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Per-Olav cuts himself by two, and wins by one!
The Jameson’s (JIGS) Autumn Open 2007
Mike Franklin
Jameson’s International Golf Society held the third of its four 2006
tournaments at Eastern Star on Friday 6th October. The weather was generally
good and ideal for an elite field, fully representative of Pattaya golf and
ready for the challenge of this excellent Robert Trent Jones Jnr.
Championship golf course. Essential maintenance work has continued
throughout the year, resulting in a course in fine condition and well
presented.
 Jameson’s
manager Khun Moo and Mike Franklin present tournament winner Per-Olav
Baarli, left, with the beautiful 1st prize trophy.
Khun Jirapol with the management and staff at Eastern Star were as helpful
and friendly as ever, making it feel like your ‘home course’ whenever you
visit. Jameson’s Khun Moo was charming at registration and yours truly
played laptop computer to produce the results.
Per-Olav Baarli returned 40 Stableford points to win by one shot and not
only took the winners trophy, but set a good example by declaring at
registration a two shot handicap cut to 21, made since the current PSC/USGA
list of 1st October, showing 22.8, was produced.
Mike Morris and Harry Riley tied with 39 points, Mike winning the runner-up
trophy on a back nine count-back, and Harry taking third place. Paul
Hartley’s 38 points was good enough for fourth place. The trophies were
kindly sponsored by Terry Schofield of North Shore Real Estate.
Simon Philbrook won the men’s low gross with a tidy 77 playing off 5
handicap. Saranya Chaiyanont took the ladies’ prize with a gross 88.
There were plenty of technical holes to contest; the near pins being claimed
by Joe McArdle, Harvey Samuel, and Geoff Bowers took the other two. Long
putts were holed by Ning Morris, Paul Hartley, Ray Leppard and Mark
Betteridge. Harry Riley was longest off the tee for the men and Khun
Sririporn for the ladies. The Heineken Keg was appropriately won by Neil
Sandilands.
The lowest Stableford points award required a count-back with Tim Rawlinson
beating Matt Andrews by having one point less. Unfortunately neither was
present to enjoy the specially concocted ‘Autumn Atom’ cocktail.
The tournament entry fee of 500 baht included a Jameson’s Carvery and a free
Irish coffee, both being well taken up by the players as well as the
Heineken extended ‘Happy Hour’ prices. The prize-giving concluded with a
scorecard draw featuring finally a ‘Free Jameson’s Carvery Every Week for a
Year’ won by Saranya Chaiyanont.
Many other prizes were drawn with thanks to Heineken, Eastern Star and the
Diana Group.
It was a good day all round, so we look forward to the final Jameson’s
outing of the year on Friday December 22nd for the JIGS ‘Jinger Bens’
Scramble at Eastern Star.
Pattaya City FC maintain 100% record and go top of the league
MBMG Bangkok Casuals Football League 2006/07
CSI Pickled Liver defend a
Pattaya City corner.
Following last Saturday’s victory at home, Pattaya City
FC traveled to Bangkok for their first away fixture of the MBMG
International Football League season.
Still without team manager Alan Mulberry, it was assistant manager Terry
Wilcox who again took charge of the side for the afternoon. Wilcox was
forced into making a few changes this week with Mark Coombs coming in to
replace Torn in goal and the dependable Brian Wilkins dropping into the back
four for Lee Homer. Saturday also saw the return of Keng to the bench after
injury. Wilcox again opted for an attacking 4-4-2 formation that included
young Jake Baker on the right side of midfield.
The game kicked off in warm and unusually blustery conditions with Pattaya
having the wind in their faces.
The opening passages of play saw Pattaya try to play their usual passing
game but failed to make any chances of note. It wasn’t until the third
minute that they tested the Pickled Liver keeper when Baker pushed the ball
past two defenders at speed before delivering a cross from the bye-line that
Mark Brittain got his head to, but he saw his effort comfortably saved.
On 6 mins the Pickled Liver had their first effort of the game but the long
range shot from 20 yards out drifted harmlessly wide of the upright.
Baker’s pace caused the Pickled Liver defence more trouble on 15 mins when
he again reached the bye-line, this time to see his cross headed just over
by Paul Derbyshire. Two minutes later it was Brittain who nearly broke the
deadlock when he neatly cut inside two defenders but his shot was well saved
by the keeper. Pattaya were now dominating procedures and Brittain again
brought the best out of the Pickled Liver keeper a minute later.
It was the Pickled Liver however that came closest to scoring in the half
when on 24 mins, and against the run of play, a powerful drive from 20 yards
was brilliantly pushed onto the bar and away to safety by Coombs in the
Pattaya goal.
