Akira does the double, bags an ace

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Akira Sekiya (center) with Iain Craigen (left) and Mitchell Carlon.
Akira Sekiya (center) with Iain Craigen (left) and Mitchell Carlon.

PSC Golf from the Pattaya Links Golf Society

Monday, Dec. 31, Burapha – Stableford

A-Flight (0–15)

1st Pete Seil (5) 33pts

2nd Maurice Roberts (13) 33pts

3rd Colin Smith (14) 32pts

B-Flight (16+)

1st Gavin McDonald (18) 35pts

2nd Wayne Peppernell (16) 34pts

3rd Ralph McConnell (18) 33pts

The society drew the curtain on its most successful year ever with a trip to Burapha on New Year’s Eve to play a competition on the testing C and D nines. The combination has not the sumptuous quality of the A/B nines and is a more arduous test with its changes of elevation and punitive rough, but the lads were up for it.

The field of 29 was divided into two flights at fifteen and under and the fine weather and light breeze helped the golfers enjoy the round. In the top flight Maurice Roberts (33 points) was relegated to second place on countback by Pete Seil (33 points). In third was Colin Smith with 32 points.

The second flight scores were similar with Ralph McConnel taking third place with 33 points, in second was Wayne Peppernell with 34 and the winner was Gavin McDonald, tasting success in his final round this trip, with 35 points. The green jacket was a warm memory for him to take back to a cold and miserable England, and work!

Near pins went to Pete Seil, Rod Baker, Paul Walia and Adrian Aspbury while consolation ‘best nines’ were recorded by Soichiro Nakano (18pts) and Stuart Thompson (16pts).

Monday, Jan. 2, Mt. Shadow – Stableford

A Flight (0-15)

1st Akira Sekiya (12) 37pts

2nd Phil Davies (11) 34pts

3rd Maurice Roberts (13) 32pts

4th Michael Wright (10) 30pts

B Flight (16+)

1st Colin Service (16) 29pts

2nd Derek Phillips (18) 28pts

3rd Mike Tottenham (19) 27pts

Gavin McDonald.
Gavin McDonald.

Thirty-one players headed for Mt. Shadow golf course for the second time in about three weeks. The report from the earlier trip showed some disappointments at the condition of the course and of the clubhouse. Nothing has changed, unfortunately.

Akira Sekiya came to play with us today for the first time and certainly left an impression. His 37 points easily won “A” flight and his first Green Jacket. The dynamic duo of Phil Davies and Maurice Roberts followed with 34 and 32 points respectively, while fourth place went to one half of the Links Matchplay champs, Michael Wright, with 30 points.

Apart from the first four, most players struggled as the best that “B” flight could muster was 29 points from Colin Service, while Derek Phillips got back into the placings, albeit with 28 points, and Mike Tottenham filled third spot.

The “best nines” followed the trend with very low scores, but good enough for Will Brown (14pts) and John Collias (16pts).

Near Pins went to Mitchell Carlon, John Doyle, Phil Davies and Pete Seil.

Friday, Jan. 4,
The Emerald – Stableford

A Flight (0-15)

1st Akira Sekiya (12) 41pts

2nd John Collias (12) 39pts

3rd Maurice Roberts (13) 36pts

4th Stan Stewart (15) 35pts

B Flight (16+)

1st Richard Dobson (26) 36pts

2nd Donal McGuigan (19) 35pts

3rd Niall Caven (18) 33pts

4th Larry Slattery (19) 32pts

The society visited Emerald on Friday to play a stableford competition on the course which was in better condition than on the previous visit. Fairways had a better covering of grass, the rough was cut back and greens were very “sporting” with pins placed on or near the many slopes and putts running at a good pace.

Thirty-nine golfers made up the field which was divided into two flights at fifteen and under and generally scores were low as the course is always a tough call.

In the second flight Larry Slattery made fourth place with 32 points, one behind Niall Caven on 33. In second was Irish golfer Donal McGuigan with 35 points whilst Richard Dobson was delighted to take the win on his return round with 36 points.

In the top flight Stan Stewart continued his fine form with 35 points, edging out Colin Smith on countback for fourth place, a couple behind Maurice Roberts whose consistency gave him yet another pink envelope. American golfer John Collias finally came good with 39 points for second place whilst Wednesday’s winner Akira Sekiya took his second consecutive Green Jacket with 41 points.

Akira also had the honour of recording the seventeenth PLGS official competition hole-in-one, on the testing fifth hole.

Thai lady golfer Panda Aree won the consolation best front nine award for her twenty point score and was joined by John Doyle with 19 points on the back nine.

Near pins were claimed by Akira Sekiya, John Harrison, Akira Sekiya and Michael Wright.