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Bangkok British Club wins Pattaya Rugby 10s Cup Final
Pattaya’s Panthers and Panties runners up for Plate
The
Bangkok British Club (black and pink jerseys) won this year’s Pattaya
Rugby 10s Tournament, defeating Bognor Regis (green and purple jerseys)
14-5 in the Cup Final on Sunday afternoon, May 5 at Horseshoe Point Resort
& Country Club.
The Bangkok British Club won it all in this year’s
Pattaya Rugby 10s Tournament, defeating Bognor Regis from the UK 14-5 in
the Cup Final last Sunday afternoon, May 5 at Horseshoe Point Resort &
Country Club.
The hosts & hostesses of the tournament, Pattaya
Panthers and Panties also played extremely well. Both finished runners up
in the Plate competition.
The Pattaya 10s Rugby Tournament this year kicked off
with new enthusiasm, as 22 teams competed, by far the most yet. Most of
the teams arrived on Friday and joined the pre-game social gathering at
Shenanigans where there was plenty of mischief to be had; however, this
was relatively calm compared to the following night’s Quaich, with most
teams opting for only a few gallons of amber liquid to prepare for the
start of the tournament at 9 a.m. on Saturday morning.
First up on the block were the Pattaya Panthers and
Pirbright Pirates at the Panthers/Panties’ new home pitch at Horseshoe
Point. Men’s and Ladies games were played simultaneously on two well
prepared pitches on Saturday, and even a spot of torrential rain
couldn’t deter the hardcore players, while the majority of spectators
ran for cover.
The Ladies competition was completed on Saturday
afternoon with two Singapore teams, Lion Red and Wantock Wanderers
battling it out for the Ladies Cup. The Wanderers trampled the Lion Red
team to win this year’s championship.
 The
Pattaya Panties didn’t mind a little rain, and went on to represent
their home well, finishing runners-up in the Plate Division.
The Bangkok Patana Teachers won the hard fought Ladies
Plate competition when they dropped the Panties in the final.
In the Bowl Competition, the Southerners Green Team ran
over the Sri Lanka ‘B’ Side to win the Pattaya 10s Bowl 2002.
The Player of the Tournament for the ladies was Anna
Goh from the Wantock Wanderers.
After the first day’s play, the participating teams
prepared for the annual ‘Quaich’, the traditional competition in which
teams are given score cards for a pub crawl, where they compete for the
honour of being the most outrageous (social) team of the tournament. This
was won by our own Pattaya Panties who wore their underwear outside and
danced, sung and crawled their way to victory. A notable mention was given
to the men seen on stage with nothing but a smile and boxer shorts. The
group of party animals ended the Quaich at Shenanigans after getting
profusely lubricated with amber fluid.
The next morning, even though many players were nursing
hangovers big enough to choke a whale, the competition continued
nonetheless.
The pitch at Horseshoe Point took another beating with
the odd patch of rain and another day’s hard play of round robin weeding
out the final six teams competing for the top three trophies: The Cup, The
Plate and the Bowl, all of which had been sponsored by Santa Fe,
Shenanigans and that famous (or infamous) novelist, Stephen Leather.
With tournament play ably narrated by Bill Mclaren
impersonator, Harry Scrope from the Pirbright Pirates, the final teams
were ready to give each other a beating on the pitch. In the semis of the
plate, Bongnor Regis shafted the Pirbright Pirates to face the British
Club after the British Club slammed the Southerners in the second semi
final. The British Club defeated their fellow countrymen from Bognor
Regis, winning the Cup Final 14-5.
In the Plate semis, DEA (Hong Kong) were D.O.A. after
the home team, Pattaya Panthers smuggled their way past in the first
round. The Bangkok Japanese were too fast for the Manila Nomads in the
second round and went on to face the Panthers in the plate final. The
Bangkok Japanese then left the Panthers panting in their wake, defeating
the home side in a “close” 22-0 match.
The Bowl final saw the Patana Tigers vs. the Tsunami
Teetollers, the latter from Kobe Japan who actually didn’t abstain from
the previous night’s activities, and thus lost to the Tigers 26-0.