Pattaya continued to press for the rest of the half but failed to make any
clear openings and went in with the score level.
Half Time - CSI Pickled Liver 0 Pattaya City 0
Pattaya kicked off the second period with the wind now at
their backs and immediately went looking for the opening goal that their
first half performance had deserved. And it took only 7 mins of the second
half before it arrived courtesy of Danny Stevens. He collected a long ball
down the channel and cut inside, holding off the challenge of two defenders
before striking his shot across the keeper and into the far corner of the
net.
Five minutes later it was 2-0 when Stevens again collected a neat flick from
Keng and his cross was met by Cliff West as he ghosted in at the far post.
Pattaya now with their tails up continued to press, and 16 minutes into the
half they put the game beyond the Pickled Liver when a good run down the
right from Keng allowed him to find space and deliver a dangerous cross into
the six yard area. The ball was blocked but ran into the path of Brittain
who was lurking on the edge of the box and he, with his usual style drove
the ball back past the keeper into the net off the underside of the bar.
The Pickled Liver were now struggling to find any rhythm to their play and
Coombs was virtually a spectator in the Pattaya goal, with defenders Terry
Fassler, Chris Robertson, Dave Brown and Brian Wilkins all determined to
keep another clean sheet.
Pattaya should have gone further ahead midway through the half when a clever
ball from Stevens set West free but his attempted lob was easily saved by
the keeper.
Baker who had troubled the Pickled Liver defence all afternoon provided
another dangerous cross following good work down the right but the ball
would not fall for a Pattaya forward and was cleared to safety.
Dave Brown almost made the score sheet again this week with ten minutes to
go but his cross come shot drifted just wide of the upright.
With six minutes left on the clock Pattaya did score again, and with the
Pickled Liver enjoying one of their few attacks of the half, the ball fell
to Stevens whose volley down the field was collected by Derbyshire who ran
on to drive the ball past the keeper.
Pattaya were not yet finished however, and it was left to Craig Banks to
score the goal of the game when he collected the ball on the edge of the box
and curled a delightful shot into the corner of the net. Pattaya played out
the last few minutes before the final whistle and were pleased to collect
another well-deserved 3 points.
Final Score - CSI Pickled Liver 0 Pattaya City 5.
With this result taking Pattaya to the top of the table Assistant Manager
Wilcox was obviously pleased with the start that his team had made to the
season, however he was quick to point out that it was still very early days.
He was also full of praise for the performances of Danny Stevens and Cliff
West who had both played very well on the day. With more players returning
to the squad this week things are at present looking good for the Pattaya
City team.
Pattaya City’s next fixture is a home game against third placed Winking Frog
at Horseshoe Point on Saturday 14th October Kick Off 4:00pm.
Pattaya City FC have been fortunate enough to secure the sponsorship of AGS
Four Winds International Movers and Fire and Gas Pattaya Limited for this
season and would like to thank them for their continued support.
Anybody who could be interested in joining Pattaya City FC, whether there
stay in Thailand is for a long or short period is more than welcome to come
down to the football pitch in Naklua every Tuesday evening at 6:30pm or call
Terry on 01 701 1315.
THE 8th ‘DIANA
GOLD’ CHARITY
GOLF TOURNAMENT
The Diana Group is pleased to announce that the 8th Diana Gold Charity Golf
tournament will take place on Friday 10th November at Eastern Star Country
Club & Resort.
Diana Gold will continue with the original and unique concept of featuring
at least one ‘One Baht Gold’ weight technical prize on every hole, thanks to
the support of past and new sponsors of the event. Recognizing the increase
in the price of gold we are especially grateful this year for their support.
That of course means that the value of gold to be won on the course in Diana
Gold 2006 is well over 200,000 baht, in addition to many performance
trophies, lucky draw prizes and more gold to be won.
Diana Gold is first and foremost a Charity tournament with additional
charities and projects that the Diana Group will support this year. In order
to ensure that support, and recognizing higher costs, the entry fee has been
increased. The value of the player’s package has been increased as well.
If the price of gold really goes through the roof in the future the Diana
‘One Baht Gold’ concept may not be viable - so 2006 needs to be the year,
with your support, when we raise as much as possible for the nominated
charities.
The sponsors are committed, so we hope our usually large field will sign-up
and enable the 8th Diana Gold Charity Golf tournament to achieve its
charitable objectives in 2006:
The Chonburi Juvenile & Family Court Observation & Protection Center;
Scholarships for Children at Banglamung Schools; Contribute to YWCA charity
projects; Care for the Street Kids of Pattaya, Support the Tawanyim
(Sunshine Radio) project, and contribute to the Diana Group Charitable
Foundation.
