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Odds on for Palmer’s Bar
Last season’s Wednesday Quiz
League champion-ship team, Bob’s Bar.
“In the movies, who became 18 again at age 81?” “Who has
an address at P.O. Box 155 in Soi Post Office?”
There are only a couple of weeks to go in the intellectual Sunday Quiz
League and Palmer’s Bar has taken the lead. After one of their more modest
showings, Cheers have dropped into second position and will need very high
scores in weeks thirteen and fourteen to stand a chance of winning the
trophy. Mick’s Place and Pleasure Dome are drawn in the fight for the middle
positions, Now into the home straight, all bars are combing their clientele
to find people who know the contents of the Encyclopedia Britannica.
Preferably backwards.
The Wednesday Quiz is in its early phase, but Aussie Ken pulled a rabbit out
of the hat by scoring an excellent 104/120 or 87% in a well deserved
victory. All time rivals Fawlty Towers and Bob’s drew at 100/120 each in one
of the most intense matches of the season to date. However, Cheers is
narrowly in the lead overall.
The answer to the above question is George Burns. Shame on the bar who wrote
that Alcoholics Anonymous live at P.O. Box 155 rather than the Pattaya Mail.
Maybe they know something the rest of us do not.
| Sunday Quiz: |
| |
Points |
| Palmer’s |
967 |
| Cheers |
949 |
| Mick’s Place |
931 |
| Pleasure Dome |
931 |
| Rising Sun |
913 |
| Bob’s Bar |
830 |
| Britannia |
816 |
| Wild Chicken |
746 |
| Wednesday Quiz: |
| |
Points |
| Cheers |
6 |
| Bob’s |
5 |
| Fawlty Towers |
5 |
| Aussie Ken’s |
4 |
| Britannia |
4 |
| Shamrock |
4 |
| Palmer’s |
2 |
| Rising Sun |
2 |
All bars welcome new players. Turn up at the hostelry of your choice any
Sunday or Wednesday just before 8:30 p.m. Fixtures are printed in the Sports
Round-up column of Pattaya Mail.
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Beer Put crowned darts champions
Beer Put finally made their championship season official
when the Friday Mickey Mouse Darts League season came to a close on Friday,
February 7. Beer Put had wrapped up the championship weeks ago by building
an insurmountable lead in the standings, but it wasn’t official until the
final dart was thrown last Friday.
The sharp-shooters from Beer Put were on their way to an undefeated season,
but ran into an inspired Cheers squad in the final week. Producing the upset
of the season, Cheers managed to defeat Beer Put, thereby knocking them from
the ranks of the undefeated.
Results from the final week of matches: Cheers produced the upset by
knocking off Beer Put, but lost the beer leg at home. Palmer’s also produced
an upset by beating Rising Sun at home, preventing Rising Sun from achieving
a second place finish on the season. Mick’s Place took advantage of Rising
Sun’s misfortune, defeating Pleasure Dome to take sole possession of second
place.
The end of season awards presentation party is tonight (Friday, February 14)
at Pleasure Dome. Receiving awards are Beer Put for league championship.
Pleasure Dome, the wooden spoon for the league’s strongest team (last place
finish). Beer Put and Rising Sun tied for most beer legs won, 8. Palmer’s
have wrestled away the “upside down” trophy from Pleasure Dome for achieving
the most under tens during the season, a whopping 108. And Lorenzo from
Cheers for shooting the league’s highest individual check out, a 117 he
achieved in week 9.
| Final Standings: |
| |
Won |
Loss |
Beer Leg |
Under 10’s |
| Beer Put |
9 |
1 |
8 |
51 |
| Mick’s Place |
6 |
4 |
3 |
51 |
| Rising Sun |
5 |
5 |
8 |
66 |
| Cheers |
5 |
5 |
4 |
65 |
| Palmer’s Bar |
3 |
7 |
4 |
108 |
| Pleasure Dome |
2 |
8 |
3 |
75 |
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Ken Carr
returns to top
Ken Carr finished four strokes under his handicap to win
the Pattaya Golf Society Stableford competition at Khao Kheow on Tuesday,
February 4, 1997. Ken’s game has been hot of late, and he rode his current
streak of fine play to five pars and 40 Stableford points to cap off his
winning of PGS “Player of the Month” award for January.
Roy Mitchell, who finished runner up to Ken in last month’s PGS title,
finished second to Carr again on Tuesday the 4th. Roy chipped in three times
for par, and hit the flag one other time, finishing with 39 points.
George Meigh, coming off his recent ace and Wild Chicken Open championship,
also made three natural pars during his round and finished third with 39
points, losing on count back to Roy.
Billy Russel placed fourth with 38 points, and is coming ever closer to a
podium finish.
Peter Johansson rounded out the top five with 34 points, beating John C.C.