The player of the tournament for the men was Steve
Brown of the Pirbright Pirates.
Organisers were proud to show the new Panthers/Panties
home pitch at the Horseshoe Point Resort and Country Club, who provided
great service to all players and spectators, making this year’s Pattaya
Rugby 10s tournament an overwhelming success. The organizing committee of
Paul Crouch, Phil Dunn and Jimmy Howard were extremely grateful for the
cooperation and assistance from the rest of the committee including Mark
Coombs, Karen Pennock, Wayne Sutcliffe, Jeremy Coles (visiting from
Malaysia), Kim Fletcher, Graham Macdonald and Niel Smith.
Tournaments such as this are difficult to organize and
the need for sponsorship is ever present and would not have been possible
without the support of Foster Wheeler, Santa Fe, Horseshoe Point Resort
& Country Club, MBMG International, Terra Quest Group plc, Bach
Treharne, Shenanigans Pattaya, CR Shelter, McConnell Dowell, CBI/ST,
Stephen Leather, Alistair Cummings and the Pattaya Mail.
Results
Men’s Competition
Pattaya 10s Cup
Winners: British Club
R/up: Bognor Regis
Pattaya 10s Plate
Winners: Bangkok Japanese
R/up: Pattaya Panthers
Pattaya 10s Bowl
Winners: Patana Tigers
R/up Tsunami Teetotallers
Player of the Tournament:
Steve Brown - Pirbright Pirates
Ladies’ Competition
Pattaya 10s Cup
Winners: Wontock Wanderers
R/up: Lion Red (Fila Reds)
Pattaya 10s Plate
Winners: Patana Teachers
R/up: Pattaya Panties
Pattaya 10s Bowl
Winners: Southerners Green
R/up Sri Lanka ‘B’ Side
Player of the Tournament
Anna Goh - Wontock Wanderers
Quaich winners: Pattaya Panties
Sweatiest referee: Alistair Cummings
HRH Princess Somsawalee Trophy at stake in Charity Bowling Tournament organised by the Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya
Proceeds to go for the education and development of morals and ethics among our youth
The Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya plan to organize a
charity bowling tournament, proceeds from which will go towards the
education and development of morals and ethics among the young people in
our community.
 Alvi
Sinthuvanik, President of the Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya announces the
HRH Princess Somsawalee Trophy Charity Bowling Tournament. “I believe in
giving our children a sense of morals and ethics when they are still
young, and the proceeds of the tournament will be dedicated solely to that
purpose.”
Alvi Sinthuvanik, the president of the Rotary Club of
Jomtien-Pattaya announced that members of the Rotary Club were getting
together to organise another major event to raise funds for charity.
“After the great success of our Rotary Charity Walk
last March, we have decided to do another fund raising event in aid of the
children of our community. This time we will hold a bowling tournament at
the P.S. Bowl at Tops Supermarket on the 1st of June. We have humbly
requested HRH Princess Somsawalee for her kind permission to name the
trophy after her and the great news is, the princess has so graciously
consented,” said the elated Alvi. “This gives this tournament so much
more honour.”
President Alvi went on to say that many bowling teams
from all over the region have shown interest in supporting this
tournament. “People in our community understand the meaning of charity
very well. They have so much to work for and to give. Every time we
organise a fund raising event, I get so much support from the people. This
makes me very happy.”
“I know that the charitable people do it because they
feel like giving, and not expecting any rewards in the form of superfluous
prizes. But for this year’s event the winning team will be the proudest
of them all when they can go home with the much-revered “HRH Princess
Somsawalee Cup.”
Alvi said emotionally, “I plead with all the people
of Pattaya to please help us. This time the children and the young people
of our community will benefit the most. I believe in giving our children a
sense of morals and ethics when they are still young, and the proceeds of
the tournament will be dedicated solely to that purpose.”
President Alvi emphasized that “a mere donation of
5,000 baht will ensure that the sponsor or their organisation will be very
proud to have participated in this worthwhile charitable cause that will
benefit society, especially the children.”
