shortly be deserting the ship to return to England, came from behind to win.
Allan Sullivan, as ever, put in a great performance to win comfortably 6 & 4 and first timer Colin Stokes won 6 & 5. Colin Greig had a comfortable win 3 & 2 but steady Eddie was not so steady on this occasion recording the only loss for The Bunker.
Tuesday, June 10, Greenwood - Tony’s Storm Troopers 4 v Tropical Bert’s 3
Tony struggled to field a full team after his recent return from the UK, where he had been suffering from some serious health problems, but his players stayed loyal and pulled together to do him proud.
Not surprisingly, Tony was well beaten in his first game for two months but good wins from Chris Holmes and Dave Smith formed the backbone of this creditable win. Ron Bridge sealed the win for the Troopers winning by 1 hole over Mike Gosden

Glyn Nicholas wins at last

IPGC golf from The Haven

Monday, June 9,Green Valley - Stableford
1st Barry Traynor 38pts
2nd Kelvin Crouch 37pts
3rd Stephen Lewis 36pts
4th Trevor Schirmer 34pts
Barry Traynor ensured that it would not be an all out celebration for Kelvin Crouch to end his golf holiday in Pattaya, as he slipped round the immaculate Green Valley layout in two under his handicap and deny Kelvin by one. The “Drinking Man’s Guru” was only another shot back in third, as he also rounded off his visit with another trip to the podium ahead of Trevor Schirmer in fourth spot.
Even after his minor disappointment, Kelvin still managed to stay until he had drunk all other suppers under the table by closing time, and insisting on paying for most of it, and then repaired to “The Pub” out front until the taxi collected him for the airport run at 9 am. He was last heard mumbling, “I’ll be back” as he finally departed.
Gary Judd had the only ‘2’ in the second division but the first division found the going rather easier, as Barry Traynor, Kelvin Crouch, and Trevor Schirmer conspired to make Yasuo Suzuki’s day slightly worse, as they slotted one each to add to what Yasuo thought was his only one.
Before presenting the prizes The Doc welcomed new member Robert Estenson and welcomed back Jerry Selph and Gary Judd. There were also farewells to the Guru and his Apostle in the form of Stephen Lewis and Kelvin Crouch, as they prepare to return to Europe to join the German Nodball fans in Austria and with their new hairstyles and extra-heavy-duty Doc Martins, they should fit right in.
Wednesday, June 11, Phoenix - Stableford
1st Al Keith 36
2nd Tony Barritt 33
3rd Mikael Andersson 32
4th Roy Thornton 31 cb 12
5th Russell Exley 31 cb 10
With the low season in full swing it is very pleasant, at least for the players, to be able to tee off at will and stroll round at a leisurely pace without hardly seeing another group on the course, even though the weather is not currently at its best. The day’s competition was marked with heavy rains together with strong flashes of lightning that temporarily halted the competition after the front nine had been completed.
An extremely damp course and a strong breeze ensured that there would be no outstanding results and it needed a member’s round with the added benefit of the odd bounce to just get to even against the course, and that was enough to ensure Al Keith took home the top honours three shots ahead of the chasing Tony Barritt.
Mikael Andersson was surprised to get third place with a score that would not normally rate at Phoenix, even with the course now being more and more difficult as the trees and plantings grow ever larger.
Roy Thornton also would have been surprised at his count back success against Russell Exley at the bottom of the list.
There were no 2’s in the second division but Al Keith had one in the first to sweep the pot.
Friday, June 13, Greenwood - Stableford
1st Glyn Nicholas 39pts
2nd Rodney Nabbe 35pts
3rd Phil Groves 33pts
4th Mark Ward 33pts
After seemingly forever, which after a thorough investigation turned out to be November 2005, and following which time he had only played under his handicap five times, Glyn Nicholas finally won another one and did it in some style as the rest of the field could not match par. Glyn had it round in three-under to easily take the top spot and that led to a mini celebration following the presentations at The Haven.
Rodney Nabbe was left holding the second place, after several paranormal experiences during the day’s round, but still proving good enough to keep Phil Groves in third spot by a couple, with Phil in turn staying in front of Mark Ward by virtue of a better back nine.
Glyn Nicholas slipped in the only ‘2’ in the second division and with Rodney Nabbe missing a sitter from eight inches there were none in the first division. Back at the bar after several sherbets, Rodney claimed that he had seen some sort of apparition inside the hole and blamed the date rather than his alignment for the resultant effort.
Prior to the prize giving Bonny Schoonakker and Mark Ward were welcomed as new members and YaKaYuKa Tours, comprising Yazuhika Asada, Kaneo Watanabe and Yusuke Watanabe, together with their tour guide and leader Yasuo were welcomed back.

“Gunner” fires off a good round

Golf from the Travellers Rest

Barry Hooper
Monday, June 9, Siam Plantation – Stableford
1st Gunner Vangsnes (28) 41pts
2nd Phil Knight (11) 38pts
3rd Jack Mooney (12) 33pts
4th Roger Wilkinson (14) 33pts
2’s: Phil Knight and Darrel Wells
Monday, June 9, Gunner Vangsnes from Norway joined us and promptly put in a round of forty-one points to take the day by three clear from Phil Knight in second place while in third was Jack (money) Mooney.

Monday’s winner at Siam Plantation – Gunner Vangsnes.

