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Sharks edge Dolphins in ‘Big Blue derby’
Staff Reporters
Pattaya United’s hopes of continuing their bright
start to the season were dealt a blow last Sunday when they were
consigned to a 2-1 home defeat at the hands of big local rivals Chonburi
FC. The so called ‘Big Blue derby’ match was played out in front of a
capacity attendance at the Nongprue Stadium, with fans grabbing any
possible vantage point to catch a glimpse of their soccer heroes.
Pattaya United’s Tana Chanabut, right, leaves two
Chonburi defenders in his wake during the first half of the match at
Pattaya’s Nongprue Municipality Stadium, Sunday, March 4.
Chonburi made the initial running in the game and
United were lucky to escape when the Shark’s Welsh forward Michael Byrne
blazed over the bar when well placed inside the opening minutes of the
match.
It certainly served as a wake-up call for United who
took the lead soon after with their first attack of the game. Tana
Chanabut went on a probing foray down the left flank of the Chonburi
defence and his inch perfect cross was delivered onto the head of strike
partner Kengne Ludovick who made no mistake to steer a powerful header
into the back of the net, silencing the Shark fans at that end of the
stadium and sending the rest of the ground into raptures.
What should have been a goal to give United a firm
launching pad however actually turned into a signal for the visitors to
go on the offensive as Shark’s skipper Pipob On-Mo was twice guilty of
missing chances from good positions. From the second of these
opportunities he was involved in an accidental clash with Pattaya
goalkeeper Narit Taweekul, who was forced to go off the field soon after
to be replaced by Prasit Kotmaha.
Despite Chonburi dominating possession for much of
the first half, it was Pattaya who came closest to scoring again when on
the stroke of half time they won a free kick on the corner of the
Chonburi penalty area. The ball was laid back to Anucha Kitpongsri who
unleashed a powerful shot with his left foot that the Shark’s keeper did
well to palm over the bar. United were unable to capitalize on the
subsequent corner kick and the referee sounded the half time whistle
soon after with United holding onto their 1-0 lead.
Chonburi, as one would expect from a team of their
pedigree, came firing out of the blocks in the second half and the
pressure on United eventually told when they conceded a penalty kick
after the tricky Therdsak Chaiman was brought down in the box by
Arlindo. Following a fierce protest by the United players, who
surrounded and jostled the referee, Chaiman picked himself up off the
floor to calmly steer the penalty kick past Kotmaha to tie the scores up
at 1-1.
Chonburi proceeded to dominate possession for the
next 20 minutes but they were having difficulty breaking down a stubborn
and well marshaled Pattaya defence and what chances did fall their way
were scrambled clear by the home team.
On the hour mark Pattaya had a golden chance to
retake the lead when Seehawong played a great ball over the top of the
Chonburi defence for Chanabut to run on to. The forward outpaced the
defence and bore down on the Sharks’ goal, but then with just the keeper
to beat he took one touch too many which narrowed the angle and he
blasted the ball wide into the side netting from 10 yards out. The
United fans held their collective heads in disbelief, knowing full well
the potential significance of this missed opportunity.
With Ludovick being isolated for much of the second
half and struggling to make an impact, he was withdrawn after 68 mins
and replaced by Patipol Phetwiset. The Sharks did likewise just 2
minutes later, replacing Byrne with Cameroonian striker Jules Baga.
The change seemed to do the trick for the visitors
who attacked the United goal with renewed vigour and Arthit Sunthornpit
shaved the Pattaya woodwork with two long range efforts. Then, with just
15 minutes left in the match, a lapse in concentration in the center of
the Dolphin’s defence allowed Ekaphan Inthasen to ghost in on goal,
round the keeper and give Chonburi the lead.
It proved to be the decisive moment of the game as
Pattaya were unable to carve out any further clear chances and Chonburi
ran down the clock to retain the early season bragging rights on the
Eastern Seaboard and also take over top spot in the Premier League with
two wins out of two.
United will feel that they at least deserved a point
from this game but some glaring second half errors, both up front and in
defence, ultimately proved costly.
Subject to confirmation, the team will next travel to
the Thai Army Sports Stadium in Din Daeng, Bangkok on Sunday, April 11
to take on the Royal Thai Army team. Kick-off is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
Chonburi meanwhile will make the long trip north on Saturday to play
surprise form team TTM Pichit with the game starting at 6 p.m.
The region’s other Premier League team, Raj Navy Rayong, took on
defending champions Muang Thong United last Saturday and were unlucky to
lose 1-0 to a penalty from Dagno Siaka. Navy are now struggling at the
foot of the table having failed to garner any points from their opening
three matches.
2010 Top of
The Gulf Regatta set to sail
William J. Gasson, Chairman of
the Organizing Committee
of Top of the Gulf Regatta (5 th
from left), Kirati Assakul,
Board of Director of Ocean Marina Yacht Club
(3rd from right),
junior sailors Keerati Bualong and Noppakao Poonpat,
and sponsors attended a TOG Regatta press conference held at the MaDuZi
Hotel, Bangkok, April 2
The 2010 Top of the Gulf Regatta is set to sail from
30th April to 4th May at Ocean Marina Yacht Club, Jomtien Beach, Pattaya.
Now in its sixth year, the Regatta has cemented Pattaya’s position as a
leading destination to host international sailing events.
The Top of the Gulf Regatta is the only multi-class
regatta of its kind in Thailand, with keel boats, multihulls, beach
catamarans, dinghies and Optimists all taking to the waters in the Gulf
of Thailand. Hosted at the Ocean Marina – the only
international-standard marina on Thailand’s Eastern Seaboard – the Top
of the Gulf Regatta incorporates the Coronation Cup for one-design
Platus and the Thailand Optimist Nationals for junior Optimist sailors.
The 2010 TOG Regatta will include the following
classes: IRC Racing 1, IRC Racing 2, IRC Racing 3, IRC Cruising, IRC
Charter Boat, Sports Boats, Platu, Ocean Multihulls, Hobie Tiger, Hobie
16, Open Monohull Dinghy, Laser and Optimist. Trophies are awarded for
winners in each class, with Optimist entrants competing for the Thailand
Optimist National Championship and the One-Design Platu class competing
for the Platu Coronation Cup.
The Top of the Gulf Regatta continues to grow and
word of the Regatta continues to spread far and wide as seen by the
increasing number of international entries. Entries this year are
expected from Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Hong Kong,
Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and even Myanmar, to name only a few. A
number of the top competitors on the regional sailing circuit are also
expected to attend this year.
Entries are already strong for the keel boat classes
and for the one-design Platus and a large number of multihulls are
expected this year with many sailing from Phuket to challenge the
Pattaya-based Corsairs for the 2010 class title.
Ocean Marina Yacht Club has been the host venue for
the Top of the Gulf Regatta since the very beginning and offers
berthing, hotel and resort facilities to the 500 plus participants who
take part in the regatta each year. The marina-base makes Ocean Marina
an ideal venue for large-scale international sailing events while the
beach access is ideal for dinghy classes.
The dinghy fleet is expected to be strong again this
year. Thai Laser National Champion, Keerati Bualong, finished sixth in
the 29th Volvo ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship, held among 300
young competitors from over 50 countries in Brazil, and more recently
won the 2010 Asia Pacific Laser Championships (Laser Standard Rig) held
in Thailand. He will return to defend his title in the Monohull Dinghy
class at the Top of the Gulf Regatta.
Fellow Sattahip-sailor, 13 year old Noppakao Poonpat,
winner of the Thailand Optimist Nationals in 2009, and recent gold-medal
winner in the girls division at the International Optimist World
Championship in Brazil, will return to defend her crown at the 2010
Thailand Optimist Nationals. These two junior Thai sailing stars
currently lead the large crop of young sailing talent coming through the
national system.
In addition to what is expected to be a near-record
Optimist fleet and a hotly contended Laser fleet, some Byte II’s are
also expected to take part this year.
The Top of the Gulf Regatta continues to be a highly
competitive international regatta attracting competitors from all over
the world, while proving to be an ideal competitive training ground for
the growing ranks of junior Thai sailors. The Regatta is also a
significant contributor to the Pattaya’s tourism industry.