Knowing President Alvi’s great love and compassion
for children, we know that with your help, she will again champion against
the injustices and deprivation of those in need.
Apart from sponsorship donations as stated above,
individuals or organisations may sponsor participating teams. The entry
fee for a three-person team of bowlers will be 2,000 baht, which will
entitle them to compete for the trophy under charity bowling rules. The
children of Pattaya and the region look forward to receiving your support.
Please confirm your intention to support to David
Jeater, the secretary of the Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya. Tel/Fax.
038733707 - or e-mail [email protected]
Last team standing succumb to mighty mercenary horde
Havana FC vs Warbler FC
It was a surprisingly low key Mighty Warbler team that
eventually found themselves at the massive edifice that is ISR Havana.
Missing key players and travel weary, would this be the day that would see
an end to their impressive unbeaten run? Havana, the only team remaining
unbeaten by Robbo’s collective got the game underway. The long grass
seemed to contribute to what was a slow paced first half. Possession
relatively even and some good football played, but neither side doing
enough to lift the large crowd, who had come to see a battle royal.
With honours even at the break, the second half started
with a bit more snap and passion. Parkin, with a good turn in the box,
sliced wide; at the other end Bradshaw blazed a volley through a crowded
box straight into the keeper’s arms. But with ten minutes to go the
Havana keeper failed to hold a trademark Fagan free kick and Abbot pounced
and joyously slammed the rebound into the roof of the goal.
Havana came pouring forward and were nearly caught on
the counter by the Mighty Warblers speedy replacement forwards Finegan and
Millward. The international mercenaries characteristically dug deep and
with the aid of a clearance off the line survived the referee’s seven
minutes of extra time.
A very even match which should set up an interesting
return fixture, the analysis and predictions discussed by both sets of
players at the Pig and Whistle. Though it was a shame to see more Warbler
players than Havana there.
Score - Havana FC 0 - 1 Warbler FC
Scorer - B. Abbot
Yellow Cards - Fagan, Bradshaw
Man of the Match - Esa Heinekhan
New season of bowling rolls on
PSC Cafe Kronborg Monday Bowling League
After a two-week break, the new Cafe Kronborg Bowling
League season is now in full swing and has moved from Tuesday to Monday
13:30 at PS Bowl North Pattaya. New bowlers are welcome to join.
from
left: Songkran, Bjarne, Mio, Wan, Ta, Pin, Toy, Gert.
The results from first round of bowling, with the new
teams drawn last Monday, Mio’s team (Mio, Otto, Tukata) won 3-1 against
Bill’s team (Bill, Suphan, Konrad) in a match where in the first two
games the teams were only separated by one point.
Pin’s team (Pin, Wan, Tui) won 3-1 against Kran’s
team (Kran, Jeed, Lada), and La’s team (La, Toy, Peter) drew 2-2 against
Tue’s team (Tue, Sven, Gert).
The 200+ games of the day came from Tue 200 and Gert
201, Mio again had the high series for the week, 553.
On Tuesday night the old season was ended with a party
at Cafe Kronborg, where the prizes where handed out to the winning team
and to the individuals with the high scores and games. As usual Bjarne and
Songkran put on a nice buffet for all of the bowlers, and also as usual,
it was a great party - and at the same time bowlers celebrated Toy’s
birthday.
Winning team: Capt. Mio, Wan, Gert. Runners-up: Capt.
Kran, Ta, Pin. High string: Pin 244. High string w/H’cap: Toy 253. High
series: Mio 641. High series w/H’cap: Gert 665.
Team standings after
April 29
| |
Won |
Lost |
|
Mio
Pin
Tue
La
Bill
Kran |
3
3
2
2
1
1 |
1
1
2
2
3
3 |
Mike Davies excels at Noble Place
IPGC TAGGS Golf from The Haven
Wednesday 1st May - Noble Place (Stableford)
1st: Mike Davies, 43
2nd: B.J. Smith, 37 cb9 21
3rd: Trevor Schirmer, 37 cb9 16
Having just returned in the previous competition and
shot a 112, Mike Davies shook the rest of the field and recorded his
finest round for a very long time. He started with 20 points on the front
nine and then stormed back on the inward half with 23 points, which
included more pars than he normally gets in a month. At the prize giving
he was strongly and loudly applauded for his fine effort on the day.