Gunner has only recently come to us at TRGG and is a new golfer who only started playing a short time ago. His handicap has been cut by three points as a result of this day’s play. Well done Gunner.
The 2’s on the day were won by Phil Knight and Darrel Wells.
Tuesday, June 10, Plutaluang N&W - Stableford
1st Ray Allison (13) 37pts
2nd Bruce Lawrence (11) 32pts
3rd Robert Dearnley (12) 30pts
Tuesday’s outing was to Plutaluang with a small turnout. The condition of the course was great but the fairways are not to everybody’s taste with the broad-leaved grasses that have been used. But this did not stop Ray Allison from winning the day with thirty-seven points, five clear of Bruce Lawrence in second and Robert Dearnley came third with thirty. No 2’s on the day.
Thursday, June 12, Greenwood A&C - Stableford
1st Ray Allison (13) 39pts
2nd Phil Knight (11) 37pts
3rd Gunner Vangsnes (25) 37pts
4th Robert Ledlie (24) 36pts
2’s: Mod Chaviraksa
Thursday was a visit to Greenwood and again we had a large turn out with some seventeen players in attendance. This course is very popular with the members and I have it reported that it was in great condition and as always the treatment by caddies with the rain effecting play and their instant supply of rain covers for the clubs was refreshing to see.
Ray Allison made it two events in a row with a winning thirty-nine points, Phil Knight was second with a count back thirty-seven, edging Gunner Vangenes into third. Mod Chaviraksa took the 2’s pot on her own.
Saturday, June 14, Eastern Star - Stableford
1st Fergus Brennan (9) 34pts
2nd Roger Wilkinson (15) 33pts
3rd Mod Chaviraksa (13) 33pts
Saturday and back we went to Eastern Star with just a small turnout of twelve this week. The course was in reasonable shape, even though the tees had been pushed back near the blues and temporary green were being used. This changed the course management for the players somewhat and meant that hazards that previously would not normally have come into play for some now had to be thought about.
This was reflected in the scores with Fergus taking the win with thirty-four points and second and third places decided on a count back thirty three-point fight between Roger Wilkinson and Mod Chaviraksa, with Roger the victor.
There were no 2’s so the bell was rung for those who returned for the presentation, which I understand will be the norm from now on.

Lennie gets showery sendoff

Phoenix Tuesday Golf Group (Members & Guests)

Tuesday, June 10
Tuesday saw us staring at the sky for 2 hours whilst the rain lashed down and flooded the course. It was decided that it would be better to postpone our game until the next day but only four of us could make it on Wednesday, due to other players already having commitments elsewhere.
This was a special day for the lads though, because our good friend Lennie Bantleman was leaving our shores that very night for a couple of months away and although only four of us, a very enjoyable game was had between more showers.
Never mind, on both days we scrambled our way back to Toy’s Bar for a few beers, good music and pretty pretties. I think Lennie will miss this aspect more than the golf?
By the title above you can see that our group consists mainly of members of Phoenix Golf Club, who in turn invite guests. Some of the guests have remained as regular players each week and therefore we are now enjoying a nice mixture (and number) of players, again, in the main of a high standard of golf. We do have one or two rookies or beginners, but in time they will be much better players, and therefore we do encourage them to continue and improve.
There are other groups run by Clive Robinson and Bob Rasmusson that share our ideas of the format we play, and some of our players are now joining with these groups.
So if you would like to join us, contact me, Mike Gerrard on 08 709 17565 for Tuesday golf at 12.00 Noon every week. First Tuesday of the month being a Monthly Mug strokeplay competition, with stableford play on all other Tuesdays.
For Friday golf contact Clive Robinson on 08 49 475874. Tee times around 10.30am each week.

The Beautiful Game?: Riz Taylor

Euros going Dutch?