For more information, visit www.topofthegulfregatta.com. (Press
Release)
Sriracha sign
Nigerian defender on loan
Theerarak Suithathiwong
Thai Division 1 soccer outfit, Sriracha FC, have secured
a one year loan deal for Nigerian defender Keneth Axpurse. The former Thai
Airways-Ban Bung player is currently contracted to Chonburi FC but will now
move down the road to play for the ‘Blue Marlins’ until the end of the
current season.
Keneth Axpurse.
Axpurse was unveiled to the Sriracha fans at a press
conference held at the Princess Sirindhorn Stadium on March 31. Assistant
coach Tanaset Amornsinchai said the Nigerian would help solve a defensive
crisis currently afflicting the club.
“We are having some problems with the defence and
therefore we decided to take him (Axpurse0 on loan until the end of the
season,” said Tanaset. “In the event of injuries or suspensions, we will
have more choices for backfield players and I believe that this new player
will enhance the defence. The plan is for Kennet to most likely be one of
the 11 starting players.”
The 22 year old Axpurse will be given the number 25 shirt at Sriracha.
Pattaya Cricket Sixes Final this weekend
The finals of the inaugural Pattaya Cricket Sixes
tournament will take place this Friday and Saturday, April 9-10 at Horseshoe
Point Resort on Siam Country Club Road. Sixteen cricket teams from Asia
Pacific & Worldwide will compete for honours in Cup, Plate, Bowl and Spoon
divisions in the all action six-a-side cricket match format.
Spectators are encouraged to come along and cheer on the
teams in what promises to be a spectacular feast of cricket. Admission to
the ground is free of charge and refreshment and food stands have been set
up for the convenience of both players and spectators.
Bashundhara Cricketeers retain the Chiang Mai Sixes Cup
2010 San Miguel Chiang Mai International Cricket Sixes
The 2010 Chiang Mai Sixes Cup winners, the Bashundhara
Cricketeers.
Justin Moseley
Finals day of the San Miguel Chiang Mai International
Cricket Sixes at the Gymkhana Club last Saturday saw the Cup won by the
Bashundhara Cricketeers, the Bowl by the Tokyo Dingbats, the Shield by the
Yorkshire Puddings, the Plate by the Ashwell Martlets, and the Spoon by the
Armadillos.
The Thai Angels receive the Ladies winners’ cup.
In the Cup Final the Lik Lik Wombats from Australia
batted first and lost one early wicket as Bashundhara, the 2009 Cup Holders,
continued with sharp fielding. Super batting by the Wombat’s Trent Conwell
followed, but he was caught by Taposh and their final score was 51.
Bashundhara came into bat and it was clear from the first
ball hit for 6 that they meant business and Jupiter fired 2 more sixes in
the first over. The Wombats really had little chance of stopping the
boundary bashing and the game ended in the third over with another six by
Jupiter.
Earlier in the day, in the first Cup semi-final,
Bashundhara made a fine batting start of 86 against the 2007 Cup Winners the
Gloucestershire Gipsies from England. Despite some spirited batting and
running from Shackleton (retired), Obst and Johnson, the English team just
could not match such a high score.
The second Cup semi-final saw the local Irish Pub take on
the Lik Lik Wombats. The Wombats, who had quietly put in solid performances
all week, began with strong batting and running to set a score of 75,
despite some great bowling and a super catch on the boundary by Zeshan. The
Irish Pub’s response started well with 2 sixes, but their chance of victory
was lost by the Wombats taking 2 wickets in 2 balls (bowled by Brook Grumont)
and 2 catches and a wicket by Trent Conwell.
The Bowl Final was between the Tokyo Dingbats and the
local lads of Thai Thevada, who have played so well all week. The Dingbats
set a good target of 78 with Ferris and Goold retiring after great batting.
Their score, with some tight bowling of their own, proved too much for the
Thai lads, who nevertheless did put up a wonderful display and were also
perhaps the first ever at the Sixes to run 5.
Competition for the Shield began with a victory in the
first semi-final for Yarrambat over the Lanka Lions. Excellent batting again
from Daniel Shaw contributed to the win. The second semi-final saw the
Yorkshire Puddings win from the Divine Felons, who, despite fine batting as
usual from Asif, could not match the excellent fielding and swift running of
the English side.
The Shield Final saw Yarrambat open and lose key batsman
Daniel Shaw early on, but a retirement from Simon Bray and other good
performances saw a score of 62, despite some very determined and vocal
fielding from the Yorkshire Puddings, which included a catch by Saj Hussain.
The Puddings innings started badly as Ijaz was bowled and
tight fielding with good bowling by Lamb and Shaw saw Troy Harvey catch Maz
Butt. However, a star performance in the final over from Saj Hussain saw him
clinch the match with 3 sixes, the last one off the final ball.
In the first Plate semi-final the local Gymkhana
Cavaliers set a score of 70 which looked hard for their opponents Almar to
beat, but solid batting and a six from the last ball of the game just saw
the South Africans through to the final. The second Plate semi-final saw the
Taranaki Taverners from New Zealand fall to the superior batting of the
Ashwell Martlets from England.
In the Plate Final Ashwell continued their superiority
and, despite some good fielding, beat Almar quite easily.
In the Spoon Final the Armadillos from England faced the
Ios Malakas from Greece. The Greeks batted first and, despite some good
bowling and having to run hard, scored 73. The Armadillos batted well and
never gave up as they chased the score set and won the game on the final
ball.
The Ladies Final, between the Thai Angels and the Thai Pixies and won by
the Angels, perfectly illustrated the youthful enthusiasm that exists for
cricket in Chiang Mai and Thailand. The Angels batted first and racked up 52
runs off their 5 overs but the Pixes, despite not losing a wicket, could
only muster 26 in reply.
Ex-Australian international Trevor Chappell’s team,
the Maythais, bat during one of the earlier round matches.
Audemars Pigeut win 9th King’s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament
The victorious Audemars Pigeut team hold the trophy aloft
after winning the 2010 King’s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament in Chiang Rai,
Sunday, March 28.
Report & Photos
Anantara Golden
Triangle Resort
This year’s annual King’s Cup Elephant Polo tournament,
held in the idyllic surroundings of the Anantara Golden Triangle Resort,
provided spectators with nail biting matches, a beautiful setting and a
great cause to rally around.
From March 22 to March 28, twelve elite teams from all
around the world descended upon Chiang Rai in the North of Thailand and
battled it out for the championship of this unique and
increasingly-competitive sport. The real winners, however, were the
elephants themselves – over US$300,000 has been raised since the tournament
started in 2001 to help provide protection and support for the embattled
Thai elephant.
Expanding in popularity, The King’s Cup Elephant Polo has
gone from a small two day event with six teams into a week-long extravaganza
with the 2010 tournament featuring twelve teams from four continents,
encompassing forty players from a least fifteen different countries.
As anticipated by the experts, the finale pitted King
Power against the Audemars Piguet team. It was a close game until the second
half, where Audemars Pigeut’s superior polo-skills and greater reach
eventually won out with the team coming from behind to take the overall
tournament.
King Power look set for a win early in the game by firmly
planting the first goal in the opening thirty seconds but it was the
unbeatable performance and teamwork of team captain Peter Prentice and
brothers Uday and Angad Kalaan that took the Audemars Piguet team to a
resounding four point win over Kings Power; the final score being 10 to 6.
To top everything off, a gala dinner held during the tournament garnered
1.8 million baht for the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre and the National
Elephant Institute, the official beneficiaries of the annual event.
The expanded tournament featured teams from four
continents.
Murphy wins, Jim feels the sting
PSC golf from The Three Sisters Bar
Continuing with the 6:30 a.m. early start, the Three
Sisters group hit the Pattaya Country Club this past 31st of March.
Conditions were ideal, the course was in good shape and it didn’t take long
for the sun to warm things up.
Winner Dale Murphy, left, with runner up Somyong Ishii.
Starting with a twosome, the group then sent out 4 sets
of four. Everyone moved along quite well with one foursome breathing down
another’s neck so at a convenient “refreshment” stand, the foursome being
pushed decided to have an early beer break.
One poor soul making his way to the green on #12 met up
with some very aggressive wasps (not to be confused with White Anglo Saxon
Protestants) who proceeded to put a triple sting on the back of his neck,
this following a coffee scalding a day earlier. Suggest Jim stay home the
rest of the week.