B.J. Smith and Trevor Schirmer fought over the minor
places with the former just taking second spot with a strong inward nine.
There were no winners in the twos, and therefore the
pot was carried over until the next competition.
Richard welcomed back Matt Millar from all parts of
Asia where he has been travelling and Bob Van Mol from Viet Nam.
Monday 29th April - Khao Kheow (Stroke play)
1st: Doug Campbell, 68
2nd: Andy Pedlar, 70
3rd: Siranya Chaiyanont, 71 cb9 31
4th: Oradee Kaesavane, 71 cb9 32
Khao Kheow just gets better and better, and even though
the water levels in the lakes are dropping alarmingly, there is obviously
a concerted effort being made to continually keep the course in top
condition. This has resulted in the greens being about the best in the
area, playing fast and true.
Doug Campbell took the honours on the day scoring a
very handy 78 off the stick; Andy Pedlar making his best score for some
considerable time closely followed him. Siranya Chaiyanont just edged
Oradee Kaesavane into fourth place even though a net 32 on the back would
usually ensure the nod in any count back.
The twos were shared between Harry Riley, Bob Lindborg
and Stephen Beard.
Back at The Haven Richard Livingston, the resident PGA
professional, welcomed back Philippe Berra from Switzerland, Mike Davies
from the sand dunes and Trevor Schirmer, who has just sold the farm and is
on an extended to visit to converse with the current family and projected
future members of it.
Friday 3rd May - Phoenix (Monthly Medal)
1st Division
1st: Harry Riley, 71
2nd: Anders Karlsson, 74
3rd: Mike Dabanovich, 83 cb9 38.5
4th: Russell Finch, 83 cb9 39.5
2nd Division
1st: Serge Straeten, 77
2nd: Trevor Schirmer, 78
3rd: Jimmy Little, 79
The day started off calm and very hot, but soon a storm
front developed and took the field apart, leaving most of them considering
whether to pack up and head for the clubhouse as the scores rose to
horrendous heights.
Wee Harry Riley kept at it, together with his playing
partners that resulted in them all occupying positions on the 1st division
podium, and adding a first division winner’s trophy to the second flight
that he won on the previous month’s medal.
The second division was headed by Serge Straeten who
kept at it until the end to take his first medal and secure a place in the
end of year Gold and Silver awards. Trevor Schirmer is showing no ill
effects from the rigors of Bangkok and the interminable round of visits to
his various “friends” and took his second podium placing of the week
by a gnat’s whisker from Jimmee Little.
All in all a very difficult day that showed the teeth
of the course and belied its easy reputation.
Once again, no doubt due to the conditions, there were
no winners in the twos and a very large carry over will therefore be added
to the next competition at Century Ban Chan.
Mitch does it again
PSC Three Sisters Golf
Kevin Mitch does it again, and again, and again! Pretty
soon the Three Sisters Golf will be named Kevin’s Tournament. On Monday
the 29th, he rose to the occasion for the fourth time in 6 weeks to take
the bragging rights (missing one of those weeks).
Driving straight and long and putting a ball that had
eyes, the rest of the field had little chance of winning. As Kevin blasted
his way to 38 points, Jerry Lien and Herb Ishinaga tried to sneak by -
both golfers came in short, but Jerry did take second place on count back.
Both Jerry and Herb cane in one shot back of Kevin with the rest of the
field strung out behind.
 Kevin
Mitch (right) claimed the bragging rights (again!) with 38 points at SCC
on Monday 29 April. Jim Tully came in last.
