With Harry away in the UK, Marc is in charge of score data entry (thanks Marc) and I’m in charge of the blog.
But the words this week are brought to you by JQ, our new Mark Twain (or maybe more Ernest Hemmingway?) with Dan pitching in with some additional material on Umbrellagate.
Their contributions are below, copied and pasted without edits apart from adding some headings.
Thanks boys!
As you can see from the photo at the end, Harry and friends were very impressed with your efforts.
JUST A FAB 4 (PLUS A SLEEPY RAJ ELSEWHERE)
Was it the winter weather or world cup fever hitting the club? With the expectation of rain, we had a weak turn out for what turned out to be a rather dry and considerably kind weather for a mid-June round – with only 4 hardened competitors this week. And Raj, who decided to join the Burnley crew later in the morning (traitor).
SOS and Brendon were itching at the bit to get out there (more to get away from husbandly/fatherly duties), they – rightly – convinced JQ to come along for a social hit. Then in rolls Dan just as they were about to tee-off to make up an even foursome.
SKINS
With nothing to play for, SOS and JQ were keen to make it interesting. A decision was made to play skins – $1 per hole. With juicy handicaps of 17 and 14… SOS and Dan were quietly comfortable that there was an opportunity to come away with some moola with no NTP’s on offer.
There was a lot of lateral water on the first couple of holes, so everyone was comfortable with squaring the early holes. However, on the third, JQ managed to scramble to the green and sink a 6-footer par putt to take the first skin(s) of the day.
Brendon got on the board on the 4th, with a beautiful putt from off the green to drain the first birdie of the day. Dan got his first par of the day on the 5th and SOS got his first par (even after a wayward drive) on the 6th – both more than ample to get their first skins of the day.
No one got the upper hand on the 7th and SOS looked all but home to take the double-skin on the 8th, only for Brendon to jam a monster putt through some lateral water to slam the pin and drop to halve the hole (much to Dan and JQ’s delight).
With 3 skins on offer on the 9th, all drives were safely away down the middle, however with only JQ and Dan hitting the green in reg, a true match-play putt off was on. An untimely three-putt, gifted JQ the win.
SCORES AT THE TURN
Scores at the turn (JQ – 6 skins; Dan/SOS/Brendon 1-skin) – a particularly harsh result on Brendon who was playing particularly well in the conditions.
JQ had no right to win the 10th after sculling a chip to 5-feet and subsequently dropped the par putt and even though Brendon and SOS both parred 11, so did Dan and with the extra shot buffer he managed to secure his second skin of the day.
JQ CHUCKLING ALL THE WAY
With Brendon shanking his tee shot into the hazard and Dan smashing up to the bleaches (the old 13th tee box), SOS and JQ were really the only ones able in it on the 12th – but after missing a two foot right-to-left putt to tie the hole… JQ chuckled all the way to the 13th with another win. (JQ – 8 skins, Dan 2 skins, SOS/Brendon 1-skin).
With everyone positioned too far left forcing everyone to lay up on the 13th, SOS played a lovely chip to have a tap in par to make it incredibly hard for others, with JQ needing a 12-footer down hill left-to-right. Determined to break SOS’s heart, his putt burned the rim and failed to drop giving SOS a well-deserved skin.
After a stunning drive from the back markers on 14, Brendon was only a foot off the green and in the box seat. Dan played to centre of the green and JQ went flag hunting to wedge his second to 4 feet. Brendon 3-putted, JQ missed the birdie chance, so Dan simply snared the hole with a easy (but nervy) two-putt.
To 15 they went and with tees down the bottom and only a 108m from the pin, three hit the green, but JQ broke their hearts with a 25-foot downtown to sink a birdie. (JQ – 10 skins, Dan/SOS 2-skins, Brendon 1-skin)
THE LAST THREE HOLES
The last three holes… Brendon made light work of the 16th, playing a lovely approach in to secure his par, which was enough given the other three were scrambling from duck-hooks off the tee.
JQ birdying the 17th wasn’t enough and Dan used his extra shot to perfection making a regulation par to tie the hole… which left two remaining skins going into the 18th.
DAN’S SHOT OF THE DAY
With no one hitting the green, but JQ and Brendon putting their second shot within delicate par putting range, their hearts were broken when Dan played the shot of the day from the far right hill to chip sensationally to within a gimme – it knocked Brendon out given he didn’t get a shot, which left JQ with a final putt to take the spoils to the chipping green. His putt looked all the way home, but did a dunny roll and somehow failed to drop. A well-deserved two skins for Dan.
FINAL RESULTS AND NEXT WEEK
Final results for skins were JQ (10), Dan (4), SOS and Brendon (2).
Whilst the skins were the major enjoyment, the group performed really well given the conditions and had there been a quorum of 6 necessary for competition, all would have been in the points we suspect. A little more effort (and heart) from the rest of the club next week, which is more than what the Aussies displayed against the septic tanks.
1st Brendon Mitchell (34) John Quinlan (34)
2nd Stephen O’Sullivan (31) Dan Marie (31)
UMBRELLAGATE
Dan added “On the 16th tee box – the wind picked up causing mine and JQs bag to collide, knocking them over and breaking my umbrella. This now means that I’ve lost more umbrellas at Ivanhoe than I have won monthly medals. Pretty good feat if I do say so.”