Back at Caddy Shack II a tally of the cards showed Dale
Murphy coming in with a 38 for first place followed by Somyong Ishii with a
34. Then came two 33s, one 32 and six 31s.
Spicy and regular dogs were provided by Herbie along with other snacks.
McAllister & Robertson top the tree at charity golf tourney
Phoenix Tuesday Golf Group 1st Charity Tournament
Tournament winners
Neil McAllister and John Robertson, center right & center left, receive
their crystal trophies from Mike Gerrard and Bob Neylon.
Mike Gerrard
At last the day arrived. After weeks of preparation
including the last two days crossing the T’s and dotting the I’s by Bob
Neylon and myself, we arrived at the course nice and early. Bob set out
the registration desk whilst yours truly dashed round the course to get
all the technical prize flags on the greens and sponsor sheets on the
tees.
I didn’t realise how long this takes and I had to
leave it to my missus to finish that job on the back nine whilst I went
to the No 1 tee to welcome the first team of the day.
Our first team was that of Bob Neylon & and his
lovely wife, Ying. So as they set off, Stuart Gordon and helpers looked
after the registration desk.
We had hoped for approx 20 teams of 4, but were more
than happy that we did achieve our original figure of 15 groups (luckily
all four-balls). When you organise a 2-ball scramble the worst scenario
is that you may be 1 or 2 players short. Amazingly everybody turned up.
So away went the first groups to play the Lakes and
Ocean course, and the skies looked a little threatening. Sadly this
turned out to be the only thing anybodies God had against us.
Normally rain storms last about 15 to 20 minutes here
in paradise, but today the gods decided that we should endure a good 60
minute downpour. This caused chaos at the 6th hole drinks hut, finally
causing a 6 group pile up for the 6th tee, (I have just realised that
adds up to ‘666’ the devils sign).
We also had to suffer some comments after the game
from a few selfish minded people who felt that play should not have
stopped, and that the ones who did stop should have been disqualified. I
honestly cannot understand anyone who insists that players try to play
through thunder and lightning? Kamikaze is all I can think of.
So, unfortunately due to the back ups, this led to a
six and a half hour round. What is six and a half hours out of your life
when you think of the reason we were doing it for?
Never mind, we finished in the last of the daylight
and whilst Bob was collating the scores I went round the course to
retrieve the technical prize flags and sponsor signs.
So it was all back to Noy’s Music Bar for a welcome
buffet and presentation.
As usual on days like this the same guys who arrive
early to start the day are the last to get back to finish the day. This
was true for Bob and myself. By the time we got back most of the food
was gone. No problem, after a few enquiries I was delighted to hear from
all that the food was splendid. So the first thanks for the day went to
the management and staff of Noy’s Bar for providing the catering. The
layout of the tables and chairs was also excellent. And, do you know
what? It didn’t rain at the buffet! God knows what we would have done if
it had.
I would like to give my thanks to Patrick Browne
(with an E) for the excellent photos he took as we performed the
evening’s fun. I can assure you that his camera is somewhat better than
a Brownie?
On to the rest of the thanks for the day: firstly all
of the players who took part. Your contribution was exactly 30,000 baht.
Well done everybody, you did very well.
Secondly we thank Pattaya Sports Club for donating
20,000 baht. Another major sponsor was Stuart Gordon, who donated a PSC
shirt and cap for all the near pin prizes. These were won by - Maurice
Guiney, Dave Czernie, Willy Hindsjo and Neil McAllister.
San Miguel donated 2 cases of light beer. These went
to Mike Pledger for his second shot nearest to the pin on Lakes 6 and
Clive Robinson and Kristinn Helgason as a consolation 4th place with 41
points.
Bob and Ying Neylon donated a bottle of Jameson’s
whiskey for the men’s long drive which was won by Dave Edwards and a
bottle of Penfold wine for the Ladies long drive, collected by Amphan
North.
One sadly missed man (due to his wrists not healing
well enough to play yet) was Giorgio Baccioli of Trattoria Italiana, who
donated 2 lucky draw vouchers worth 500 baht each and 1 x 1,000 baht
voucher for the longest putt on the 18th hole. He will never believe
that yours truly (Mike Gerrard) was the victor for this one.
Keith Keohane of KPK Foods donated 2 lucky draw
vouchers worth 500 baht each and a bottle of Johnny Walker whiskey for
the tee shot nearest the centre line on Ocean 6, won by Prasong
O’Conner. (Terry, you shouldn’t let a woman like that out alone?). Only
joking bud, the girls were great company all day.
That covers the technical prize sponsors and the
following are thanked for various luck draw prizes.
Town in Town Hotel (Accommodation vouchers), Kitty
Stor (clothing vouchers), Black Star Jewellery who donated a beautiful
set of silver/gold plated cufflinks, Noys Bar (2 bottles of gin), John
Bartley (silver pen and ball marker), The Amari Hotel (two restaurant
vouchers) and Mike Gerrard (various items). We have also been promised
some various sports balls i.e. basket ball, soccer ball etc. which will
be given to the Ban Jing Jai Orphanage on receipt.
A cash donation of 6,000 baht (who wishes to remain
anonymous) was welcome and a cash donation of 1,000 baht was received
with thanks from Visa Plus (next to Immigration Office in Soi 5 Jomtien)
So, onto the main prizes: good scores were attained
even though the rain storm had spoiled things a little. All three places
were the same score, 43 points with count back scores deciding the
positions. All received a nice crystal glass vase of different sizes.
In third place (back nine score 20 points) was the
team of Gary Blackburne and Dave Boran. The runners up were Bengt Borg
and Hans Collet (back nine score 22), and the winners, (back nine score
23 points) were Neil McAllister and John Robertson.
Finally, it has to be reported that we achieved the
grand total of 50,000 baht raised on the day. This is to added to the
monies raised by Lewiinski’s some 3 weeks ago for the same orphanage
(Ban Jing Jai). Their money along with ours has been passed onto the
Charity Chairman of the PSC, William Macey. Work has already started to
install a new drinking water machine and repairs to their roof and
guttering.
God bless all of you who stooped to help those in need, you are the
tallest of people.
Graham makes light
of April showers
PSC golf from The Bunker
Monday, March 29, St
Andrews - Stableford
Playing St Andrews made a pleasant change for the Bunker
Boy’s and what a lovely day for golf it was. William Macey certainly thought
so as he won by two points ahead of Paul Edgar while Gerry Cooney came in
third.
Gerry Cooney – winner at Treasure Hill.
1st William Macey (15) 38pts
2nd Paul Edgar (17) 36pts
3rd Gerry Cooney (13) 35pts
Near Pins: PJ, Gerry Cooney (x3)
Wednesday, March 31, Treasure Hill - Stableford
Gerry Cooney ended the month like he means business by
scoring 35 points at Treasure Hill, which is not easy to do, and winning by
three points from Jack Robertson. Mashie trailed in third with a measly 28
points.
1st Gerry Cooney (13) 35pts
2nd Jack Robertson (24) 32pts
3rd Mashie Kaneta (11) 28pts
Near Pins: John Graham, Gordon Melia
Friday, April 2, Bangpra – Stableford
Playing the third stableford game this week it was a
close fought tussle today with only one point separating the top three. A
downpour which lasted for forty minutes or so didn’t dampen anyone’s
spirits, especially John Graham who won today by one point ahead of Lee
Butler who himself only beat Gerry Cooney on a count back. Geoff Hart
squeezed into the money by scoring 34 points to nick fourth place.
1st John Graham (11) 37pts
2nd Lee Butler (17) 36pts
3rd Gerry Cooney (13) 36pts
4th Geoff Hart (17) 34pts
Near Pins: Mashie
Kaneta, Lee Butler (x2).
Tony & Ken battle it out at Bangpra
PSC Golf from Mulligans Lakeside
Tuesday, March 30,
Bangpra - Stableford
Tuesday saw us return to Bangpra for this new Low
Season, following a long absence necessitated by the 11.00 am start
times imposed in the High Season. The course was not crowded so we were
able to get off right on time, and so it was that our all buggy riding
4-some led us off, setting a good pace for the rest to follow.
Tony Chetland and Ken Hole after their close contest
at Bangpra.
The course was in good condition, especially the
fairways, which were well grassed with no bare patches. The greens, of
which some had been lightly sanded, were good, although not as fiery as
times past, possibly a blessing for some.