Jim Tully, just coming in from Vietnam, took a dive to
the bottom. After a business trip to Vietnam he must have been tired as he
teed up at the first tee box. Jim took a couple of mighty practice swings,
looked down the fairway, aligned himself with the ball and a took a huge
swing at the ball. As Jim looked down the fairway for his drive, the rest
of us were looking at the tee box where his drive had dribbled off the tee
for about a four-foot drive. Being that Tully is a super senior golfer
(over 70) we allowed him a mulligan off the first tee. He promptly nailed
his next tee shot right down the middle for about 200 yards. As Tully
says, his game deteriorated after that as he came in with a blistering 24
points. He should be crawling out of the cellar next week as Jim is a
competitor at everything he does.
As the bragging and crying went on, beers were going
down smoothly as the pepperoni, salami and cheese sandwiches were munched
on (thanks to Kevin and Erle).
Four clubs just enough for Jackson and Bruce
by Mike Franklin
The ‘Four Clubs’ restriction, in he Shenanigans
Pairs Scramble at Eastern Star on Tuesday 30th April, was not a problem
for dynamic duo George Jackson and Clive Bruce, desperate for another
photo-call after two consecutive outings as runners-up. They returned a
net score of 69.6 which was only just enough to edge Steve Ryser and Mam
Trayling, with net 70.2, into the runners-up spot. Just a whisker behind
were Jason Payne and Edward Tracey with a net 70.4, and only 4/5ths of a
shot separating the winners and third place.
 (L
to R) Dynamic Duo Clive Bruce and George Jackson returned to the
photo-call to receive their Very Friendly winnings from Mike Franklin.
Rain threatened but never came, and the course was in
fine condition and lush from rain earlier in the week. Very hot and humid
though, which made for hard work towards the end of the round.
Near pins were claimed by Phil Groves, Ian Edwards,
Clive Bruce and Harpic Bryant. A special mention for Harpic, very new to
golf and all credit for getting to four and a half feet from the pin on
the Par 3 twelfth.
Ray Woodruffe had the longest putt on the ninth, and
Mike Franklin had his only decent putt of the day on the eighteenth.
It was nice to see Mike Howard back in the fairway, and
newcomers Ian Edwards, Ali Tirtwood and Glenn Ebert joining Shenanigans
for the first time.
May 14th is the next outing for a Pairs Combined
Stableford. Sign-up at Shenanigans in pairs if you can please, otherwise
we will find you a partner.
Griffin and Dige weather the storm
IPGC Pattaya Golf Society at the Bunker
Green Valley, at the end of April, can be a very
pleasant experience. Gone are the hordes of visiting holidaymakers and the
course is generally at its finest and most colourful. So it was on 29th
April when the course played host to the Bunker Boys for their weekly
medal tourney, but the round was to be punctuated by a fierce storm which
sent the golfers scurrying for cover.
There was a large enough field to allow two divisions
and in division two the competition was particularly tight with Duncan Lee
and Neil Griffin tying at the top with net 74. Neil has shown good form
since his return from work and his fellow competitors are waiting for him
to leave for Japan in June so they can get a chance at the goodies!
Fireman Danny Greer came third with his net 76.
In division one, inevitably, the Danish dynamo, Michael
Dige headed the field with another fine round of 74. Four shots behind
came Bill Hewitt, firing a very respectable 78, and third place saw the
returning samurai, Yuzo Nishikawa, fire a net 79.
Norman Brooks mastered the difficult twelfth green to
register a two and received the Bunker Super Sawng award for his effort
whilst “Sunny” Sander Ruthsip’s attempt to play his third shot from
behind the eighth tee more than merited the Bunker Banana Booby.
Entry forms are now available for the second annual
Bunker Team Scramble, being played this year at Plutaluang Navy course, on
17th May. More details are online at http://www.thebunkerboys.com
Bye Michael, can we have
our turn now?
On Friday, 3rd May, the Bunker Boys took their road
show to Eastern Star Golf Resort for their weekly Stableford competition.
As the day unfolded it became obvious that it would end up memorable. It
was a farewell round for two Bunker stalwarts, Bill Hewitt and Michael
Dige, who were to return to their respective countries the next day.