The Euros are hotting up, and this weekend we move onto the quarter finals. Croatia against Turkey is tonight’s late one if you’re reading this on Friday, with Holland playing tomorrow night and the remaining two fixtures on Sunday and Monday nights.
Someone’s going to have to do well to eliminate Holland. Both of their opening fixtures were cracking matches, and with respect to the other nations the Dutch have been the most impressive outfit we’ve seen thus far, even if both France and Italy’s defences have been exposed as a bunch of geriatrics living off their past glories.
Who’s going to win it? Nobody has a clue, and that’s why this tournament has been so enjoyable. I’m rooting for the men from the Netherlands and their fancy football, but I won’t be sat around feeling sorry for myself for days on end if they’re dumped out of the competition. I think I could get used to not having my own nation in these tournaments, you know. Here’s some stories you may have missed over the past week. Enjoy the rest of Euro 2008.
Hands on Totti
Manchester United have sparked Roma’s fury by snapping up the player dubbed the new Francesco Totti. Midfielder Davide Petrucci, 16, has agreed a three-year deal with the Barclays Premier League and Champions League winners on a reported 95,000 pound salary, against a 16,000 offer from Roma.
United even helped entice the Italy under-17 international by offering his dad a job as a groundsman. Petrucci said: ‘Going to play for the strongest club in the world in United is a great opportunity for me. It was hard to say no, even though I am a Roma fan and would gladly have stayed with them throughout my career. United have offered my father Stefano a job as a gardener and he will accompany me. I will go over on June 30 and start in United’s academy the next day. I will start English lessons.’
Glamour ties for relegated clubs
Relegated Reading will travel to Dagenham & Redbridge of League Two in the first round of the Carling Cup. Other notable ties include Exeter City, who won promotion back to the Football League in May, hosting Championship side Southampton while fellow League Two newcomers Aldershot travel to Coventry City.
Derby County, who were relegated from the Premier League along with Reading and Birmingham last season, are paired at home to Lincoln City. Birmingham travel to Wycombe Wanderers while Bradford travel to Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield Town. In another local derby, Bury face Lancashire neighbours Burnley at Gigg Lane.
Welsh MP resigns for calling Italians ‘Greasy Wops’
A leading Conservative Welsh MP has resigned as the party’s education spokesman after describing the Italy Euro 2008 team as “greasy wops”. Alun Cairns made the inappropriate comments during a weekly political discussion programme on BBC Radio Cymru.
During the programme contributors were asked who they would be supporting at Euro 2008. One said she had written a note next to the side of each team at the tournament, describing Sweden as “boring” and writing “nice flag” next to Portugal. She then said that she had written “nice food” next to Italy, before Mr. Cairns stepped in and said: “I’ve written greasy wops.”
The presenter of the programme then immediately asked the Tory MP to issue an apology, which he did before the programme ended. However the following afternoon, Mr. Cairns, the South Wales West AM, announced that he had resigned as shadow education spokesman and chair of the assembly’s finance committee.
“In light of the inappropriate comments I made yesterday regarding Italy I believe I can no longer continue in these roles in the national assembly,” he stated. I very much regret the remarks and wish to apologise once again for the offence they may have caused.
“I have the utmost respect for Italy and Italian people but accept that my comments, no matter how inadvertent, were unacceptable. I support all efforts to tackle xenophobia and racism and will continue to promote equality and tolerance.”
Welsh Conservative leader Nick Bourne AM has accepted Cairns’ resignation. “While his comments were completely out of character they were unacceptable,” explained Mr Bourne.
“Alun is a long-serving, hard working, and well-respected politician but knows his comments were inappropriate and regrettable.”
Wales’ greatest sportsman at present is a Welsh-Italian. The unbeaten champion boxer Joe Calzaghe, known as the ‘Italian Dragon’, has a Welsh mother and an Italian father.
Crowd trouble goes unseen
Crowd trouble between supporters of Austria and Croatia last Sunday was not broadcast by any television channel, and SRG Director General Armin Walpen is concerned that UEFA’s decision not to show the incidents in question were ‘more than problematic’ from a journalistic point of view. UEFA is responsible for the live feed of all matches and decided not to broadcast the sight of a supporter on the pitch as well as fans lighting flares in the stands in Vienna.
Wolfgang Eichler, a UEFA spokesperson told the Associated Press: “We don’t want to give troublemakers publicity, we want to concentrate on what’s relevant to the game.” He also noted that there are usually about 40 independent television cameras at all matches, including one belonging to the Swiss broadcaster.
Ricky hates Roman
Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho has cast doubt on his future at Stamford Bridge by criticising the club’s treatment of former boss Avram Grant. The centre-back has been linked with a move to Inter Milan to rejoin former Blues and Porto boss Jose Mourinho.
Grant was sacked less than a year after succeeding Mourinho despite leading the Blues to the final of the Champions League for the first time and pushing Manchester United all the way in the Premier League title race. The 30-year-old told The Sunday Times: “Avram did a great job, but they still decided to sack him. Yet after Jose Mourinho left, he picked up the team and got good results. It was very cruel. He did a great job and he could have carried on, but they decided to let him go. It was very ruthless. The new manager will be my third in a year, and in football you need stability if you want to be successful.”
Questions, Questions
Last week we asked which England international has featured at three European Championships but has never been selected for a World Cup, and the answer was a Mr. Phillip Neville. And the Italian who did the opposite by playing in the three World Cups of 1990, 1994 and 1998 but never the European Championship was Roberto Baggio.
This week, which of Yugoslavia, Germany and the USSR won the inaugural European Championships in 1960? And when was the last European Championships not to include a nation from Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland in the final stages?

Bob Newell goes low

IPGC golf from Donovan’s

Thursday, June 12, Green Valley (White Tees) - Stableford
1st Mike Craighead (18) 39pts
2nd Steve Mascari (2) 39pts
2’s: Jim Munns
It was The Mechanic over The Pres on count back, despite the latter’s fine gross 71. Capt. Fogg had the sole ‘2’ of the day.
Saturday, June 14, Green Valley (White Tees) - Stableford
Men’s Flight
1st Bob Newell (7) 41pts
2nd Robbie Bennett (19) 35pts
3rd Mike Craighead (18) 34pts
4th Oddvar Rykke (19) 33pts
Ladies Flight
1st Gib Rykke (36) 34pts
2’s: John Hillier
Bob Newell earned the ‘Title Slot’ with his gross 74, (41 points) outburst. That was 5 clear of Nice Guy Robbie. The second place Canadian edged Thursday’s hero by one point and the tandem of Oddvar the Tentmaker and The Headmaster by yet another. Oddvar took the count back over Peter who was far less gay, when told the result, than his neighbors on Soi Pattayaland Two.
Mrs. Rykke edged Mol with 34 points for the ladies’ loot.

Schroeder & Jones win by a whisker

IPGC Pattaya Golf Society at the OK Corral

Sunday, June 8, the Pattaya Golf Society visited Eastern Star to play a pairs better score stableford event on the course where currently there are four temporary greens. Many people may think this odd but the temporary greens are of good quality and the group’s philosophy is not to ignore a course when the management are spending money to improve the conditions for all golfers.

May “Player of the Month,” David Thomas (left) receives his award from Mr. Denis.