SUPPORT LOCAL CHILDRENS
CHARITIES BY SUPPORTING
DIANA GOLD
(Full Details of the 8th Diana Gold Charity Golf tournament together with a
sign up form can be found on page 55 in this week’s Pattaya Mail)
Am’s awesome Ace
Jomtien golf with the IPGC
Monday, October 2, Emerald, Stableford
Another 20 plus players arrived at the Emerald (to a showerless clubhouse,
as we all found out after 18 holes) for our first competition of the month.
 Am
scored an ‘Ace’ on the par three 7th at Phoenix
A new member, Kari Aarino won the bottle of wine on the fifth for nearest
the pin, while Chris Holmes selected the whiskey for his shot on the 13th.
There was only one Div 2 prize won and that was to Miss Nom on the seventh.
There were no “twos” today so there was a healthy rollover to Phoenix on
Wednesday.
In the stableford prizes Tony Duthie took first place with 32 points in
Division 2 and Mark Brenton beat Miss Nom 17/12 on count back to take
second.
Our ever improving ex-professional caddy that used to be based on the
Hawaiian circuit, and now playing off nine, scored 40 points to win the
first prize in Div 1. Well done Chris Holmes!
Les Hall as always, had thought he had won the top position with his 36
points, until he reached the clubhouse, but it was second place for him.
Wednesday, October 4, Phoenix, Monthly Medal
The first Wednesday of the month and there were a few solemn
faces at Paweenas as it was Medal day, and our first outing on the Ocean
nine at Phoenix for some time. The end results showed that this is still a
difficult course to score on.
Playing off nine, new boy Dave Richards netted 72 and Bob Martin now off of
15 returned a net 73 for the first and second places respectively in Div 1.
The ‘sand lady’, Miss Nom secured first place with a great round of net 66
in the second division, and also an expected cut for her next outing, but
the highlight of the day was Miss Am’s hole in one on the par three 7th on
the Ocean course. A superb six iron pitched into the middle of the green, a
few bounces, a 2-3 meter roll and there you are! The delighted young lady
finished in second place with a net 72.
So, back to Paweenas for the presentation and with a rollover on the “twos”
a big payout was expected. Bev Ewens, Ken Foster and Bob Martin all came in
with birdies on the par threes but after learning of Miss Am’s achievement,
they donated their winnings to the ‘Ace’ lady. Generosity exceeds you all,
many thanks lads. The bell was then rung by Miss Am.
Nearest the pin beverages were won by Ben Findon, KenFoster, Joop Medze and
of course Miss Am. Her purse was getting lighter as the bell was rung yet
again, but the congratulations were sincere and deservedly so from all of
us.
The Rich Man Poor Man’s free freshly made pizza draw for non-winners on the
day went to Ben Findon.
Jomtien Golf meets every Monday an Wednesdays at Paweenas , Soi 5 Jomtien
Beach Road at 9.00am for a 10.30 tee off time. Please sign up in the bar or
ring Glyn on 068375464. Club hire and transport available.
Tight finish at Bangpra
IPGC Pattaya Golf Society at the OK Corral
The Pattaya Golf Society’s first fixture of the month is
always a different format to the usual weekly Medal and Stableford affairs
and on Tuesday, October 3rd the group took off to Bangpra for a Pairs BB
medal round. The course had been inundated the previous evening and the
results were there for all to see as the fairways were sodden and the greens
were very soft, almost spongy.
 ‘Player
of the Month’, David Thomas, left, receives his trophy from Mr. Denis
The course was to be very long with very little run and the inevitable
pauses for embedded balls and winter rule cleaning. As it turned out the
competition was a tightly contested affair with all but one team recording
scores of par or better.
Stuart Thompson and Emiel van der Wiele combined well to record a score of
net 68 for third place whilst David Thomas and Barry McIntosh rubbed
shoulders with the up-and-coming duo of Carl Lovatt and Ian Kidd for a share
of first place with scores of net 66. The day’s only birdie “two” was
recorded by Mikael Andersson on the picturesque eighth hole, whilst the
combination of Ray Underwood and Tony Kitchen proceeded to mark Stableford
scores in deference to the rest of the field who recorded medal totals and
their lack of attention was rewarded with the Booby Bevy later.
The highlight of the presentation was the award of the September “Player of
the Month” trophy to David Thomas who had set a new record of 36 points for
the month after some excellent displays.
Dolan’s Gem at Emerald
After an absence of three months from the revitalised Emerald
course at Ban Chang the Pattaya Golf Society chose the friendly club as the
venue for its weekly Stableford event on Thursday.
