PATTAYA, Thailand – On Monday, April 14, the first medal round of April teed off at Mountain Shadow from the blue tees, with the course presenting in surprisingly good shape and excellent value at 1,250 baht all-in. A smaller-than-usual field turned out, with several members heading to Kanchanaburi for the tour and others nursing various injuries – two shoulders, a knee, and an ankle, with Father Time clearly taking a toll on the squad.
Scoring was modest overall, with only Alan Sullivan putting together a tidy round of net 72 to take top honours. Michael Brett edged out John Webb for second place on countback after both carded net 75s. In a repeat of the previous outing, only two near pins were claimed, both on the front nine – Hubert Stiefenhofer and Michael Brett the successful sharpshooters.
Results:
1st – Alan Sullivan (15), Net 72
2nd – Michael Brett (15), Net 75 (cb)
3rd – John Webb (26), Net 75
Near Pins: Hubert Stiefenhofer, Michael Brett
On Wednesday, April 16, spitting rain lingered over the front nine at Pattaya Country Club where a slim group once again took to the course, with most still away on tour. The track was in superb condition — lush fairways and quick, true greens made for great playing conditions, and with the course virtually empty, play was smooth and uninterrupted.
Kevin LaBar stole the show with an impressive 39 points, particularly notable for his turnaround – a meagre 13 points on the front was followed by a sizzling 26 on the back, thanks to six pars and a birdie. He also took one of the near pins, while Jimmy Carr snagged the other two but otherwise endured a rough day, losing all three sixes for the second game in a row.
Results:
1st – Kevin LaBar (16), 39 points
2nd – Alan Sullivan (15), 33 points
3rd – Steve Durey (31), points (not stated)
Near Pins: Kevin LaBar, Jimmy Carr (x2)
A sting in the tail awaited the Bunker Boys at Burapha on Friday, April 18, with a hefty Songkran holiday rate of 2,450 baht all-in. The A & B nines, freshly reopened after maintenance, were in excellent shape. Given recent rains and little fairway run, the decision was made to play from the white tees, still offering close to the standard 6,500-yard test.
Ideal conditions greeted players at the start, but wind and a brief shower made for a more challenging back nine. Despite that, the scores held up well. Michael Brett found form with the flat stick and posted a winning 41 points. Jimmy Carr followed with 38, while Kevin LaBar, continuing his consistent week, secured third on 37. No near pin contest today, and for Jimmy — a second straight outing losing all three sixes, his favourite aspect of the game.
Results:
1st – Michael Brett (15), 41 points
2nd – Jimmy Carr (23), 38 points
3rd – Kevin LaBar (15), 37 points
Near Pins: Not contested
The Bunker Boys return to Burapha again later this month — fingers crossed for a friendlier green fee.