Seven teams had entered and play got underway on time in good golfing weather. The secret of this format is for the pair to “dovetail” as there will be good holes and bad holes. The winners will be the ones who do not suffer bad holes as a pair.
So it was then that Harry Riley and newly returned Don Nellis put together a score of 45 points for a very good third place, only one point behind the fancied duo of Sunny Khanna and Mod Churaiska. The winning team was that of Len Jones and John Schroeder, the latter having an excellent round and holding the pairing together to come up with a winning score of 47 points. John’s individual score was forty-two and would have easily won any other event. He also has one of the only two birdie 2’s, sharing the pot with Mikael Andersson.
Traditionally in pairs events the Booby Bevy goes to the back markers and the award was made to Chris Voller and Peter Masters for their 39-point haul. Chris insisted it was a little unjust as he had recorded 35 stableford points himself and he was to be reminded that a partner’s contribution, good or poor, was part of the deal.
Eastern Star in its current condition is still better than some courses in the area and the usual warm welcome will mean a hasty return to the course for Sunday golf.
Triple Crown at Greenwood
A visit to Greenwood is always a “lipsmacking” affair and the course hosted the Pattaya Golf Society on Thursday, June 10, for a stableford competition.
The course was full, a testimony to its excellent condition, but the group still managed to make good progress down the verdant fairways. Not even the interruption by a heavy storm dampened spirits and the result of a very tight contest saw three tied at the top, namely David Thomas, Ronnie Ramsay and Alan Freeman, for whom the round signalled his best with the IPGC. All three posted scores of 38 points.
Chris Voller and Margaret Wilkinson joined David Thomas in shares of the 2’s pot, David even adding a second one just for good measure.
Only Carl Lovatt and Len Jones failed to break thirty points and the latter’s 7-20 split saw the harassed organiser get to enjoy one of his Booby Bevies at last. In the opinion of most of the PGS players Greenwood at present is one of the finest courses in the area and deserves the good custom it is getting.
Voller victorious
The Pattaya Golf Society chose Green Valley as the venue for its stableford competition on Thursday, June 12, and found the course in excellent condition, indeed much better currently than many others in the province. Fairways were lush and the greens were very consistent and running at a slick pace.
The scene was set for a fine competition and old adversaries Don Nellis and Harry Riley went head-to-head forcing themselves into third place with 34 points each, while one point better in second place was Bill Hewitt. Since relocating to the Kingdom in November 2007 Chris Voller has played in some seventy PGS competitions with greater or lesser success but has recently shown good consistency and it was fitting that he chose this event to take his maiden victory with an excellent best gross score of 78 giving him 39 points.
Yasuo Suzuki headed the Japanese contingent in the event and took the 2’s pot with the only birdie two of the day, on hole twelve. Mr. Denis, the boss at the OK Corral, received the Booby Bevy by way of a welcome back after a short spell in the UK and he later had the pleasant duty of presenting David Thomas with his “Player of the Month” award for May following his record 49 points total. Congratulations all round but especially to Chris Voller on the first of what will surely be many good wins.

The Square Ring: by Howie Reed

One boxing story that might have been big news two weeks ago is now being viewed as “so what.” The retirement, yet again, of Floyd Mayweather jr. is now an officially “non-story.” The only impact is on the re match with Oscar De La Hoya on September 20. TSR thought the cancellation would be an excellent time for Ricky Hatton to step into the breach, fight Oscar and become a major player again on the world stage. Not going to happen. Ricky’s father has put the ‘kybosh’ on that. He told the BBC, “‘The Hitman’ is focused on a November fight with IBF jr welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi.”

This photo taken June 5 shows Wayne ‘The Pocket Rocket’ McCullough in training for his upcoming fight this Friday against Juan Ruiz in Georgetown, Grand Cayman.