A very large field, representing thirteen different nationalities, turned
out to mark the occasion and the cut was at 21 and under. The day was very
overcast and an inevitable shower became nothing more than that, but the
course was saturated after some days of heavy rain. As a result, many of the
field found the going tough, but as is always the case, it was an occasion
when the tough got going.
In a tense top flight three golfers shared the spoils, with Mikael
Andersson, Joop Medze and John Cunningham all posting scores of level par 36
for the win. John’s round included a rare eagle two on the tenth when he
chipped in from 110 yards out.
In the second flight the scoreboard had a surrealistic look as third-placed
Alan Freeman took only his second ever podium place with 23 points, and Bob
Short’s 25 points took second place. The winner, posting the day’s best
score, was Rob Dolan, only recently returned from a long “dreamtime” in
Nakhon Nowhere, and his 37 points came as a result of a startling
twenty-five on the back nine. His temerity in taking a twelve shot victory
was later to win him the Booby Bevy for “showing up” his flight. The “twos”
pot was shared by John Cunningham (two) and Mikael Andersson, whose best
gross of 77 was also a feature of the day.
It had been another memorable day at Ban Chang and proved that golf can
unite different languages and cultures in a way no other game can.
No monkeying around for Baz at Bangpra.
PSC golf from the Oohsa Bar
Barry & Mike celebrate their success at
Bangpra
Tuesday morning, and after a good brekky our group of golfers set out
for Bangpra in eager anticipation of playing a good round of golf. As
things panned out, some did and some didn’t.
The course itself was in good condition, although due to the recent
heavy rain the fairways were a lot softer than usual. This of course
meant that it was playing a bit longer on the day which suited some but
not others. The greens were running true although carrying a bit of
sand. Given a week or two without rain and it should be just about
perfect.
The player who handled the conditions best was Barry Quirk, who playing
off 18 scored a very creditable 40 points. He was closely followed home
by Mike Warner, who scored 39 points playing off his 27handicap.
These two scooped the pool by also sharing the NTP’s between them,
although the photogenic Roy Pimblett, just back from the UK nipped in to
take the longest putt.
Back at the bar it was business as usual with good food and hospitality
being provided by Malcolm and his staff. No one could score a “two”
however which caused him great concern as he couldn’t give away a beer.
I don’t think the tears were genuine however. Both games of killer pool
were won by Malcolm a fact that was not un-noticed by the rest of us.
Would someone please come who can put a stop to this.
Our next trip is to Plutaluang on Tues 17th and once again the
invitation is there for you to join us and have a good day and a bit of
fun. Starting time at the bar is 8 a.m. Please phone Keith on 08-7916
7171 for more details.
Newcomers have a week
IPGC golf from Lewiinski’s
Sunday, October 1, Green Valley -
White Tees, Stableford
A Flight
1st Andrew Moffat, 42 points
2nd Phil Mithcell, 41 points
3rd Jack Spencer, 40 points
B Flight
1st Eddy Beilby, 40 points
2nd Gary Ogilvie, 40 points
3rd Ray Dell, 39 points
C Flight
1st Matt ‘Irnie” McInerney, 38 points
2nd Mike Craighead, 35 points
3rd Bob Lindborg, 35 points
NP’s: #2 Eric Eliard; #9 Phil Mitchell; #12 Andrew Moffatt, John
Ginnane’s NP: 2nd shot, #7 Roy Thornton
2’s: Andrew Moffat, John Hillier, Jack Grindvold, Brian Beaupre,
Jim Brackett, Gary Ogilvie, Roy Thornton, Dave Shelling, Eric Eliard (2)
It is often grumbled by visitors that they can’t compete with the local
lot. Such was not the case this week right from the start. GiGi’s
Blushing Bandits, at least two of his three mates, came good at their
debutante outing. Andrew Moffat, no stranger to fine golf as an 8
handicap, tallied a MOM best and A flight winning 42 points. Whilst in
the second tier, Gary Ogilvie and his 40 points only just failed on
count back to capture B Flight gold, having to instead settle for the
silver. Both lads had a 2 and Gary had a Near Pin, as well. And while we
never pass up a chance to give a little verbal jab, it was grand having
the lads and we look forward to Gareth bringing them again.
Andrew was followed in A Flight by Flipper, who was the day’s medalist
with a gross 72, and 41 points. Gen. Black Jack Spencer rounded out the
top group with 40 counters.
Gary was bracketed in B flight by the count back winning Eddy Beilby and
a pair knotted below him at 39 points. Ray Dell played the inward nine
better than The Valet’s Best Friend, and that was the difference between
sitang and no sitang.