Bill Hewitt produced an excellent score of 38 points to
take second place in division one, with Roy Mitchell firing 34 points to
take third place. However, Pattaya’s number one golfer, on current form,
has to be Michael Dige and he produced the best round of his life when he
shot a gross 70 giving him a staggering 43 points! Such scores can be
expected of high handicap golfers on that one lucky day but they are
extremely rare in the higher echelons of golf. By all accounts it was a
round of the highest quality.
In division two, rookie Bryn Jones once again fired
himself to the top of the lists with a fine 38 points, keeping the
consistent Neil Griffin at bay with his 35 points. Les Winch returned to
take third place with 33, beating a host of others on count back.
Both Don Francis and Michael Dige secured two’s for a
share of the Bunker Super Sawng award and the hapless Roger Dunne was
presented with the Bunker Banana Booby for his low score of 10 points.
Back at the Bunker the talk, inevitably, was all about
the self-styled Superman and when the goodbyes were said many were already
licking their lips at the prospect of having their chance to win ... at
last!
Entry forms are still available for the second annual
Bunker Team Scramble with the closing date fixed for Tuesday, 14th May.
They are also available online at http://www.thebunkerboys.com
Beware the monkeys
PSC Golf from Cafe Kronborg
Monday 29 April -
Natural Park Resort (Stableford)
Natural Park Resort was host to seventeen golfers for a
Stableford competition in two flights: A flight 0-20, and B flight 20
upwards.
Jon Pratt took the A flight with 38 points, second was
Rick Evans with 32 points and third with 31 points was John Rewell.
 Thursday’s
B flight winner Pete Galle (standing) and A flight winner Philippe Berra
(sitting).
‘Irish’ Jimmy Flanagan took the B flight with 40
points, and will play off his new handicap in future. J. C. Lhoste was
second with 39 points and Howie Forrest was third with 38 points.
Natural Park Resort is a superb golf course and along
with Natural Park Hills, surely the toughest golf course around, and
Bangpra, this has to be the best concentration of courses for many a mile,
a true golfers paradise.
Thursday 2 May - Bangpra
(Stableford)
There’s something about Bangpra that sets the golfers
golf buds a tingling, right from walking into the Kronborg in the morning
to greet the ‘lads’, there’s an air of nervous expectancy. Is it
going to be at its most vicious and destroy us all, or at its most benign
and let us feel like real golfers.
The answer was soon apparent, with ‘hairy’ greens I
didn’t once hear the cry ‘bye bye’ from the caddies as we putted
down greens, but it was very difficult making yourself actually putt
firmly with the memory of the normal Bangpra speed. It was, however,
interesting to see a multitude of ex golfers with tails (monkeys) around
the stroke index I one hole. Rumour has it they’re the reincarnation of
golfers who have died of apoplexy on the greens. Beware, they do bite at
times (greens & monkeys).
The weather was fine and it soon became apparent that
we could expect good scores and so it proved, as back in the clubhouse the
scores rose and it became obvious that if you didn’t shoot handicap
there would be no moment of glory.
The winner of A flight (0-18) with a super 41 points
was Philippe Berra, second with 38 points was John Orlebeck, third with 36
points was Ian Edwards just beating Rick Evans on count back.
The winner of B flight was Pete Galle with a very good
39 points, second was Jim Boyd 37 points and third Norman Robinson on 36
points.
Closest to the pin: #8 Dave Richardson and #12 Andy
Bettany.
A good time was had by all and the restaurant was voted
one of the best in the business, especially by Pete Galle as he demolished
the ice cream special he’s been coming here for many years. Pete reckons
he owes his sylph-like figure to the quality of the ice cream.
Are you ready to play golf?
Part 1
by Mike Franklin
If you are playing golf in a very warm climate you need
to take special precautions to ensure maximum enjoyment, comfort and
optimum performance in your golf game.
In Thailand we have sun all year round with high levels
of humidity in the summer and, in recent times, fluctuations in the
climate that are unpredictable.
Don’t be fooled by an overcast sky, a cooling breeze,
or both. Neither are a safeguard against the sun’s penetrating and
damaging Ultra Violet rays, especially when aimed at newly arrived white
legs and arms.
