Santa seems to have managed to negotiate the various rules and regulations in place to cross borders and to gain access to households to deliver gaudily wrapped items into stockings and under Christmas trees. Eight members were not satisfied with what Santa had left and came out to try for more goodies in the form of Championship points and with the secondary aim of limiting Noodles ability to score too many of those same points. The weather was certainly kind to them in their endeavour although it did warm up a bit as the day went on.
Simon must have been on Santa’s goodie-two-shoes list because, not only did he deliver on Christmas day, he delivered again today with a personal best 74 strokes off the stick and a very impressive total of six points (check your handicap, Si). If it hadn’t been for three gashes, boy oh boy, what a day it would have been. Now, Si reckons that he tends to play his best golf on Thursdays so Harry, Rod and Gordo are expecting to be gob-smacked this week.
Stan took a couple of holes to get going and looked as if he was about to settle down and be right up there with Simon. A bit of a stutter just before the turn undid the good work, but he settled in his run and finished with a burst to cross the line with a plus two score-line. The field didn’t quite succeed in keeping Noodles right out of the points as his score of minus one was enough to snag him a share of third place. A flash of brilliance leading into and around the turn and a final lunge at the line really saved the day. Damo, on the other hand, set a good pace early on but could not find his stride on the way home and could only finish neck and neck with Noods.
Pepsi started a bit slowly and finished a bit slowly and never really did hit his stride throughout to finish a point further back for a share of 4th place. Keith, on the other hand, just plodded along slow and steady like the tortoise but, unlike the tortoise, he did not win the race and tied up with Pepsi in fourth.
Michael has decided that he is going to throw everything into his game this year to make up for lost opportunities in recent years. And that seems to include the kitchen sink that he brought along strapped to the roof of his car. He has even volunteered to try to fill the very large boots of the GOATee Marshal to give CJ a hand. He was only able to grab a single point today but, the secret is to keep attending and keep the points ticking over if you want to finish in or near the top spot.
Now, the sharp eyed among you will have noticed that there are seven players in the points today which, by a process of elimination means that there was only one person not included. Discretion prevents mention of names, but it is worth pointing out if he hadn’t taken about five holes to get going, there could have been a clean sweep with points all round.
The first BallPin was set out on the 4th and Stan showed his prowess again by getting his ball closest. It mustn’t have been quite close enough as he did not make the birdie. The ProPin was set on the 12th and Simon really made a day of it by sneaking his ball inside the 5m circle to 4.3m. He didn’t make the birdie there either. Noodles won the ball on the 18th, but was obviously not close enough to make the birdie. So, the upshot was, that the NTP winners did not contribute on their respective holes to the total of five that the field brought in today.
Next Saturday will be the first round for the new year and, hopefully everybody will be over their hangovers after the NYE celebrations. There is a Monthly Medal up for grabs so get your registrations in to ensure you have a spot on the tee. There are still a few people who have GolfLink memberships with us who have not indicated their intentions about continuing. So, if they do not advise in the next day or so, they will be de-registered.
Results for Saturday, 26 December 2020
1st Simon Powell(+6) 2nd Stan Blackshaw(+2) 3rd Stephen Butterfield(-1) 3rd Damien Lee(-1) 4th Keith Delzoppo(-2) 4th Andrew Petricola(-2) 5th Michael Gourlay(-3)
Seniors Results: 1st Simon Powell (+6) 2nd Stan Blackshaw (+2) 3rd Keith Delzoppo (-2)
Nearest the Pin Results: ProPin12th Simon Powell BallPin No 1 4th Stan Blackshaw BallPin No 2 18th Stephen Butterfield