Despite the good course conditions, good scores were
thin on the ground, with Tony Chetland (17) just edging Ken Hole (16) on
a count back 17 to 16 on the back 9, after both signed for 33 points.
The near pins were spread around between Jeff, Jim &
Lucky, who made her first visit to the paymaster after a nice shot on
the 2nd, hopefully more to come.
Thursday, April 1,
Greenwood - Stableford
April Fool’s Day saw no pranks amongst the group,
although the Greenwood B & C course was throwing up some tricks to the
golfers involved. Again good course conditions, although very hot, which
sapped the energy of all players, with no-one breaking their handicap,
for the second game in a row.
Best of the day was Yves Philibert (26) with 35
points, hotly pursued by Les Easton (14) with 34, (a big improvement
over Tuesday), and in third & fourth respectively, and separated only by
a count back of 17 to 16, were Martin Hayes (13) and Jeff Wylie (5),
both with 32 points.
The near pins on the day went to Martin, Les & Jeff,
while the C3 hole proved too tough a challenge, resulting in a donation
to the Banglamung Boys Home.
Next week is Songkran so Mulligans Lakeside is
playing on Monday at Royal Lakeside, to avoid the increased tariffs at
the local courses, while still offering a game to those keen regulars
amongst us.
Note: Mulligans Lakeside plays golf generally
on Tuesday & Thursday (we sometimes change to accommodate a Thai
Holiday). Presentations are made at the course on Tuesday, with
Mulligans Lakeside hosting the Thursday presentation. For more details
on scheduling etc, please call Jeff 089 094 1841 or Ray 081 935 8088.
Hope to see you there, Cheers & Good Golfing!
Moore of the same for Brendan
Golf from the Travellers Rest
Saturday winners: Marie Intini, Bruce Bennett,
Jeff Boylan,
Fergus Brennan and Mod Chaviraksa.
Barry Hooper
Who is Brendan Moore? Good question. The answer is that
he is the man who had two firsts and a second last week with the TRGG. But
believe me that is really only part of the tale.
Despite his win at Emerald on Monday by count back over
three other players, namely Phil Battah, Fergus Brennan and David Park, a
second at Treasure Hill on Tuesday, again on count back over Tewin Lamthong,
and a convincing first at Phoenix on Thursday, Brendan sadly missed out on
another opportunity for a placing at Eastern Star on Saturday. Why? A
coconut tree.
At the fifteenth hole his ball (his last Pro V1 in his
bag he advised me) decided to lodge itself in a coconut tree and despite the
best efforts of all in his group and many, many minutes of attention, it was
never to be seen again. I actually saw him personally being consoled by
fellow players back at the Travellers Rest. This was to cost him important
points on the back nine and resulted in Mod Chaviraksa and Paul Scholes
beating him on count back by one for third spot in Division 1. It is a tough
game this golf business at times isn’t it?
Monday, March 29, Emerald
- Stableford
1st Brendan Moore (12) 38pts
2nd Phil Battah (15) 38pts
3rd Fergus Brennan (11) 38pts
4th
David Park (6) 38pts
Our first outing was to Emerald on Monday and, with the
numbers down and starting to drop off a little, we just had the one
division.
First to fourth place saw 4-way count back fight between
Brendan Moore, Phil Battah, Fergus Brennan and David Park, all on 38 points.
After the calculations were done, the players finished in that order with
Brendan taking the win.
Three ‘2’ were achieved by Brendan Kenny, Bill McGarvie
and Brendan Moore.
Tuesday, March 30,
Treasure Hill - Stableford
1st Ito Akitoshi (8) 32pts
2nd Brendan Moore (12) 31pts
3rd Tewin Lamthong (9) 31pts
4th
David Park (5) 31pts
Tuesday was a trip to Treasure Hill where we had not
visited in some time. This is just not everyone’s favourite course it seems
as the numbers in attendance proved to be very low. However, Ito Akitoshi
seems to like it as he walked away with the win ahead of Brendan Moore and
Tewin Lamthong, who had to be separated by count back with Brendan edging it
over the last six by one.
Two ‘2’s came from Ito Akitoshi and Fergus Brennan
Thursday, April 1, Phoenix
– Stableford
1st Brendan Moore (11) 39pts
2nd Roger Ison (9) 37pts
3rd Mod Chaviraksa (11) 35pts
4th
Bill McGarvie (11) 35pts
Thursday was April Fool’s Day and a regular outing to
Phoenix to play the Lakes and Ocean course. The numbers were down again so
just the one division.
April 1st it may have been but there were no fools on
this day which saw a convincing win for Brendan Moore, his second of the
week, ahead of Roger Ison in second. Mod Chaviraksa was third some four
points back of the day’s winner.
Two ‘2’s were recorded by Brendan Moore and Mod
Chaviraksa and Brendan rang the bell at the Travellers Rest for all those in
attendance at the presentation.
Saturday, April 3, Eastern
Star - Stableford
Div. 1
1st Fergus Brennan (11) 38pts
2nd Larry Simpson (10) 36pts
3rd Mod Chaviraksa (11) 32pts
4th Paul Scholes (10) 32pts
Div. 2
1st Bruce Bennett (23) 39pts
2nd Marie Intini (21) 37pts
3rd Jeff Boylan (27) 36pts
4th
Alan Evans (23) 36pts
Saturday and off we went to our alternative weekend venue
of Eastern Star. The entry numbers were good on this day and we had two
divisions with pay outs down to fourth place.
Bruce Bennett finished top in Division 2 ahead of Marie
Intini in second, Jeff Boylan in third spot and Alan Evans fourth.
The boss himself, Fergus Brennan, headed the list in the
top flight with 38 points, two clear of Larry Simpson in second place. (That
should stop him commenting on how bad his game is). Mod Chaviraksa was some
way back in third on 32, heading a three-way count back over Paul Scholes
and Brendan Moore.
There were no ‘2’s today so we had the traditional bell
ringing for all at the presentation back at the hotel.
Note: If you want any further information about
the golf outings played by the TRGG, please contact Fergus Brennan on 086
056 7019 or call in to the Travellers Rest in Soi LK Metro.
Maiko makes it his day
PSC golf from Tropical Bert’s
Thomas Cotton
Tuesday, March 30,
Bangpakong – Stableford
Last Tuesday we had a large group of golfers, but several
were playing their last round before heading back to their home countries,
like migrating geese. Omens like this have a positive implication for those
who stay, since they presage the fall in green fees as we enter the “slow”
season. What is bad for bar girls is good for golfers.
Derek Brook, left, congratulates Doug Maiko on winning
the Alan Bolton Golfer of the Month Award for March.
We had a couple of ladies to augment our withering
numbers of withered golfers for this round and we headed way out along the
toll road to Bangpakong, which enjoys well watered fairways even during the
dry season. The day was fine and the air was mostly still.
This day was exciting, since it would decide who would be
the winner of the prestigious ‘Alan Bolton Golfer of the Month’ award. There
was no clear leader and the prize was entirely up for grabs. As the scores
started to come in, our captain remarked how there was a clear demarcation
in results between the various flights, as the lower handicappers were
carrying the day. In the end, Doug Maiko took the best score and won the
Alain Bolton shoe bag. When asked why he had so excelled this day, he
boomed, “Obama Care!”
A Flight (0-17)
1st Doug Maiko, 41pts
2nd Apple Blackwell 38pts
3rd Richard Kubicki 38pts
B Flight (18-up)
1st Graham Buckingham 37pts
2nd Frank Pilkington 34pts
3rd Mick O’Meara 34pts
Near Pins: Carole Kubicki, Brian Downey, Eddie Blackwell, Mick O’Connor
Long Putts: Brian Downey, Graham Buckingham
Allidi pars the course but finishes second
PSC Golf from the Café Kronborg
Peter Blackburn
Monday, March 29,
Plutaluang N&S - Stableford
Well, the low season is now well & truly upon us as there
were only fifteen names on the starting sheet, which is the lowest number
for many a month. There are many more people going than coming at the moment
and today will see the last of Richard & Carole Kubicki in Pattaya until
later in the year. Brian Gabe is also leaving us for a few months as he
returns to Detroit, Michigan later this week. The Admiral is going back to
the USA for 3 weeks on his S.A.T. (Songkran Avoidance Trip) and also Walter
Baechli is returning to his native Switzerland for a month.