Gibson on count back. The highlight of Peter’s round came when he landed his
tee shot 6 feet from the pin on the 8th hole of the B course, then holed the
put for birdie.
Les Winch produced the putt of the day, sinking a 70 footer for birdie on
the 9th hole of the C course.
Nearest to the pin winners, who received complimentary green fees from Khao
Kheow management, were Ken Carr on #8 of the C course and Peter Johansson on
#8 of the B course.
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Splinter Golf Group
Monday, February 3, Siam country Club (Stroke)
A flight: Winner, Tony Odlum, net 64. 2nd, Charlie Davlin, net
73. 3rd, Mike Riley, net 75.
B flight: Winner, Martin Furzer, net 65. 2nd, Arthur Bailey, net 68. 3rd,
Mike Franklin, net 70.
Near Pins: Steve Ross, Charlie Davlin, Mike Morris Banjob Khong-Nork.
Wednesday, February 5, Pattaya Country Club - Ryder Cup
The Rest of the World beat the USA Team 9 points to 6. Near pin
prizes were kindly donated by Don Antonio and food was provided after the
match at Shakey Pete’s.
Friday, February 7, Noble Place (Stableford)
A flight: Winner, Robin, 37 pts. 2nd, Alex Rose, 35 pts. 3rd,
Neil Munroe, 34 pts.
A clean sweep for Scotland by the three winners, who clearly enjoyed playing
with each other.
B flight: Winner, Mike Franklin, 33 pts. 2nd, Adrian Ort, 33 pts. (lost on
count back). 3rd, Giorgi, 32 pts. (beat Steve Ross on count back).
24 played with the handicap cut-off at 16.
Near pins: Bill Thompson, Tony Odlum, Keith Watson, U. Ebert.
Noble Place kindly discounted the weekend rates for the Chinese New Year
Holiday.
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Pattaya Sports Club Golf
Bangpra Golf Course, February 6, 1997
Always a favourite course noted for its beautiful setting and flora and
fauna, 60 international golfers set out in a Stableford competition at 9:15
a.m. with a notable shortage of caddies. The management apolo-gised, for
many of the losses were celebrating Chinese New Year.
Recently returned from California, Rick Montana carded a splendid 38 points
to win A flight, and it was that man Sven Vistung again in second place on
37 points. Neil Munroe came third on 36 points.
Peter Duff, who is enjoying a winning streak, won B flight with a fine 37
points. Udo Wack came second on 34 points in a count back over Farthing
Muryler, also on 34.
Alas, one of the green staff removed the nearest to the pin marker on the
2nd hole. The remainders were won by Doug Douglas, Kris Helgason, and Dave
Batten. Udo Wack and Daphne won long putts and Alex Rose won the long drive
on #18.
Because we are having such large turn-outs it is possible to have a scratch
prize, which was won by Keith Watson, now playing off a 7 handicap who the
previous day had recorded a 79 gross.
In addition to the usual Monday and Thursday competitions, many members are
making up groups visiting the many courses in the area and leaving the Cafe
Kronborg at 9:15 a.m. the other days.
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Dutch football stars to return
Retired members of the former Ajax team, called “Lucky
Ajax”, will be returning to Pattaya again this year for a football match to
raise money for homeless children. The match, always a fun-filled event,
will take place on Wednesday, February 23.
The former international and Dutch football stars will be competing with and
against local celebrities and some of Thailand’s best players. For football
fans who enjoy high scoring games, this is one that shouldn’t be missed.
Last year, the Dutch were able to defeat Thailand’s best by a score of 13 to
5, even after supplying the local side with some of their best players for
the second half.
In close co-operation with “Terre des Hommes”, Green Wood Travel Co., Ltd.,
Tulip House Pattaya and the tour operators of Bangkok Manila Air, the
football match will be supplemented with a Gala Dinner featuring
internationally renowned Dutch stars. Last year, Sylvia Kristel, famed for
her movie portrayal of Emmanuel, graced the proceedings with her presence,
as did many other famous Dutch stars.
Stay tuned to Pattaya mail for more details on this event.
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Improve your Bridge
by Barrie Kenyon
No journalist ever went bust revealing sex scandals or
exposing seedy secrets. Even bridge has its dubious characters like the
Frenchman who hired a contract killer because his wife failed to understand
the take-out double. Bridge professionals such as Terrence Reese were
accused of cheating during their life. And there was the American expert,
Jeremy Hackman, whose behavior was so awful that no-one would play with him
twice. He once alienated an army sergeant at the bridge tabled by informing
him that “military intelligence is a contradiction in terms”. On his first
wedding anniversary, he wrote on his wife’s card, “thank you for a week’s
happiness”.
Some of this century’s most heinous characters have been bridge players.