I am very acclimatized to the sun with nine years of
playing golf and visiting beaches in Thailand, but still apply adequate UV
factor sun block to exposed and sensitive areas.
Never forget the nose and neck. Even some of the
experienced golfers here often sport bright red ‘Rudolph’ noses at the
end of the day.
Currently, it is very warm with temperatures ranging
between 32 & 43 deg. C.
I still have a full head of hair but have a thin
‘Prince Charles’ style patch on top and thirty minutes in the sun
without a hat turns that patch red and sore. Unless you really do have
thick hair, or a thick head, wear a hat. More about thick heads later.
Take an umbrella, for the rain of course, but also for the sun. The larger
the umbrella the better and with a good reflective outer surface.
Many umbrellas from European countries will obviously
provide shade, but also act as a mobile sauna!
Drink water, plenty of it, before, during, and after
the round to avoid becoming de-hydrated. Check where the first open drinks
stop is on the course and, if more than a couple of holes away, take water
from the clubhouse. Some courses, like Great Lake, may not have drinks
available for several holes after tee-off so be sure to check. Electrolyte
drinks are a good idea, and best to have one before you leave for the
course. You can buy M. Sport and Sponsor on the course as well, and why
not have a beer cooler in the golf bag to keep drinks cold.
The biggest danger, apart from sunburn, is
de-hydration. Golfers not used to the heat and not taking in sufficient
water have been known to collapse on the course, or on reaching the locker
room, so take adequate precautions.
Keep a small towel in the bag to wet if necessary and
cool around the neck and, if at any time in hot weather you feel shivery,
then the indications are that you are probably dehydrated and need
refueling fast.
Sunglasses, good ones, can significantly reduce glare
and give a new perspective to golf holes. Best to buy good quality to
protect the eyes rather than a pair of copy ‘Duvals’ for appearance.
Plenty to choose from in the shops and good quality is not necessarily
expensive.
A golf buggy can be a real asset, and even a necessity
on a hot windless day. It creates its own breeze and provides some shade.
Easier, too, for carrying plenty of drinks, etc.
Loose, rather than tight clothing is best for comfort.
Soft spikes, now compulsory at most courses, are much
more comfortable for walking and do far less damage to the greens, but do
wear good quality socks to provide maximum comfort.
Now, what about getting a real grip on your game,
starting with those grips?
Check and clean them regularly. I f worn, get your
clubs re-gripped. It costs very little, takes no time at all and makes a
big difference to the feel of the club and probably the execution of the
shot. Visit that very nice Fabian at Thai-Ger Line Golf in Soi Chaiyapool
- his prices are very reasonable, service is quick, and he will advise on
the best style of grip for you.
If the glove fits, wear it! If not, buy a new one.
There are plenty of good quality golf gloves available at reasonable
prices, with many styles and materials to choose from. Some professionals
change to a new glove almost every hole (no doubt sponsored), which
emphasizes the importance of how well you should grip the club, and the
importance of the glove and grip combination. Conversely, Fred Couples
never wears a glove but I bet his grips are something special!
Keep gloves in a small plastic bag to retain them in
the best condition, especially if leather - a tip from Steve Mascari when
we were playing together some while ago.
The Square Ring
by Howie Reed
It’s still more than five weeks away but Tyson-Lewis
is already dominating the boxing news. This is understandable as Oscar de
La Hoya who might have filled that slot for a week or so is on IR (Injured
Reserve) so his May 4th fight came off the boards.
If it weren’t for Tyson-Lewis us sports writers in the USA would be
forced to actually fake interest in basketball and ice hockey.
The first interview from Mike Tyson has indicated that
he wants to “kill” Lennox Lewis. Speaking from the luxurious Fairmont
Kea Lani Hotel in Maui he said, “My main objective is to be professional
and to kill him [Lennox Lewis]. That’s really what it comes to. He’ll
want to kill me because I sure want to kill him ... but still I love
him.” Kinda sounds like one of those “husband-wife deals.” Been
there, done that and got the divorce papers to prove it.