What a joke. Fighting a ‘joke’ for a payday so a bunch of single tooth, tattooed, earring wearing drunken hooligans can sing Blue Moon.
It looks like ‘Joltin’ Joe Calzaghe has sipped the UK Kool Aid also. UK Kool Aid? Yeah, boxers take a sip and first the backbone gets weak while at the same time the mouth runs wild without the mind being engaged.
Boxing fans had anticipated Calzaghe facing Kelly Pavlik on October 18 - but now? “I think it’s unlikely,” Calzaghe said. “I’m not sure if Pavlik really wants to face me at the moment. He would have little to gain because I believe I would definitely beat him and, with respect to Gary Lockett, I would be a step-up too far for Pavlik.”
What fight does Calzaghe want? He wants washed up has been Roy Jones jr. It’s “the right fight for me at the moment,” he said. As mentioned here last week in TSR, Pavlik would have gone through Calzaghe like a Teelock goes through a punter’s pockets during nap time. There’s two things ‘old geezers’ love - and one is a nap.
Hall of Fame
Election to the International Hall of Fame is a feather in the cap for all involved in the sport of boxing. TSR’s favorite boxing guy, Joe Koizumi, was part of the class of 2008, an honor well deserved.
“I am deeply honored to be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame,” said Joe. “Boxing has been my life for more than fifty years. I was playing in the gym since my boyhood. The world champions at that time were as follows: heavyweight, Floyd Patterson; light heavyweight, Archie Moore; middleweight, Carmen Basilio; welterweight, Virgil Akins; lightweight, Joe Brown; featherweight, Hogan Kid Bassey; bantamweight, Alphonse Halimi; and flyweight, Pascual Perez. That’s all. There were no junior classes, nor multiple world champions in each weight division like today.”
Koizumi continued, “Society has changed since I became a boxing fan in 1957. Our modern society has made everything more convenient. Boxing also has changed - less rough and less tough. In 1958, Yvon Durelle knocked down defending world light heavyweight champion Archie Moore three times in the first round and floored him again in the fifth. Moore bounced back to knock out Durelle in the eleventh round and retain his title. That was drama. Today, that fight would have been stopped in the first round. We’ve lost that kind of drama, and it seems to some people that the fight game might be less interesting as a result.
“(But) I believe boxers of today are faster, better trained, and more skilled than those of the past. This continued evolution in boxing technique, coupled with improvements in ring safety, will keep boxing alive forever.”
Way to go Joe.
From the ‘Lily Pad’
Sir Frog opines about the fistic events from the first weekend in June from his lily pad, which masquerades as Patrick’s Belgium Restaurant. For many that follow boxing they had one heck of a night via the magic of television.
“This was the shortest boxing evening since Mike Tyson’s glory days,” intoned Sir Frog. “First we had unbeaten junior featherweight, Juan Manuel Lopez (22-0), against reigning WBO champion, Daniel Ponce de Leon (34-2-). The fight started with quick combinations from both fighters until Ponce took a short right hook, went down, took a count but couldn’t recover from the next combinations following from Lopez until the referee saw enough and stopped the fight in just 2:25 of round one.
“In the main event of the evening, WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik (34-0, 30 KOs) showed a boxing lesson by crushing WBO mandatory challenger Gary Lockett (28-2, 20 KOs). The fun was the look of Lockett facing Pavlik before the opening bell of the first round. It looked like showing, ‘Hey buddy, I gonna show you something...’ and he did, showing how to take 2 knees after only just one punch from Pavlik. How did this guy get a top rank and be a challenger for the world title? I think now he knows why Pavlik is the best in his division and why he has to go back to the gym, learn more about taking punches and wait a few more years before going back to the US of A.”
Sir Frog has it spot on.
Jeeves writes a letter to Ricky
“Dear Ricky. I love you. I know all the words to There’s only one Ricky Hatton. When you appear on the telly I sing out Blue Moon while lifting a pint of my favorite. You took the challenge in fighting the best boxer in the world in Kostya Tszyu. You came into that ring and took apart the best. Then you did what most boxers in the world won’t do. You went to Las Vegas to fight Floyd Mayweather jr. You marched in where angels fear to tread. Sure Mayweather’s hands were fast, he was at the top of his game, but you showed the courage to face the lion in his own den. You want a re match with Mayweather jr.? Forget about it. If you fight him 100 times you’ll lose 100 times. Sure you lost but you weren’t disgraced. Some, like myself, were more impressed with you in defeat than in a couple of your matches where you looked almost ordinary.
“Something has happened to you and those around you though. You’ve turned down a match with the biggest name in boxing, Oscar De La Hoya, to fight a total fraud named Paulie Malignaggi. Your father said, ‘It’s too soon as Richard only fought three weeks ago.’ Now with Oscar scrapping the September date and moving it to December 6, what’s the excuse?
Blimey Richard, all you do between fights is drink beer at the local, eat which puts on weight and throw the occasional dart. Don’t want to fight Oscar because your hearts set on facing Paul ‘The Fraud’ Malignaggi? It’s the twilight zone. The word is that Team Hatton wants to fight Manny Pacquiao. Could that be because Pacquiao seems to be heading down the hill? Shame on you Ricky Hatton - Yours truly Wilford James John ‘Jeeves’ Waterford III.”
‘Pocket Rocket’ set for lift off
With the words, “People will probably say this is a comeback, but in truth I never retired,” Wayne ‘The Pocket Rocket’ McCullough (27-6) makes his first start in three years this Friday in the Cayman Islands. The former 1992 Olympic Silver medallist and former WBC world champion takes on Juan Ruiz (21-5) in a 10-rounder at Truman Bodden Sports Complex in Georgetown.
Many thought that after losing twice to Oscar Larios, McCullough ought to hang’em up and do something else. But what is too often lost by boxing fans and “experts” is that warriors go to war - and McCullough is a warrior.
“Most recently I was supposed to fight in Belfast last December but my opponent Kiko Martinez didn’t make weight, so the fight was called off and I just kept training and getting ready to fight when the right opportunity presented itself,” said McCullough.
Ruiz seems to be the perfect opponent for the ‘come backing’ McCullough. Ruiz has had only three fights since ’06, all losses, and all by late term knockout. Bodes well for a lift off for the ‘Pocket Rocket.’
The Jeeves Report…
“The Lord of the Manor had tipped readers that former long time WBC bantamweight champion Veerapol Nakornluang (61-5-2) might just be in deep water against South African Vusi Malinga (19-2-1). ‘Mr. know it all’ noted that Malinga had won 17 on the trot, had good power and probably a youth advantage over the 39-year old Veerapol.
With Cousin Bruce McTavish the third man in the ring, Malinga went on the attack from the opening bell. He mostly attacked the local hero with vicious combinations and at the end of round three he dropped the Thai veteran with a big left uppercut. The show ended in round four when the South African launched a one-sided attack, forcing referee Bruce to stop the bout.
Weekend fight cards
There’s been a lot of “chin wagging” between IBF middleweight champion Arthur Abraham (26-0) and Edison Miranda (30-2) as they prepare to go to battle Sunday in Hollywood, Florida. Most of the pre-fight chatter revolves around their 2006 bout in Germany. Abraham won a unanimous decision by a comfortable margin.
Abraham, who suffered a broken jaw in the fight, pointed out to Miranda that he had no room to talk about losing as he couldn’t beat a guy with a broken jaw. “I agree with you Arthur, if it was a one-on-one fight,” said Miranda. “Unfortunately for me, I was fighting you and the referee, and most people who saw the fight still believe I won. This time, I’m not trusting anything but my fists, and I will knock you out.”
Miranda suggested that maybe after the fight Abraham might like a job as a night watchman. “I think you’ll be perfect for it, because when something happens, you don’t have to do anything yourself – you can just call for help. Our first fight showed that you’re good at that.”
Meanwhile at the National Indoor Stadium in Birmingham, Amir Khan (17-0) will get another win against Michael Gomez (35-8). “I wondered when Gomez would start opening his mouth, and it hasn’t taken long,” said Khan. “Actually, I want him to say he is going to knock me out because it only makes me want to smash him up even more, so I train harder.”
Sir Frog’s pal Mikkel Kessler (39-1) is back in the ring for the first time in 7 months after his trashing at the hands of Joe Calzaghe. Fighting in the friendly confines of Brondby Hall in Copenhagen, he takes on Dimitri Sartison at 22-0. Sartison has built his record fighting in Germany against the “usual suspects” that inhabit the Euro Trash super middleweight division. Good win coming for Kessler.
Jeeves Time
“As usual the ‘Lord of the Manor’ has forgotten something. The mind is going fast on the poor old geezer. TSR has been informed by Lady d’Eva that her late husband Eddie Futch will be inducted into the California Boxing Hall of Fame on Saturday. Futch, who died a number of years ago, is still a driving force in the sport through those he trained and coached. They are passing on the wisdom he dealt out on a daily basis.
“Your Lordship as I prepare the tools for your ‘attitude adjustment time’, I wish to add a little philosophy from Monkey House Fred. ‘Remember it’s not whether you win or lose, but how you place the blame.’”