The scribe, left, with Thursday’s winner Joseph
Bensoussan.
In light of the absence of regular members and the
obvious traffic problems that will occur, there will be no golf played out
of Caf้ Kronborg from April 9 to April 21 inclusive. Looking at the scores
of the last two games it will be a good chance for all to recharge their
batteries as I feel quite a few of us are “golfed out”.
We arrived at Plutaluang after a 40 minute drive and it
wasn’t long before we were able to assemble at the first tee on North course
and our first group hit off at 0945, 15 minutes ahead of schedule. The
weather was hot with little breeze so fluid intake was the order of the day.
The course was as usual in good shape with the greens a
little slower that other courses and the first couple of greens had been
sanded, but all in all conditions were fine for golf although it was not
reflected in the overall scoring with no-one playing to their handicap.
Taking it easy due to the heat we had several stops for drinks and completed
our round in four hours and forty-five minutes.
With the small field we had just the one flight and
thanks to the generosity of Walter Baechli we had rewards for nearest the
pins on the four par threes.
Doug Maiko continued his good form and won the day by
four points from Richard Kubicki. A three-way count back saw Brian Gabe
finish third with Bjarne Kjaer fourth and yours truly fifth. Carole Kubicki
didn’t finish her trip empty handed as she easily won the “Compass Hat”
award.
1st Doug Maiko (16) 35pts
2nd Richard Kubicki (11) 31pts
3rd Brian Gabe (16) 30pts
4th Bjarne Kjaer (19) 30pts
5th Peter Blackburn (14) 30pts
Near Pins: N3 Richard Kubicki, N6 Doug Maiko, S4
Peter Blackburn, S7 Peter Blackburn.
Thursday, April 1, Greenwood C & B – Stableford.
We had a field of 19 on the starting sheet but 2 people
did not show and did not notify anyone of there intention of not playing.
I’m sure other golf venues have this problem from time to time but it is
especially disrupting for us as we have to order the required number of
buses the night before. I hope the “offending” people read this and are at
least touched with an appropriate amount of guilt and make the effort to be
more considerate in future.
We were pleased to welcome Petteri Kihlberg & Mikko
Hiltunon from Finland who were playing with us for the first time. Leaving
Caf้ Kronborg a little late after waiting for the “no shows” we arrived at
Greenwood around 0915 which gave us plenty of time before our scheduled 1000
tee off time. As usual the Starters were very cooperative and we were able
to tee off a little earlier at 0950, starting on C course.
It was very hot as expected but the course was in
magnificent shape as ever with the greens being among the best in the
region. Water intake was essential of course and after a couple of long
drink breaks we completed our round in the excellent time of four hours and
twenty minutes.
We had one flight due to the low numbers and once again
we had a generous sponsor, Stu Rifkin for prizes on the four par threes.
There were some very good scores on this day and you
needed to score to your handicap or better to finish on the podium. It was a
count back for first & second place with Mike Allidi extremely unlucky not
to win after going round the course in par off his 3 handicap. Great golf
from Mike but the winner was his fellow countryman Joseph Bensoussan. Les
Hall finished in third place with newcomer Mikko Hiltunon taking fourth.
Alas I have to report that the coveted “Compass Hat” was
presented by Stu Rifkin to yours truly. After playing mediocre golf of late
it was only a matter of time.
1st Joseph Bensoussan (19) 39pts
2nd Mike Allidi (3) 39pts
3rd Les Hall (18) 38pts
4th Mikko Hiltunon (26) 36pts
Near Pins: C3 Les Hall, C6 Mikko Hiltunon, B2 Stu
Rifkin, B5 Niels Hansen
Papa Ray Rogers Memorial Scramble
Another year has passed and we have just four weeks until the Ray Rogers
Memorial birthday four person scramble scheduled for Thursday, May 6 at
Plutaluang South & North layouts with a green fee of just 400 baht.
Presentation of prizes and food will be back at Ray’s house around the pool
afterwards. The sign up sheet goes up on the board at Caf้ Kronborg on April
20 with the entry fee of 500 baht per person to be placed in the box at sign
up.
Paul Smith makes a winning start at Emerald
The Ban Chang Golf Society
Entering our second week in the Ban Chang Golf Society,
suddenly we were up to 15 players with 13 in the competition and 2 on
probation. We welcomed Paul, Alan and Bernie, who will be playing on a
regular basis, and big Chris who is down here on a 2 week holiday.
Fine sunshine greeted us at Emerald golf course and we
got off on time. Firm greens, tough pin positions and a few guys suffering
from the odd drink too many the day before meant that low scores were the
order of the day. Yet again the round only took 4 hours even though John Mc
had a few words with regards to his group when arriving in club house. Dave
then sorted the scores and we retired to Mama’s Bar for prize giving and a
few cold ones.
Paul S won the stableford comp with Tony D coming second
ahead of Dave on count back.
After Andy M misplaced the nearest the pin flag the week
previous, Dangle hastily made one up in time for JJ to come away with the
prize.
Blind skins were as follows: Dangle (9), Paul S (4),
Martyn (2), Tony D (1) and David (1).
Yet again a good day was had by all, with everyone
looking forward to next Friday.
More 10’s than Nadia Comaneci
PSC golf from The Golf Club
Monday, March 29, St.
Andrews - Monthly Medal
1st Marc Napier, net
69
2nd John McHugh, net 69
3rd Richard Goad, net 71
4th John Deardon, net 71
5th Gerry Swan, net 73
In the 1976 Montreal Olympics Nadia Comaneci collected 7
perfect 10 scores on route to 3 gold medals in women’s gymnastics. In our
Monthly Medal our 26 man field would collect more! Gusting winds and a rain
shower proved tough for most. Seemingly unaffected a few shone through
though.
Marc Napier – winner at St. Andrews and Greenwood.
Our winner on count back was Marc Napier (7) with net 69,
edging John McHugh (8) who had no less than 5 birdies on the day. Well
battled gents! Third, also on count back, was Richard Goad (12) with a net
71 ahead of John Deardon (20). Taking the final place on the podium was
Gerry Swan (13) with net 73 having never played the course before, well
done!
Wednesday, March 31,
Greenwood - Stableford
1st Marc Napier 37pts
2nd Keith Worboys 35pts
3rd
Richard Goad 35pts
Marc Napier continued his great play for back to back
wins at The Golf Club. Greenwood didn’t seem all that far, now that the new
connector has finally opened. We completed 4 holes before the skies opened,
but a short delay didn’t slow down Marc. He finished with 37 points. Keith
Worboys was second on 35 points, nudging Richard Goad in the count back.
The B nine had recently been top dressed but was
adequate, something I think we all will be facing throughout our local
golfing destinations.
Friday, April 2, Bangpra –
Stableford
1st John McHugh 38pts
2nd Gabriel Enrighht 35pts
3rd
Brad Sproxton 35pts
John was on his game right from the start, handling more
distractions than just the local primates. His playing partners were
providing many not so memorable shots and John had quotes for all: The
Mountie hit a “snappy McSquirrel”, a left snap hook and running for the
trees. This was followed by “slapping fades”, “worm burners”, “sandy
slashes” and the list grew throughout the day. He ended with 38 points.
Second, winning on count back, was Gabriel Enright with 35 points and Brad
Sproxton came third. The rest of the primates enjoyed watching their
counterparts frolicking in the pond on 17!
Just a note to say that we have a SongKran “Get Outa
Dodge” trip heading for the Pak Chong area. Stop in and peruse our sign-up
sheets for this great trip or call Brad on 080 771 0673. Cheers and Chilly
Beers!
Note: The Golf Club is located on Soi LK Metro,
off Soi Buakhao and Soi Diana junction. We can be reached on 085 434 3377 or
pattaya4golf@ gmail.com and our new website is www.golfclubpattaya.com.
Doody’s at the double
PSC golf from Lewiinski’s
Benny’s old friends pay
respects to their departed golfing mate at Green Valley.
Sunday, March 28, Green
Valley - Stableford
A Flight
1st Steve Newlan (12) 38pts
2nd Pat Reagan (9) 38pts
3rd Jim Munns (12) 33pts
B Flight
1st Kathy Doody (17) 38pts
2nd Andrew Byrne (14) 37pts
3rd Eddy Beilby (16) 37pts
C Flight
1st Geoff Doody (24) 34pts
2nd Lou Szigligeti (20) 32pts
Near Pins: No2 Jon Hanger, No9 Jum Karagit, No12
Gabriel Enright, No16 Christy Knight.