Tyson’s has a trio of gentleman working his training
camp: Ronnie Shields, Stacy McKinley and my pal Mike “The Body
Snatcher” McCalluim. Co-trainer McKinley expressed his sentiments, “I
won’t be satisfied unless Lewis gets some broken ribs or a broken jaw.
That’s what I’m looking for, I want to see something broken ... we
practice on how to cave in all his ribs, break his jaw, crack his skull.
I’ve told Mike ‘you have got to break something. If you don’t break
something we are not going to win.’” The fight will not go the
distance.
The stateside pay-per-view charge will be US$54.95.
Assuming that it will break the record for number of homes, 1.9 million
for Tyson-Holyfield II, the fight could well do $200 million dollars,
along with 19,185 tickets sold producing $23 million. The old record was
$16,860,300 set Nov. 13, 1999, when 17,078 saw Lewis-Holyfield II in
Vegas. That included the Pattaya Mail boxing expert, seeing his
first real heavyweight fight, who was given a ticket by Harold Lederman of
HBO. The price on the ticket? $1,500. Just think, in the Land of Smiles
the telecast will be free. Another reason they’re smiling in Thailand.
The telecast should hit the watering holes of Pattaya about 8 a.m. Sunday
morning June 9th. How about a little champagne, hot
dogs and ladies walking to music - a Pattaya Beach Big Fight trifecta.
For the POHMS out there in Land of Smiles, your next
great hope, Olympic superheavy gold medalist Audley Harrison gets
something called Dominic Negus (10-3-1) on May 21 in London. Negus holds
the WBU Continental supercruiser belt. You’ve got to give Harrison
credit. He’s taking his time, the BBC’s money and having a
“laugh”. Couple of years after Lewis loses the third time to Tyson he
may be a legitimate challenger. Stranger things have happened.
What about Clinton Woods (32-1)? You’re kidding,
right? Sure Roy Jones opted for the easy out in fighting Woods. The fight
will take place on July 13 in London. It’ll be a pay-per-view in the
states which has got to have folks grabbing their sides with laughter. Roy
Jones, pay-per-view? He hardly draws a crowd for free. Woods had only one
fight outside the friendly confines of England. He did travel to Poland to
beat Terry Ford 17-18). You can say of his record, like a dancer at
Alcazar, “Looks good but something’s wrong.”
WBC bantamweight champion Veeraphol Nakornluang
(35-1-1) retained his crown last week. He handled IBA champ Julio Coronell
(21-16-1) with Ridiculous Ease (RE for future note) over twelve - 117-109,
117-110, 118-109 with none of the judges from the Kingdom. The fight was
held in a driving rain and celebrated the 453rd Anniversary of Nonthaburi.
Coronell went down in the second, may have won 5 and 6 and was penalized
in round 7 for a head butt. Veeraphol then took control for a win in his 9th
title defense.
After the bout, Veeraphol said, “Coronell is a good
fighter and he was stronger than I expected.”
WBC bantam king, Current WBC #1 superfeather
Sirimongkol Singnanassak (37-1, 20 KOs) knocked out Filipino Christopher
Zaludai at 1:26 of round 6. WBC #3 superbantam Napapol Kiattisakchokchai
(28-1, 22 KOs) won a 6 round DQ over Jaime Barcelona because the
“Filipino boxer repeated low blows many times to avoid being destroyed
by the Thai.”
More of the “Welcome to Thailand Filipino fighter”
project: WBC #12 superfly Sot Sorveerapol Skinduregym (12-0, 4 KOs) got
Philippines champ Diosdado Gabi (maybe 17-2, 8 KOs) with RE over 12. ABC
(Which I remember as “Always Buy Chesterfields” but is probably Asian
Boxing Council) bantam champ Dechdamrong Muangsurin (19-3, 7 KOs) got a 12
round S HCD (Split Home Country Decision) over Filipino Alvin Felicida.
Pone Saengmorakot (27-5, 11 KOs) won in 6 rounds over Lewis Makuki of the
Cameroon. Cameroon? Guess they ran out of Filipino fighters. How you like
them apples?
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