Eddy “the Eagle” swoops in for the Medal

IPGC golf from Lewiinski’s

Sunday, June 8, Green Valley - Monthly Medal
A Flight
1st Mark Napier (11) net 69
2nd Don Lehmer (13) net 72
B Flight
1st Eddie Beilby (16) net 65
2nd Doug Campbell (19) net 68
3rd Geoff Doddy (19) net 72
Near pins: Gareth Gill (2), Doug Campbell and Bruce Milner.
2’s: Eddie Beilby, Colin Davis and Chris Davisson.
Thirty-two of Lewiinski’s finest played in June’s Monthly Medal where Eddie “the eagle” Beilby shot his best round for some time to win the day. He was also ‘Man of the Match’ and B Flight winner, with a blistering net 65. Eddie’s gross 38 for the back nine holes were certainly impressive, but could have been even better, as he had a double bogey on the last hole.
Second place in B Flight went to Doug Campbell, three shots adrift, with an excellent net 68 and rounding of the flight was Geoff Doddy with a sound net 72 after a count back over his partner Kath, and Pat Duffy.
Mark Napier won A Flight with a very good net 69 and second place was awarded to Don Lehmer on net 72, after a count back over the unlucky Ian Halfpenny.
Apologies to Jim Munns, we all know Jim has loads of mates.
Tuesday, June 10, Laem Chabang - Stableford
A Flight
1st Phil Groves (7) 39pts
2nd Peter Hynard (12) 36pts
3rd Rod Nabbe (12) 33pts
With the storm clouds gathering, a group of eighteen golfers traveled to the superb Laem Chabang to play the A/B nine layouts. The heavens opened up about half way round the course and caused a halt to the proceedings for around an hour.
Phil Groves, making a rare appearance at Lewiinski’s, managed to weather the storm to win with an excellent 39 points. Peter Hynard took the second spot on 36 points, and Rod Nabbe was in third spot on 33 points.
Wednesday, June 11, Crystal Bay - Stableford
1st Tasheki Hakozaki (10) 37pts
2nd Colin Davis (14) 34pts
A very small Lewinski’s group of six golfers took to the road to play Wednesday’s stableford at this excellent layout.
Winning the game was Tasheki Hakozaki hitting a fine 37 points; second place was filled by the G. M. himself on 34 points, which included the only ‘2’ of the day, whilst Eddie “the Eagle” Beilby came back down to earth after his fine medal win on Sunday, crash landing in sixth place.
Friday, June 13, Treasure Hills - Stableford
A Flight
1st Peter Henshaw (15) 36pts
2nd Gareth Gill (10) 33pts
3rd Geoff Kubas (20) 31pts
To conclude the week’s golf, seventeen of the bravest traveled to face the mighty Treasure Hills. Peter Henshaw made mincemeat of this long and tricky course with a best of the day even par 36 points - three shots clear of Geordie Gareth Gill. Geoff Kubas with 31 points was third after a count back over Ben O’Connor and Simon Kendall.
Note: Lewiinski’s is situated on Pattaya land Soi 1, Beach Road Soi 13/3 near to Walking Street. Anyone wishing to play with us just pop in, and add your name on the list, otherwise give Colin a call on 089 826 0764. Transport is provided.