In C Flight, Irnie McInerny was the class of the lot as his 38 points
were three clear of The Mechanic, The Guru of GV and Emiel the Night
Visitor. The best distributed of the 35’s was held by The Mechanic, with
the Guru on the third step and Emiel watching from the cheap seats.
Newly arrived friend, Eric Eliard made off with two 2’s, not bad for a C
Flighter.
Tuesday, October 3,
Laem Chabang A & B - Blue or White Tees, Stableford
Blue Flight
1st Charles Sheppard, 31 points
A White Flight
1st Norm Robinson, 39 points
2nd Chris Fox, 37 points
3rd Phil Groves, 36 points
B White Flight
1st Bob Lindborg, 38 points
2nd Robbie Bennett, 37 points
3rd Mike Craighead, 34 points
2’s: Blues: none Whites: Chris Fox, Colin Davis, John Emmerson,
Ray Dell, Bob Lindborg
It is winding down for Laem Chabang’s low season and therefore, the
Society’s ability to visit the well manicured layout. That nostalgic
reminder did little to boost the bravado of the lads, as only a handful
took on the Blue Tees on the damp run. As is not infrequently the case,
a high handicapper, this time in the person of Charles, took the day.
This Scribe has theorized that on such days no one can score on the
course, low or high handicapper, but that the latter has a bigger safety
net.
In the A flight of the White Division it was Norm Shore on top with the
soon to depart Capt. Chris in second. Big Phil Groves had the better of
newly arrived Brian Beaupre on count back to claim the last prize in A
Flight. In the Division’s B Flight it was the Guru righting the
injustices of Sunday with 38 points, one clear of Nice Guy Robbie. The
Mechanic was the recipient of the Good Roger Medallion for winning loot
with a most modest point total. But as Mike said “It still spends.”
Wednesday, October 4,
Mountain Shadow - Blue Tees, Stableford
1st Mossy Quaid, 38 points
2nd Adam Schoenfeld, 35 points
3rd Derek Eastham, 35 points
2’s: Mossy Quaid
The fear that Mountain Shadow strikes in the golfer’s heart and the fact
that Wednesday’s are the second of back-to-back outings contributed to a
smaller than usual crowd for this fixture. However, the good-sized
single flight day was just fine for Irishman Mosssy Quaid whose 38
points were three clear of the pair of New York Slim and newcomer Derek
Eastham. Adam put the hometown count back on Derek to grab the silver.
Friday, October 6,
The Emerald - White Tees,
2-Person Better Ball, Stableford
1st Jim Brackett & Eddy Beilby, 41 points
2nd Roy thornton & Rick Holmes, 41 points
3rd Oddvar Rykke & Mossy Quaid, 40 points
Aw yes, it was casual Friday as many of our Friday’s are with a team
event. The protocol on the day was a 2-person Better Ball at the quickly
improving Emerald. No pressure, just blame your partner, unless, of
course you win, in which case you take all the credit.
In a great display of teamwork Jimbo and The Man of Leisure were knotted
with Sir Roy, MBE and his redoubtable sidekick in such two-man’s, Rick
Holmes. The former had the better of the calculations on the second
nine, 21 points to 19.
It was a real cue for the third spot as Oddvar the Tent Maker and Irish
Mossy, had 40 points, as did Allen Cole and Greg Perzell, and just
arrived Nice Guy Gary and The Mechanic. This time there was only one
sack of gold left for the prevailer, and that turned out to be Capt. O
and Mossy.
Nary has a week gone by in Pattaya during which we do not say adios to
friends and hello to others. This Scribe could do better at highlighting
such comings and goings, but anyway, we lost a couple of beauts this
week as Chris Fox and Irnie McInerney headed back to the salt mines of
work. But we are buoyed by the fact that it means their return is closer
at hand. Adios!
‘Ever-steady’ Ebrahim still doing the business
PSC golf from The Café Kronborg
Monday, October 2, Bangpra, Stableford
Bangpra International Golf Resort was host to a Stableford competition
in two flights with the cut at Handicap 17. The course on the day was in
good condition but very wet underfoot due to heavy overnight rains and
also, all the greens had been cored and sanded. Along the way the
monkeys, the ones with tails, provided entertainment at several places.
The ever-steady Ebrahim took the A Flight with an amazing 42 points,
ahead of Jon Platt in second with 38 points and Gene Rooney in third
with 35 points.
Graham Mitchell took the B Flight with 38 points, Wayne Koch was second
with 35 points and Dave Richardson third with 32 points.
Thursday, October 5, Treasure Hill, Stableford
We are starting to see the approach of the winter build up I think, as
the number of golfers playing has taken a sharp increase this week.