Today’s game was held in memory of our great friend and
fellow golfer Benny O’Connor who passed away last August. It was well
contested to the end having to rely on a count back, with B Flights ‘Sugar
Babe’ Kathy Goody’s backside adjudged the winner over the A Flight pairing
of Steve Newlan and ‘young’ Pat Reagan, all carding 38 solid points. Andrew
Byrne took second in B Flight with a count back victory over Eddy ‘the
Eagle’ Beilby
Jimmy ‘Capt Fogg’ Munns emerged from a long slump to fill
the big boy’s flight five shots back.
Memorial winner Kathy Doody, right, receives her trophy from the
Lewiinski’s President.
Meanwhile Geoff Doody took the honours in C Flight,
posting 34 points to complete a family double. Lou Zig Zag collected some
pocket money for a taxi to the airport – let’s hope he does not miss his
flight this time as his racehorse Zoikdorp is about to start work on the
milk float. Completing the line up proudly dressed in his wedding suit ‘hey
up mango’ was the jovial Christy Knight a further shot back.
Steve Gibson, Kristy Knight, and how could I leave Jimmy
Day out, shared the ‘2’s pot.
Back at Lewiinski’s the Captain Seamus gave a long and
praising speech thanking every one for their support, particularly the staff
and management, David Dennagly for sponsoring the near pins, with special
thanks to John Hartigan and Christy Knight. The partying went on long in to
the night making it a marvelous event that will be eagerly awaited next
year.
Monday, March 29, Khao Kheow – Stableford
1st Andrew Byrne (14) 39pts
2nd Vic Hester (14) 38pts
3rd Peter Hynard (15) 37pts
A trip to the Pete and Perry Dye designed Khao Kheow is
always a pleasure and the course was found to be in its usual excellent
condition. This suited Ireland’s Andrew Byrne who managed to put Sunday’s
count back disappointment behind him to fire (pun intended) a match winning
39 points.
The reliable Vic Hester came up a shot shy for second and
Peter Hynard was a further shot back to complete the rostrum places.
Our old friend Frenchman Serge Stratten made a rare
appearance to post the days only ‘2’.
Wednesday, March 31, Rayong C.C. - Stableford
A Flight
1st Steve Newlan (12) 35pts
2nd Tore Eliassen (12) 34pts
B Flight
1st Iva Plunkett (19) 33pts
2nd Jorn Finnerup (25) 33pts
Was it the length of the ride out? Was it the small Sir
Nick Faldo and Desmond Muirhead designed greens? Was it the extra club wind?
Were they just lousy golfers with unfounded visions of grandeur? Whatever it
was it was ugly with no golfer matching par.
The only shining light was Steve Newlan who posted 35
points for his second A F light victory this week and man of the match. Tore
‘The Viking’ Eliassen took second a shot adrift.
B Flight simmered as Ivan Plunkett, Jon Finnerup and Sim
Davis fought tooth and nail, posting 33 points apiece. Ivan won the flight
with two no scores on his card, Jorn was second with three no scores on his
and little Sim had the same three no scores for nothing.
I guess it would be too much to ask if anyone posted a
‘2’? Thought so, it’s a rollover on Friday.
Friday, April 2,
Eastern Star - Stableford
A Flight
1st Steve Gibson (10) 39pts
2nd Andrew Byrne (11) 37pts
3rd Pierre Bietry (17) 36pts
B Flight
1st Seesa Phompimon (30) 35pts
2nd Mike Jeffreys (19) 34pts
3rd Martin Solberg (18) 34pts
Steve Gibson has a great deal of upside potential even
though he is currently off a very creditable 10 handicap. His 39 points at
the demanding Eastern Star layout is testimony to that. Andrew Byrne thought
he had done what he had to do by posting 37 points; he just did it on the
wrong day. Pierre ‘The Magician’ kept his head bent to accept the third
place prize for his less than memorable 36 point haul.
The action in B Flight was reasonably sublime in
comparison to the big boys’ flight; Seesa Phompimon with 35 points took the
top spot, Mike Jeffreys a shot back was placed second in a three way count
back and Martin Solberg rounded out the flight. Brian ‘Mini’ Copper was the
unlucky player.
Marc Napier and Andrew Byrne split the rollover ‘2’s pot.
Capt Fogg was the first to spot last week’s deliberate
mistake and wins a bottle of Sarson’s malt. What’s the odds on Andrew Byrne
winning on Sunday?
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 put
your name on the list or call Colin on 089 826 0764
Outbackers overshadowed by ‘The Mountain’
PSC golf from The Outback Golf Bar
Friday’s Div A winner Chris Fletcher, right, with Steve
Milne,
Andy Butterworth and Geoff Moodie (20pts) in his special prize hat.
Monday, March 29, Burapha
- Stableford
The unusual pairing of Belfry & Cypress from the blue
tees provided a testing course for the 50 Outbackers playing this regular
Monday slot. Belfry is arguably one of the best nine holes in the Pattaya
area, particularly the third, with water all down the left into a well
guarded green and the long downhill fourth with its spectacular view.
Cypress, more often than not, is played from the shorter whites, so today
was going to be tougher than in recent weeks.
Recent resident to Pattaya, Steve Mann, led the way in
Div A with an excellent 39 points and the day’s top score, playing off 11,
but it will not be long before Steve is down to a single figure handicapper
if he continues his consistent scoring. Jon Haugen was one behind with 38
points followed by another steady player who is always there or thereabouts,
John Cunningham.
Div. B involved the only count back of the day, between
Lawrie McBride and Chris Davisson, both with 36 and Lawrie getting the nod.
Div. C was won by Richard Garland with the same score (36pts) and first and
second in Div D went to a couple of Aussie visitors; Chris Van (35pts) and
Ron Meldrum (34pts).
Finally there were seven ‘2’s from Chris Davisson, Brian
Maddox, John Cunningham, Joe Mooneyham, Jim Bryan, Ivan Plunkett & Gavin
Knox.
Div A (0-11)
1st Steve Mann (11) 39pts
2nd Jon Haugen (8) 38pts
3rd John Cunningham (7) 37pts
Div B (12-14)
1st Lawrie McBride (14) 36pts
2nd Chris Davisson (13) 36pts
3rd Tom Fitzpatrick (12) 35pts
Div C (15-18)
1st Richard Garland (15) 36pts
2nd Bob Lindborg (18) 34pts
3rd Chris Dopp (15) 32pts
Div D (19+)
1st Chris Van Hausen (27) 35pts
2nd Ron Meldrum (25) 33pts
3rd Bruce McAdam (19) 32pts
Tuesday, March 30, Pattaya C.C. - Stableford
Muang Kaew Golf, at km 7.7 on Sukhumvit in Bangkok,
received a facelift from Schmidt & Curley about five years ago, and now
bears distinct similarities around the greens to Chiang Mai Highlands (it’s
sister course) and Siam Plantation. That is about it, other than that, it’s
like any other Bangkok course, as flat as a pancake, with an elevated
motorway going straight through the middle of it.
Capt’ Bob, General Jack & Rosco, playing there on an
Agent’s day out in a painfully slow round, were enjoying some hot sunny
conditions and but somewhat surprised to learn that the 23 Outbackers at
Pattaya C.C. were getting a bit of a dousing, so much so, that one group
failed to finish.
However, there was some excellent scoring from the day’s
organiser, Chad, with 40 points to win Div A from Mike Tilley, sporting his
new Outback maintained handicap of 17, in second with 38.
John Stafford went one better than his 40 points on
Friday, with 41 today, comfortably winning Div B by four from Paul Smets and
Laong, both on 37.
There was a ‘jackpot 2’ bagged by Frank O’Neill.