Jackson shoots 40-pointer at Navy

PSC golf from P J Pool Bar

Ian Campbell
Tuesday, June 10, Khao Kheow (Yellow Tees) – Stableford
1st Ken Hole (16) 31pts
2nd Neil Duncan (14) 31pts
3rd Jeff Wylie (6) 29pts

Thursday’s top three (L-R): David Gardner, Mike Jackson and Bob Drumm.

A few returnees from sojourns abroad were among the starters today playing the C and B courses (when will A be back in use?). As ever the degree of difficulty reached the top of the Richter scale and without wishing to tempt fate, at least one participant would have welcomed a few tremors to bring his suffering to an early conclusion.
The scoring average on the day was below 25; near pin winners were Neil Duncan, David Johnson, Paul Smylie and Ken Willoughby, and the longest first putt was holed by Paul Smylie.
Thursday, June 12, Plutaluang S&E (White Tees) - Stableford
1st Mike Jackson (16) 40pts
2nd David Gardner (8) 36pts
3rd Bob Drumm (11) 35pts
Heavy overnight rain possibly contributed to much lower numbers than normal for this usually very popular destination. It also meant that no carts were allowed on North/West so it was on to the South and East courses which were in excellent order and produced some good winning scores.
Near pin winners today were Mike Jackson, David Gardner and Neil Duncan while the long putt on the final hole went to Bruce Lawrence.
Note: Information on the group’s playing schedule can be obtained by visiting P J Pool Bar & Restaurant on Soi Boonsampan (Soi Khao Noi) or phone Neil on 089 511 0575.

The old timers go ‘walkabout’ in the heat

PSC golf from The Three Sisters Bar

The clouds were gathering and the day was hot with humidity nearing 100%, it must have been one of the worst days possible for golf, and the old timers walked the course! It was Tully’s 80th birthday and he looked every day of it at the end of the round as he and Paul Kraft had walked all 18 holes. Needless to say their scores reflected the ordeal they faced.
Coming in again in first position was Bob Benda, he had another good day and posted 36 points. In second spot was Herb Ishinaga with 34 points and with his back pains acting up again he was lucky to finish the day.
As the players gathered later and sat at Caddy Shack Two, the skies opened up. It was another lucky day for us as we beat the rains by starting early. We’ll see you all next week at 07:00 hrs.

Everything up for grabs on final Friday

Pattaya Sports Club Friday Bowling League

200 Bowlers: Dang, Somrak, Barry, Mio, Mai & Tui.

Friday, 20 June, is the last week of the bowling league and it is position day with the first place team playing the second place team, the third and fourth place teams squaring off and the same down the standings.
Brother D is still in first place after splitting their match with House of the Golden Coin and they will play Café Kronborg for the first place trophy. SaBai Friday and Diamond Shop will square off for the third place trophy but the fourth place spot could go to Balls Galore or Montana if one of those teams loses badly.
Dang led Brother D in their match with a great 246 game and 635 series and Mio led Golden Coin with a 203 game and 570 series. Café Kronborg got three points from Beaver Bar & Grill. Jon who came back to bowling after a long injury absence bowled a 524 series as a pacer.
P.K. rolled a 522 series to lead Café Ole to a three-point win over SaBai Friday. Tiger led SaBai with a 537 series and Nok had a 518 but it was only good enough to win them one point due to their low handicaps.
Su led Diamond Shop with a 522 series as they took three points from Montana. Somrak kept Balls Galore in the trophy race as she bowled a 211 game and 565 series to lead her team to a three-point win over VFW Post 9876.
The best overall bowling of the day was turned in by Jack Tar and Canada bowlers: Jack Tar won three points in their match with Mai bowling a 550 series and Barry a 226 game and 548 pin total. Ooy was best for Canada with a 541 series and Teuvo had a 534. Yeow, bowling as a pacer, bowled a good 537 series.

“The Retreat” Summer Lawn Bowls Invitational

Main picture shows Theo in action and (Inset) the two teams in the final.

Barry Hooper
Over the weekend of June 14 and 15 a Trios lawn bowls competition was held at the “Retreat Bowls Club” just outside Pattaya.
Players from the home club along with many players from the Bowling Green in Pattaya and some fifteen Thai players who had travelled in from Bangkok and the Thai military (army) took part.
The first round on the Saturday consisted of thirteen teams in a playoff set in four divisions with two teams from each division going forward to the knockout stages on Sunday.
The play, it has to said, was marred a little with intense rivalry rising to the surface on occasions, however this was out swayed and calmed by the true sportsmanship of the game shown by the majority of the players who took part.
The playoffs on Sunday surprisingly had some teams who were not classed as favourites coming to the fore, and some very close scoring games were to be found.
The final was between the teams of Singa, Kelvin and Brian and Theo, Harvey and Billy (who stepped in because one player was unable to return on the Sunday) and it was a nip and tuck affair with neither team getting the edge early on. But Theo and his team found the line and built up a convincing lead and held this right to the final end to come out worthy winners.
Congratulations to them and all who took part.
Thanks must also go out to the management of the “Retreat” for an excellent weekend of bowls and a great buffet at the presentation on the Sunday evening.