Either that or it’s just a phantom increase.
So anyway, it was up the road to Treasure Hill; a trip that gets easier
as the roads improve. Who knows, one day we may even be able to travel
on a one-way dual carriageway, with cars only going one way!
Treasure Hill is always a tough test of golf, and this day with a strong
wind it proved itself to be a real beast. Only 4 players managed to beat
their handicap.
In the A Flight, 0 to 17, the winner with 39 points was Gene Rooney,
with Alan Sullivan second on 37 points and Rick Evans in third with 36
points.
In the B Flight, 18 up, the winner was Kevin Dinan with 39 points ahead
of Dave Richardson in second with 37 points and Graham Mitchell third on
34 points.
T.T.F.N.
Near Pin: Daryl Evans, Jimmy Flanagan, Doug Jeffrey, Wayne Koch
Long Put: Doug Jeffrey, Dave Richardson
The Beautiful Game?: Scotland the Brave
Riz Taylor
Well who said internationals were boring! I don’t know what I was thinking
last week, imagining that an afternoon being dragged around Carrefour would
be more enticing than last week’s batch of European Championship qualifiers.
How wrong I was. I’m writing this after the weekend’s matches, and what an
extraordinary bunch they were. Craig Bellamy’s first game as captain didn’t
go quite to plan as Slovakia handed Wales a 5-1 spanking, whilst England
were predictably uninspiring in a scoreless draw with Macedonia at Old
Trafford. More on that later.
Of all the internationals at the weekend it looked as though France’s trip
to Scotland looked the least likely to throw up a surprise. Several months
ago you’d have been laughed out of town by suggesting that the Scots could
progress from this group that contains the Italian World Cup winners,
runners-up France and quarter finalists Ukraine, but suddenly it’s a
different picture in Group B.
This wasn’t meant to happen. Scotland were supposed to lose three or four
nil, thank France for coming to Hampden to dazzle with all their beautiful
football and disappear off into the Glasgow night to lick their wounds and
plan for a tricky visit to Kiev.
The first half played out as expected, French flair and quality across the
pitch gave the visitors the lion’s share of possession. The post and then
goalkeeper Craig Gordon’s face kept out a Thierry Henry effort, but
Scotland’s dogged determination and the noisy support of the home supporters
combined to keep Les Bleus at bay.
And then, midway through the second half, the unthinkable happened. Gary
Caldwell got on the end of a corner to put the home side into the lead, and
after a moment’s disbelief the home crowd erupted into wild celebration.
Time to shut up shop. “Ole” the crowd cried each time Scotland managed to
string a couple of passes together, but despite the partying in the stands
Walter Smith’s team avoided being carried away with Hampden’s electric
atmosphere to keep their lead intact. Despite their superior skills and
fancy footwork Henry, Trezeguet, Vieira and co were unable to find a way
through. The priceless points belonged to Scotland.
Keen not to be outdone in this weekend of shockers, the Republic of Ireland
managed to raise eyebrows by being on the wrong end of a 5-2 hiding at the
hands of Cyprus in Nicosia on Saturday. The Irish were without Shay Given,
Steven Reid, Stephen Carr and Kevin Doyle for the match, yet this was no
excuse as the Cypriots recorded one of the most memorable wins in their
not-so-illustrious history.
Coach Steve Staunton came under predictable fire after the defeat, but the
Football Association of Ireland have backed their man. “We’ve asked him in
on a long-term basis to see if he would be prepared to take the team on and
qualify us for a World Cup,” said FAI president David Blood on Monday. “It’s
a rebuild situation. We are certainly not considering changing our tactics
at this time,” he added.
Meanwhile England have been disappointing after a promising start under
Steve McLaren. While a draw against a Macedonia side that played their socks
off during the Old Trafford bore draw hardly counts as a catastrophe,
serious underlying problems have come to light. Can Frank Lampard and Steven
Gerrard ever manage to play together? Will Darren Bent ever get the chance
to follow up last season’s record of England’s leading Premiership scorer?
Is Steve McLaren simply Sven Goran Eriksson in disguise?
Who knows? And quite frankly who cares? Not me - England continue to bore me
to within an inch of my life. This week it’s time to salute Scotland after a
memorable victory. If this continues I might just have to buy myself a kilt
and spend my days downing super-strength lager. Cheers!
Token Euro News
In this month’s token European football news German international
Torsten Frings has revealed that his country’s World Cup exit led him to
consider quitting international football. “I wanted to throw everything away
and never play for Germany again,” said the miserable Werder Bremen
midfielder. Meanwhile Switzerland coach Kobi Kuhn has announced his plans to
retire after the European Championships that the Swiss will be holding
(along with Austria) in 2008, and Italy defender Marco Materazzi plans to
release a book containing 249 phrases that he might have said to French
captain Zinedine Zidane at that moment of the World Cup final. The book is
called “What I really said to Zidane,” Materazzi told the Italian newspaper
Gazzetta dello Sport’s website.