Doctor Goebbels, the Third Reich’s minister of propaganda who believed that
chastity is the most unnatural of sexual perversions, enjoyed a rubber or
two after dinner. His favourite Czech actress, Lida Barova, was said to sit
on his knee peeping into other people’s hands and tweaking the minister’s
Iron Cross in secret signals. Adolf Hitler was not amused. When he found
out, he ordered Goebbels to end the affair and also banned card playing in
the Bunker. The Fuhrer himself was no games expert but did once play Beggar
My Neighbor with the luckless Neville Chamberlain at the Munich conference.
No need ask who won.
Another bridge scoundrel was Beria, head of Stalin’s secret police, who
never lost a game in ten years in office. Successful opponents would have
been imprisoned or shot. This is presumably why Russians are much better at
chess. Beria was the sort of man who regularly got dealt thirteen cards in
one suit, the odds on which are umpteen trillions to one. When he visited
the jails, everyone had to show their unbridled joy by rattling their
chains. His wife, Raika, had to play Russian roulette with birth control
pills. One in six was an aspirin.
Of course, today’s bridge world is almost respectable by these standards. In
the West, the latest fad is to minimize the threat by playing with people
like yourself. The new edition of the American bridge magazine points out
there are clubs for every conceivable interest group: divorced people, gays,
the unemployed, classical music lovers and marine biologists. Even the
American Civil War Society has a bridge section. Turning to international
opportunities, there is even a reference to Pattaya Bridge Club: “A group of
moderate players, not all of whom speak English, who appear to lack a sense
of humour.” Yea, Jo, that sums us up real good.
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Wild Chicken gains first Ryder Cup
Wild Chicken golf team,
winners of the 3rd Annual Ryder Cup.
The Wild Chicken, captained by Barry Jordan, gained
possession of their first ever Ryder Cup on Tuesday and Wednesday, February
4th and 5th by defeating the Swedish, captained by Mullis Rosell, 13.5 to
7.5 in the longest running current Ryder Cup series in town.
The Wild Chicken vs. the Swedish Ryder Cup series began 3 years ago with the
two teams finishing dead even. Last year, the Swedes from Hasse’s Bar on Soi
Post Office became the first to win the Cup outright, but were unable to
hold on to the coveted trophy this year when the Wild Chicken wrestled away
possession in the new two day, doubles match play and individual match play
format.
Wild Chicken gained a 5.5 to 1.5 lead in the first round of play, a doubles
match play at Green Valley, Rayong. Winning for the Wild Chicken were Graham
and Tony over Janne and Greggor, Kenneth and Keith over Egon and Munther,
Warren and Serge over Bullen and Patrick, and Brent and Sonny over Peo and
Matte. Murray and Dave halved their match with Jonas and Sture, while Matte
Johanson and Ante provided the sole Swedish win on day one over Mattias and
Barry.
Nearest the pin honors on day one went to Mullis Rosell (Sw) on #4, Sonny
Goldsbury (WC) on #7, Matte Peterson (Sw) on # 11, and Murray Kerr (WC) on
#15.
The individual match play at Bang Pra on day two provided some excellent
golf and a much closer score. Wild Chicken took the individual round 8 to 6
to gain the overall 13.5 to 7.5 victory, helped by some outstanding golf
from Kenneth Kittleson and Dave McBurney.
Kenneth shot a scratch 76 to equal his best ever round. A 10 handicapper,
Kenneth’s round might have been even better if he hadn’t built such a
commanding lead going into the end of the round. Kenneth bogied the last
three holes after the match was already decided, but nonetheless finished
with one of the best amateur rounds ever produced in this type of
competition.
Dave McBurney helped team Wild Chicken’s cause by shooting his third best
round ever. An 18 handicapper, Dave shot a scratch 88 to win his match over
Ante by a runaway 8 & 7.
Nearest the pin honors on day two went to Patrick Asklund (Sw) on #2, Tony
Johansen (WC) on #8, Graham Snook (WC) on #12, and Mattias Van Geijt (WC) on
#17.
Patrick Asklund produced the quote of the day. After earning nearest to the
pin honors on #2, the very next hole Patrick “duffed” his tee shot which
caused the ball to trickle off the peg, down the slope of the tee box, and
into the water. The always optimistic Patrick told his playing partners, “At
least I hit it straight.”
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Beard repeats as H. H. Medal champion
Stephen Beard became the first to repeat as the Hare
House Medal champion when he topped the leader board in The Alternative Golf
Gentlemen’s Society tournament on Wednesday, February 5 at Pattaya Country
Club.
Vic Cross, second in last month’s Hare House Medal round, once again placed
runner up. John C. C. Gibson finished third. Jerry Lien recorded his first
ever top four finish, while Alan Rutsky, who used his “leather mashie”
effectively, rounded out the top five.
Selwyn Leightly, from the
Bull Ring, landed a 42 kilo Sailfish on January 30 to earn Pattaya Sports
Club Fish of the Month honors for January 1997.
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