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It’s a wonder anybody made it to January Monthly Medal on 07 January 2017

Rod blitzed 'em
There’s life in the old dog yet, I’ll Grant you that!

In actual fact, twenty players did make it to the tees but it was a close run thing for some.  Damo has a flash new car that is all computerised and stuff but when he went to head off this morning the ‘computer says No!’ and it seems that Damo was going nowhere except for the good graces of the wife to lend him her car.  JohnQ has been off in the Old Dart working(?) and getting married.  The wedding was very successful and the bride did turn up.  As well as the fact that John had flown in from minus 8 to face a 38 today, when he went to start the car it had a flat battery.  Rob was relying on a lift from Matt (unreliable copper from the Basin according to one report) and was waiting at the gate when in comes a text to advise that Matt wouldn’t be making it today.  So, Rob jumped into his trusty emerald green mean machine and made his own way to the course.  After the round Rob was spotted with a set of jumpers connected to Pork’s Mini trying to get the beast going from yet another flat battery.  Gordon was all fired up to get back into it and win the Monthly Medal but there was some sort of last minute change in plans (not sure whether they were Gordons) and he was forced to make the winning of the Medal that much easier for his absence.

It would have to be admitted that it was getting pretty warm out there on the course and the hats, sun-screen, water bottles and umbrellas were being put to very good use.  But, in the end, it was a couple of the older members in the field who managed to show it up to the younger, softer generation to come in with the best two scores of 66 nett.  Now, as this is the Monthly Medal, there can be only one winner and so a count-back was necessary to separate Rod and Harry.  In the end it was Rod who got the nod with a nett for the back nine of 29.5 to Harry’s 31.

Despite almost being left in the lurch, Rob managed to put in a blinder on the back nine to come in exactly on his handicap with a nett 68.  He was joined by Jason who also managed to make a fair fist of the back after a fairly ordinary front nine.  Dale was only a stroke behind and also did better as the day progressed.

Bobbie started the day off in fine style with a birdie on the first which some take as an omen if ill-fortune in the rest of the round.  Bob did have one or two moments but in the end he managed to come in with a pretty respectable 70 nett.  He was joined by Pepsi  who put down for quite a few birdies today and contributed significantly to the total of 16 that we managed to pull off.  The placing of the pin on the 14th caused quite a bit of angst for some players but Pepsi went close to pulling off an eagle when his chip rimmed the cup and finished close for the easy birdie.  Harry also went close on the first when a long second shot ran very close and just past the hole.  And of course we must not forget Chrispy who also got himself a couple of points by consorting with the rest of the fourth place getters.  Chrispy is on the road to Mandalay next week though there probably won’t be any flying fishes playing.  Then, after that, he is off to the Shakey Isles so we won’t be seeing Chrispresident for a few weeks

Even though JohnQ was claiming jet-lag and honey-moon-lag would affect his game before tee time, he seems to have managed to keep the noddies at bay and gather himself a point on his first outing for the year.  Whitey also managed to avoid a cricket score even though he did have to rush off and don the baggy whites after getting an unexpected call up to the team late in the week.  He was in such a rush to head off that it appears that he took the Nearest the Pin containers and markers with him and so we only have his playing mates word for the fact that the BallPin on the 4th actually had Whitey’s name on it and that the ProPin on the 12th actually did have Jason’s name on it.  No record of the distance as a result.

Eddie has been let off the leash again and has been up to his usual tricks of not knowing what his handicap is (12), though he obviously knows what it should be (9).  He also seemed to be having some trouble making up his mind whether he would be gracing the field with his presence again next week.  The last group seemed to have formed the view that they were out of contention and challenged one another to play the 18th using only their driver.  They never did say who won the hole but it was clear that Noodles lost it when his putt from off the green lipped the cup and he had to settle for a five.

There was a bit of wind around today and on some greens more than others.  Targe puts at least some of that variability down to Blighty.  Bob opted to take relief under Rule 9 Number 2 and he was gone so long that the rest of the group were considering mounting a search party.  When you gotta go, you gotta go!  Maybe the long walk back to the 6th tee after his ball could not be found got things into motion.

Brendon was a little astray on the 17th and had to use his putter out of the bushes and in the process he scratched his hand.  It didn’t look to be a serious injury but you know what Kiwis are like!  Jason also got up to some tricks on the 17th.  His drive was somewhat less than spectacular and then he really collared his second such that it could easily have been – next stop, Dights Falls.  However a quick side-step by the large spotted gum intervened and the ball bounced back to within a half a metre of the green and he finished off to get a par.

Trevor didn’t have the worst round of the day but it apparently would have been much better if he hadn’t had seven three putt and 3 four putt greens.  Joe and Blighty abandoned balls as lost on the 13th only to stumble across them further up the fairway.  So, it always pays to declare a provisional (and somebody has to be present to be declared to) if there is any doubt that the ball is lost or any hope that the ball might be found.  For Blighty, there was no doubt about the two balls that went into the pond beside the 16th.  The one compensation was that the 10 wouldn’t have showed up on his Eclectic since the stroke limit for that is set at 9.

And, while it is early days,  Rob has a handy jump on the Eclectic field just at the moment.  CraigC still has the lead in the overall Championship and Craig and Bob share the honours in the Seniors.

One person that was missing from the field today was DennisW.  Perhaps it was because, the Birthday Birdie whispers, it was actually the big day today.  Have a good one Dennis.

Results for Saturday, 07 January 2017
1st Harry Boughen(66) 1st Rod Grant(66 – MM c/b) 2nd Jason Hopkins(68) 2nd Robert Priems(68) 3rd Dale Webb(69) 4th Bob McDonald(70) 4th Andrew Petricola(70) 4th Chris Priems(70) 5th John Quinlan(71) 5th Rodney White(71)

Seniors Results: 1st Harry Boughen (66) 1st Rod Grant (66) 2nd Bob McDonald (70) 3rd Targe Mifsud (74)

Nearest the Pin Results: ProPin 12th Jason Hopkins BallPin 4th Rodney White