Sounds thrilling. But here’s a delightful story from Russia to brighten up
an otherwise spectacularly dull slot and stop you turning to this week’s
local golf news - not that there’s anything wrong with local golf news, of
course - three lucky Zentih St. Petersburg fans who drove 15,000 kilometres
to watch their side play have been given a new car by the Russian premier
league club.
The trio drove to the eastern port of Vladivostock from St. Petersburg to
watch their heroes take on someone called Luch-Energiya last month, but had
to leave their 1986 Honda Civic behind because the ageing Japanese workhorse
couldn’t face the return leg. Zenith announced via their website that the
three would be presented with a sparkling new Toyota Corolla at the next
home match.
Blue ‘Moon’ gets Barton into trouble
Great news for Manchester City this week, and no, it’s not the
prospect of three easy points at home to Sheffield United tomorrow. UEFA’s
executive committee have announced that the club’s City of Manchester
Stadium will host the 2008 UEFA Cup Final, news which I’m sure will have
their fans dancing in the streets of Pattaya this evening as word spreads
around town. Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium will host the Champions League final.
However it’s not all party poppers and games of Twister in Manchester, after
midfielder Joey Barton was charged with ‘improper conduct’ after his side’s
fixture against Everton. Barton ‘mooned’ the home fans during the match,
supposedly shocking home fans and officials alike with his fleshy posterior.
“It is deeply disappointing that the Football Association have decided to
charge him with improper conduct, whined City spokesman Paul Tyrell after
news of the decision surfaced. “The player accepts that some elements of his
behaviour following the game with Everton were ill-advised and he apologises
to anybody who may have felt offended,” he added.
Let’s spare a thought this week for poor Evertonian souls who have been
tortured by this traumatic incident. I’m sure I speak for all of us when I
say that the thoughts of Pattaya are with them at this, the most difficult
of times. And it’s on this sad note I sign off, wishing you a happy weekend
of football watching. Until next week.
Bill & ‘Dougie’ share the spoils at Burapha
PSC golf from The Peacock Place
Burapha Golf Club
Monday, August 28 a group of twenty-four intrepid golfers gathered at The
Peacock Place for a hearty breakfast before making the trip to Burapha golf
course. We had reserved a tee time of 10.30am and when we arrived we were
asked to play the C & D ‘nines’, which I must say I had never played before
and very interesting they turned out to be.
The course as usual was in great condition and the greens true and fast.
Downhill puts were particularly treacherous. My only criticism is the
bunkers. The sand is too deep and too soft and as a result, if your shot
came into them from a height, you got a plugged lie. Almost impossible to
make a decent bunker shot out of them. The green fee on Sports Day is only
550 baht which I think is very generous for such a fine golf course.
The handicap cut was made at 15 and under and in the main, some fine golf
was played by our group. Fifty percent of the field scored more than 36
points and the remaining half played not far away from 30 points.
In the A flight, Bill Crossan (6) scored 37 points and won it. He was
followed home by the runner-up Dave Arrowsmith (7) who scored 36 points.
It’s nice to see the A flight competitions being won by 36 points or there
abouts. It gives low handicap golfers some heart. The B flight was won by
Brendan Dougle (Dougie) with 43 points. Dougie’s handicap continues to
plummet following some good scores and this time he will be cut yet again.
Second place was shared by Doug Jeffery and Wendy Khan, both with 40 points
and who will also be cut following their spectacular efforts.
There were 9 “twos” recorded on the day, each one providing a trifling
dividend of 150 baht. Never mind!
Bangpra Golf Club
On Thursday our group was scheduled to play at Bangpra G.C. -
always a favourite venue of mine. We gathered at The Peacock Place as usual
at around 8am but by 9.15am the headcount was still only thirteen. Possibly
one of the smallest groups we have had since our start but I believe there
was a senior’s competition organized by PSC that day and a number of our
elder statesmen had plumped for that.
We arrived at the course to find it as always in great condition, with
greens running fast and true and the fairways immaculate. The bunkers were
also firm and fair.
We played a Stableford competition and due to the low turnout we only had
one flight but decided to award three prizes. Ray Dell took the third prize
with 33 points, John Hillier was second with 36 points and a new comer to
our group, Jeff Wylie also scored 36 points and won on count-back. There
were 2 “twos” shared by Brendan (Dougie) Dougal and our Captain Bob Philp.