Div A (0-18)
1st Barry Chadbourn (17) 40pts
2nd Mike Tilley (17) 38pts
3rd Frank O’Neill (18) 37pts
Div B (19+)
1st John Stafford (19) 41pts
2nd Paul Smets (21) 37pts
3rd Laong (37) 37pts
Wednesday, March 31, Mountain Shadow - Stableford
This course ranks alongside Khao Kheow in terms of
difficulty, maybe even more so, and is most definitely in need of re-rating,
even though it is relatively short. 34 Outbackers tackled Mountain Shadow
today and apart from one exceptional score, most walked away with many tales
of woe about the undulating greens or the narrow tree-lined fairways, not to
mention the water. One player got through two packs of balls and that still
wasn’t enough! Cottee (Wayne Cotterell) had 4 points on the front nine and
18 on the back; Bruce Milner could only manage 19 points over the whole 18,
whilst Dave Headington would rather forget his 14 points as would Eddie
Delaney his 19.
Top scorer and Div C winner, Raleigh Gosney (36pts) was
chopped to h’cap 18 but a motion at presentation, by his mate, Chris Dopp,
to reduce his h’cap still further to 17, was passed unanimously; so good
luck with the new h’cap Raleigh! Jean Guy’s 30 points was sufficient to win
Div B from Chris Dopp & Mike Tilley tied on 29 and Ian Heddle took Div A
with 33, from gym owner Louis Doyon on 30.
There were two ‘2’s from Louis Doyon and Jason Mills.
Div A (0-14)
1st Ian Heddle (3) 33pts
2nd Louis Doyon (11) 30pts
3rd Lawrie McBride (14) 28pts
Div B (15-18)
1st Jean Guy Gaudet (16) 30pts
2nd Chris Dopp (15) 29pts
3rd Mike Tilley (17) 29pts
Div C (19+)
1st Raleigh Gosney (19) 36pts
2nd Jason Mills (25) 31pts
3rd Bruce McAdam (19) 29pts
Friday, April 2, Khao Kheow - Stableford
A much better effort from the 40 Outbackers on A & B at
Khao Kheow today, although only one person played under handicap; Lawrie
McBride (14) winning Div B with 37 points. He was six clear of three players
all on 31, headed by Joe Mooneyham (14), who edged out Jim Bryan (14) and
Jean Guy (16) on count back. Suzi Lawton (13), again playing off 2 less than
her handicap, threw away a chance to win Div A when she awarded herself a
two shot penalty for playing the wrong ball; she had to settle for second
place on count back behind Chris Fletcher (10), both with 35.
Bruce McAdam played well for his 36 points to win Div C
by three from Bob Lindborg and the ‘in form’ John Stafford with matching
33s. A special prize was awarded to Geoff Moodie, he’s seen in the pic
sporting his new hat, for the day’s low score of just 20 points.
Steve Milne has had his hands on the ‘Roo Cup’ since last
July, and together with his new partner, Andy Butterworth, he notched up
another successful defence; this time beating the Canadian team of Chris
Dopp & Jean Guy, 3 & 2. Just for the record, you Aussie guys, the ‘Roo Cup’
has now been in England since April last year; it’s about time you mustered
up a challenge!
There were three ‘2’s from Steve Milne, Steve Pike &
David Headington.
Div A (0-13)
1st Chris Fletcher (10) 35pts
2nd Suzi Lawton (13) 35pts
3rd Steven Budrys (12) 33pts
4th Bob Philp (7) 32pts
Div B (14-16)
1st Lawrie McBride (14) 37pts
2nd Joe Mooneyham (14) 31pts
3rd James Bryan (14) 31pts
4th Jean Guy Gaudet (16) 31pts
Div C (17+)
1st Bruce McAdam (19) 36pts
2nd Bob Lindborg (18) 33pts
3rd John Stafford (19) 33pts
4th Raleigh Gosney (17) 32pts
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.
Bridge in Paradise : by Neil Robinson
Last week I
described a hand with interesting bidding (no fewer than five cue bids in
just one hand) from the Contract Bridge League of Thailand (CBLT) Open Teams
event held in Bangkok in June 2009. Here is another hand from this event
with interesting bidding and a moral at the end. Plan how you might bid
each of the hands with your favourite partner. West dealt and no one was
vulnerable:
S: KQ42
H: AKJ1065
D: 87
C: 10
S: A5 S: J7
H: 72 H: -
D: K96 D: J10532
C: AKQ653 C: J98742
S: 109863
H: Q9843
D: AQ4
C: -
The reported bidding was:
West North East South
1C 1H P 4C
Dbl P 5C 5D
P 5H 6C 6H
P P 7C Dbl
All pass
The 1C and 1H bids by
West and North are routine. East’s pass seems a little spineless - with
that distribution I would bid 5C to try and get in the way of the opponents,
in spite of holding only three points. 4C by South is a splinter showing a
game going hand in hearts and a singleton or void in clubs.
Now East finally bids
5C (but too late to get in the way of the opposition). South cue bids the
ace of diamonds. North tries to sign off in 5H, thinking they may be
missing two aces (spades and clubs). With his void, South goes on to 6H
over East’s 6C. However, West is having none of this and sacrifices in 7C
doubled.
West made an excellent
sacrifice. 6H by North makes unless East leads a diamond at the opening.
Without a diamond lead, North pulls trumps, forces out the ace of spades and
throws his second diamond on South’s fifth spade. 7C doubled probably goes
down only two, for -300 instead of -980 if N-S made their slam. With a
heart opening lead and if declarer guesses right in diamonds, 7C is off only
one, losing just the ace of diamonds (with the losing spade going away on
dummy’s long diamonds).
The moral of this
hand, according to the CBLT Bridge News is: “when you are in doubt, don’t
let your opponents play the hand”. West certainly took this moral to heart!
If you have bridge
questions, or to send me your interesting hands, please contact me at:
[email protected].
Shuichi scores all week
IPGC golf from The Haven
Monday, March 29, Bangpra
- Stableford
CSS 72
1st Shuichi Kodaka (19) 38pts
2nd Kazuo Takimoto (7) 37pts
3rd Yasuo Suzuki (12) 37pts
4th Rodney Hayes (9) 36pts
5th
Russell Exley (7) 34pts
Back to Bangpra where the greens are once again
approaching their old speed where anything above the hole will more than
likely transpose itself into at least a three putt. So once again it paid to
be short, which Shuichi Kodaka achieved either by design or good fortune.
Either way it all turned into a winning day for him with a good two under
handicap return which was just enough to see him home by a single shot.
Kazuo Takimoto just got the better of Yasuo Suzuki in the
count back, taking second with a better 18 to 17 as Yasuo faded through the
closing holes. Rodney Hayes made sure of a good day with fourth pace another
stroke behind them and two in front of Russell Exley in fifth.
There were no 2’s in the second division but Kazuo
Takimoto with one and Rodney Hayes with two shared the first division.
Before the presentations there were farewells for Tony
Rose, Kinya Akiyama, Satoru Shibata and Masamoto Kuramechi.
Wednesday, March 31,
Plutaluang - Stableford
CSS 75
1st B.J. Smith (23) 35pts
2nd Shuichi Kodaka (19) 34pts
3rd Trevor Schirmer (14) 33pts
4th Yasuo Suzuki (12) 33pts
5th
Orawan Meeraka (32) 32pts
Brutal conditions with very little run on the fairways
produced a very poor result for all the players over the old North and South
courses, which left the CSS for the day at plus three and making the day
non-counting for upward review, although B. J. Smith will look forward to a
reduction of a shot for next week as his one over handicap translated into a
two under score for handicap purposes. It was a fine effort by B.J. who
stuck to the job at hand throughout the round and took his first win for
some time.
Shuichi Kodaka again showed well with a couple over
handicap for second place and Trevor Schirmer just scraping third after a
count back with Yasuo Suzuki, which he won by a margin of 18 to 14. Orawan
Meeraka got and honourable mention in fifth place another shot behind them.
Once again there were no 2’s in the second division and
once again Rodney Hayes scored in the first division but this time with only
one.
With the season fast coming to a close there were no
welcomes or welcome backs but again there was a farewell, this time for Mike
Sanders.
Friday, April 2, Khao
Kheow - Stableford
CSS 72
1st Alan Griffiths (11) 36pts
2nd Bob Lamond (6) 35pts
3rd Rodney Hayes (12) 34pts
4th Trevor Schirmer (14) 31pts
5th
Shuichi Kodaka (19) 31pts
Alan Griffiths made a solid return to golf from Soi 13
with a level par round against handicap to just nick the day’s top spot away
from Bob Lamond who was a shot back in second. Rodney Hayes touched the
money pot again with a steady but unspectacular round for third place, three
shots ahead of the next best.