League of Legends - week 2 (preview)

by Howie Reed
The King George’s Hall in Blackburn, UK plays host this Friday to round 2 of the League of Legends darts challenge.
England’s had a couple of King Georges, but it’s possible that George III may have been the namesake for this week’s venue. King George III lived from 1738-1820 and was dubbed by historians as “Mad King George.” Just as those that love darts both inside and outside the UK are labeled as “mad”.
But recent research shows that maybe George III may not have been a “bubble off” after all. He had always been a family man with strong moral principles but during his recurring bouts of “madness”, he developed an embarrassing fancy for a respectable grandmother of over fifty. His doctors had him strapped into a strait jacket, which only worsened his condition. They didn’t realize that George suffered from a rare hereditary disease: Substitute “darts” for “grandmother” and you have the profile of your average darts player. What the heck does this have to do with the League of Legends? “Is up to you.”
Some may have gotten the impression after week 1 that “The Coach” was being disrespectful to the players and their games. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
As dumb as “The Coach” is, and he makes a rock look like a member of MENSA, he knows that this league is about greats playing against their own. It’s not about 15-darters, multi 180’s and heaps of 125 plus finishes. This is a league built around players who picked the game up by it’s boot straps, carried it around the world and turned the world into your local pub.
This league is about two guys, Eric Bristow and John Lowe, without whom the PDC players would still be paying dues to the Croft Family Trust and bowing towards Muswell Hill at least three times a day. Would the ‘Legend’ players be constant winners in the PDC? Of course not, but remember these players campaigned with brass darts the size of tree trunks, dart boards that rejected darts unless they were “spot on” and sleeping three and four to a car while driving all night to the next venue. So have a pint, loosen up and enjoy the greats of the game.
It’s just natural that after the first round matches the betting odds through betfered.com have changed: Bob Anderson is still the overall favorite at 15-8 while Deller and Evison share the second spot at 9-2. Dave Whitcombe becomes the fourth choice at 11-2 with Bobby George going from a second choice to a longshot at 6-1. Eric Bristow (9-1), John Lowe (12-1) and Cliff Lazeranko (25-1) fill out the field.
George-Whitcombe
It’s way too early for any of the eight players to feel the pressure to win or fall out of the picture but with half the field making the playoffs it would be a good time for some players to pick up a win.
King “Bobby” George (0-1), the pre tournament second favorite, is in tough against Dave Whitcombe (1-0) who doesn’t miss many doubles. Whitcombe has always been steady, which paid off against Mr. Lowe in the opening round. The “conventional wisdom” has George-Whitcombe a give or take match with Whitcombe a 6-5 favorite and George at 5-4. A draw is a 7-2 situation.
Long time darts fan and friend of the stars, Jim The Bizz, now a cabbie in London reckons that Whitcombe will be last man standing after week 8. The Bizz probably has mixed emotions about George-Whitcombe as George is a long time pal from the days when “The Bizz” was the ‘Governor’ at the Tate & Lyle adult beverage place at Sugar Quay on the banks of the Thames. Oh yes, some Red Stripe consumed there!
Evison-Deller
Peter Evison (0-0-1) against Keith Deller (1-0-0) matches the two young guns of the league. Deller had the highest per dart scoring average in week one at 28.56, which makes him 11-10 to win, as he should be.
The youngest player at 44, Evison comes off a draw with “Cowboy” Bob Anderson in a match that was his for the taking - but “he no take.” The “Fen Tiger” was up 4-1 and 5-2 and couldn’t get her done. He’s 6-4 against Deller who played well in beating Cliff Lazenanko. Deller’s only slip was when ahead at 2-0 allowing Lazeranko to tie the score. Deller then went 5-3 the rest of the way.
Evison will have to take advantage of whatever opportunities are available or Deller will get another win.
Bristow-Lazenanko
The Crafty Cockney, Eric Bristow is flying high after his upset 7-5 win over Bobby George on the opening night’s card. Bristow has made a handsome career by upsetting the odds makers and “doing his own thing.” This event probably means as much to him as any competition in the last 10 or 15 years. To date he’s only one of two darts players to receive an MBE, one of the highest honors of the British Crown. The other is Phil Taylor who had his honor put on hold while he took care of some problems he had while in his caravan and some alleged action therein.
Bristow was the world champion in 1981, 1984, 1985 and 1986 and lost in the finals to Deller in 1983 and John Lowe in 1991. He won the World Masters 5 times, World Cup singles 4 times and the North American 4 times but that’s water under the bridge.
Now he has to beat Big Cliff Lazarenko to move top of the table. It will be a battle as Lazarenko, one of those that helped found the PDC, was just a missed double top from a draw against Deller in week one. Big Cliff’s scoring average of 26.94 in round 1 was good enough to win and he could here when compared to Eric’s 24.85.
Anderson-Lowe
There is no doubt but that the match of the night is between Bob Anderson and John Lowe. Anderson is 2-5 to get the job done, which doesn’t take into account the back class of John Lowe.
Lowe played poorly in his opening round loss to Dave Whitcombe missing doubles, which is unlike him. He also had the lowest scoring average at 25.49.
Found on Lowe’s website was the following: “Before my opening match I received a message from my mate in Las Vegas: “The Coach”. His words, ‘Have a good match but don’t forget to hit those doubles, it’s not good when you don’t.’”
Well “The Coach” was right and got blamed. Wouldn’t expect ‘double trouble’ this time out though.
Opening night Anderson had some early troubles but came from behind for a draw. Cowboy Bob is the only player to win three World Master Championships on the trot, annexing the title 1986-1988. The 1988 final of the World Masters was between Bob Anderson and John Lowe with Anderson getting the title. The two friends and golfing partners will probably put on a great show at the King George.
Anderson said, “Expect a good match, with both of us really gunning for their first win. I can’t wait.”
“The Coach” meanwhile has the key to victory but he’s not talking or writing. Bout time he stuffed a sock in it. No talent blabbermouth.