Following his two previous outings when he placed first
and second, Shuichi Kodaka did his best to win another for the week but
after a strong opening half slumped to a measly 12 points in another count
back with Trevor Schirmer which this time he lost by a score of 12 to 17 to
end up in fifth place.
With Rodney Hayes missing out for once, Kevin Townsend
had the only 2 in the first division and finally the second division
rollover went as Dave Spendley swept the pool with an exquisite one that he
will remember for at least a couple of days.
Before presenting the prizes Stephen Beard welcomed new
members Michael Tottenham and Johannes Murkin and also welcomed back Lyle
Blaw.
Faa and Ergo form dynamic duo
Jomtien Golf with the IPGC
Monday, March 29,
Pattaya C.C. - Stableford
With the high season almost over and with many of our
friends gone back, it was our smallest turnout today for some considerable
time with just six groups playing. There were still two divisions, plus the
ladies of course, and 37 points was enough to win Division 1 for Georges
Faber ahead of Bill Hewitt just one point behind, and in third place and in
his last game with us, Jim Connelly came in with 34 points.
The golfing ladies from Eastern Star on Friday.
David Phillips, also with 37 points, won Division 2 with
count back Burnie in second position on 34 after beating Tom Breslin on a
back six count back of 13/12. Ken Foster came in third on 33 points.
Miss Nang took the ladies competition with 35 points,
beating Mam Morel by three. The same two players also won the nearest the
pins on the fifth and twelfth holes. Tom Breslin and Barry Stirling recorded
the only birdie ‘2’s of the day.
Wednesday, March 31,
Bangpra – 2-Person Scramble
After Monday’s low turnout there were an amazing 26 teams
out in our fun game of the month, a 2-person scramble with each team having
one player from Division 1 and one from Division 2.
This was our first visit here since October due to the
11.42am first tee off time being lifted. It used to be an hour’s journey
from Jomtien Soi 5 but with the new road open now it is just under 40
minutes. The remarks back in the clubhouse afterward were that the course
was in very good condition and was enjoyed by all.
There were numerous team prizes up for grabs today
sponsored by the rollover kitty and six prizes in the Pairs competition
alone with the expected winning scores to be 50 plus.
The winners in the main comp were Miss Faa and Ergo with
50 points exactly, two ahead of second placed Georges Faber and Andy Oz and
three ahead of Andy Mills and Tony Duthie in third. There was then a count
back for fourth and fifth places on 46 points with John McLoone and Terry
Cowell just edging Miss Tar and Terry Tucker on the back six. Paul Smith and
Kevin Tobin took the final rung on the ladder with 45 points after beating
Colin Grant and Tom Breslin on another count back.
Near pins went in course order to Miss Tar and Terry
Tucker on the 2nd, Nut Ponvipa and Don Head on the 8th,
Nar and Keith Hector on the 12th and Mikael Andersson
and Barry Rawlinson on the 17th.
The long drive prizes were picked up by Dave and Simon on
the 10th and Paul Smith and Kevin Tobin on the 14th.
The special awards were won as follows: “Nearest the pin
in two shots” 6th Gordon Everingham and Jean Morel, 18th
Miss Faa and Egro; “Nearest the pin in three shots” 5th
Colin Grant and Tom Breslin, 15th Andy Oz and Georges
Faber.
There were numerous winners in the ‘2’s competition: Miss
Tar and Terry Tucker (2), Nut Ponvipa and Don Head, Ben Findon and Ken
Foster, and Bryan Rought and Burnie Sinclair.
Finally there was a free buffet for all golfers and their
partners back at Siam Cats later on in the evening and enjoyed by all.
Friday, April 2,
Eastern Star – Stableford
Back to reality again, with 5 cancellations overnight and
two no-shows in the morning there were only 23 out at our regular Friday
venue. It was another hot and sultry day with hardly any breeze coming off
the coast and everyone suffered.
As on Monday, two 37’s won both divisions, Mikael
Andersson in Division 1 and Jouni Metsanen in Division 2. Paul Butler
finished second in the top flight, two points behind his playing partner
Mikael and in third place with 30 points was Chris Voller.
Jim Lane was the runner up in the second division with 34
points and Neil Gamble beat Toni Stoltsen on a back 6 count back of 10/9 for
third place after they tied with 31 points each.
The ‘old man’ was not playing today due to a fall the
previous evening so his other half was instructed to go out and win. Miss
Nom duly won the ladies division with 32 points, beating Miss Noi on a 19/13
count back. Miss Nang was third with 25 and not a happy lady. The old man
was smiling back at the presentation as Miss Nom also scooped two nearest
the pins in the ladies division and there were cheers all round when Josie
Monks took her first ever nearest the pin with us after several years of
trying. Well done Josie!
There were no ‘2’s in either the Men’s divisions or the
Ladies so a rollover to Eastern Star next week.
It was goodbye to Barry and Jill Stirling and Darren Steffes this week
who will all return later in the year, but the best news was the return of
Kari Aarnio, sitting in the bar as we returned following his successful
treatment back home. We all wish him well here with Jomtien Golf and his
recuperation.
Three stars shine at Siam Old Course
Panita’s Golf Bar (Siam Old Course Members)
Last week three of Panita’s Bar’s favourite golfers each
shone at the Siam Old Course; Roger Rush, Gary Blackburne and Mick O’Meara,
each one a star on the three golfing days held at Siam.
Stars of the week, left-right: Roger Rush, Gary
Blackburne and Mick O’Meara.
Roger Rush once again showed the way on the Monday with
an excellent 37 points (stableford) winning ahead of John Porteous (36pts)
and Mike Philips, also (36pts), coming in third on the count back. Fellow
competitors were relieved to hear in the bar after the game that Roger is
returning to England for the summer months and after buying everyone a beer
he joked that he is only going away to give everyone else a chance to win!
Maybe we will have to look closely at that 17 handicap on his return. Have a
good trip Roger and return soon.
Wednesday saw the popular golfer Mick O’Meara top the
group for the first time in recent months. Mick shot a superb 39 points to
ward off the challenge of five-handicapper Mark Thomas who had another high
score with 37 points and once again the fast improving John Porteous grabbed
the third spot with another 36 points. Well done to Mick and thanks for the
beer after the match.
Finally Friday came and also the heat, on this the
hottest day so far, regular winner Gary Blackburne was the final star of the
week with 37 points, well ahead of his nearest placed competitors, Doug
Cambell (34pts) and Geoff Couch (34pts). Gary is proving to be one of the
most regular winners on Panita’s Golf Bar days, even with his low handicap
of 8.
After the game all the golfers enjoyed a free Thai green curry prepared
by Panita herself and a complimentary drink from the ever popular ‘Gary’
topped off the week at Panita’s Golf Bar.
USMC closing on top spot
Pattaya Sports Club Bowling League
The USMC team moved within one point of first place Café
Ole after they won three points from the league leaders.
Last week’s 200 Bowler, Sue Murphy.
Captain Joe Ferral led the USMC team with a 532 series
and Antero Ronkainen was best for Café Ole with a 520 pin total. Canada
meanwhile moved into third place ahead of Bavaria after winning all four
points (by forfeit) from Sabai Sabai Friday. Sue Murphy had a 200 game and
525 series for Canada.
Bavaria split their match with Green Tree and both teams walked off with
two points each. Noodle Russell bowled a good 547 series for Green Tree.
Brother D won three points from Jack Tar and VFW Post 9876 took all four
from Indiana. Aht Johansson rolled a 552 series for VFW and Dang Downs
bowled a 521 series for Indiana. Tarja bowling as a Pacer bowled a 542
series.
PSC Fishing Schedule
The next deep sea fishing trip organized by the Pattaya Sports Club will be
on April 17 and the boat is already full. If anyone wishes to put their name
down as a reserve please email Mike Gerrard at [email protected]. If
there are enough people interested, another trip will be organized for May
1. Again please let Mike know and be aware that there needs to be at least 6
passengers to make the trip worthwhile. The next definite scheduled trip
will be on May 15. Book early if you wish to be included.
Further news about fishing around the Sattahip islands is
not the best. Large varieties seem to be of the minority these days, however
that does not mean that we stop trying. Who knows what lies beneath the
waves on any given day? So, keep your rod well oiled and straight, and make
sure your hooks are bent in the right direction. Aha Jim lad!
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