There were also present a couple of newcomers to our group and I think it
was their first time playing golf in Thailand; namely Alan Jones and Dave
Pawson. Welcome on-board guys.
We all returned to The Peacock to enjoy another wonderful complimentary
buffet prepared by Dao’s staff, where the presentations were made and a few
beers sunk.
If you’re looking for a game of golf with a friendly society, come and join
us at The Peacock Place opposite Mabprachan Lake on Siam Country Club Road
on Mondays and Thursday. We meet at around 8am, or call Bob Philp our
Captain on 07 941 2474 for further details.
A Triple for Trevor
IPGC golf from The Haven
Monday, October 2, Eastern Star,
Stableford
1st Brian Beaupre, 37
2nd Trevor Schirmer, 36 - c/b 20
3rd Barry McIntosh, 36 - c/b 19
4th B.J. Smith, 33
Eastern Star is now nearly at its best, but the recent heavy rains have left
it playing very long as the ball travels only as far as it carries. This of
course puts a premium on long hitting and leaves the middle to high
handicappers struggling to break par.
Brian Beaupre continued where he left off on the previous Friday with a very
tidy one under, off his 7 handicap, which was good enough to keep Trevor
Schirmer and Barry McIntosh at bay. Whilst Trevor’s position was
unsurprising, Barry’s was achieved after a series of lessons with Richard
and a completely new approach which resulted in a ten shot improvement and
he was unlucky to not finish even higher as he only lost out to Trevor on
count back. B.J. Smith rounded out the podium after an unexciting but
rewarding 18 holes.
Graham Hiskett shot the only “two” in the first division and B.J. did the
same in the second division, to sweep their pools.
Before presenting the prizes Richard Livingston, the resident PGA teaching
professional, welcomed back Paul Hartley.
Wednesday, October 4, Century Chonburi, Stableford
1st Trevor Schirmer, 34
2nd B.J. Smith, 31
3rd Paul Hartley, 29
The now not so long drive up the 331 was rewarded with a very pleasant round
by all the contestants, and they might well have thought that they owned the
course considering the lack of other players seen during their rounds.
Although the course generally and the greens especially, are in very good
condition, the bunkers are still almost totally devoid of sand which
necessitated a lift and place local rule. This did not detract from the
pleasure of the day however, which was heightened in the knowledge that the
green fee, caddy and half a cart was costing only 500 baht, which under any
circumstances must be regarded as great value for this very pretty Nick
Faldo designed layout.
Trevor Schirmer, whilst not quite getting to grips with the lightning fast
greens, still scored well enough to take the days honours ahead of B.J.
Smith, with Paul Hartley a further 2 strokes back in third place.
Not surprisingly, with the course and greens playing so hard, there were no
“twos” in either division.
Back at The Haven Richard welcomed back Malcolm Clare, Keith Emerson,
Phillipe Berra and Len Dingemans.
Friday October 6, Burapha B & C, Stableford
1st Phil Groves, 35
2nd Trevor Schirmer, 34 - c/b 17
3rd Barry Traynor, 34 - c/b 16
A smaller than usual turnout for Burapha, which may well be partly
attributed to the course’s insistence that all players take a cart and
thereby unnecessarily increase the cost for those who wish to walk. There
was also the fact that the IPGC have three regular fixtures on a Friday and
this divides the numbers up, but there were still over 100 members out in
all at the three venues, which shows a very strong basis for the club.
Once again, due to the overnight heavy rainfall, the course needed to have a
local rule imposed so that balls could be cleaned and placed in the fairways
to ensure that the day was enjoyed by the majority of the players.
Even so, scoring was not easy and it was only the strong that played within
the buffer zone and ended up among the day’s winners.
These were led by Phil Groves with a very creditable 1-over and he was
followed by Trevor Schirmer taking his third prize of the week with another
steady round. Barry Traynor slipped into third place having just lost out to
his playing partner in the count back.
Phil Groves was the only one in the first division to manage a “two” and
there were none in the second division. Following Phil’s effort, his caddy
endeavoured to get him to give her a kiss, but the old Sidney Crab Maneuver
got him out of danger.
Prior to the presentations Richard welcomed new member Gary Parks and
welcomed back Phillip Cass and Alan Griffiths. He also said farewell to
Barry McIntosh.
Allan heads the field at Phoenix
IPGC golf with The Caddy Shack
Tuesday, October 3,
Phoenix, Medal
Our first outing of the week saw us make the short trip to Phoenix golf
course for a Medal competition over the Mountain & Ocean layouts.
After a 40-minute delay on the first tee due to a double booking, we knew we
would be in for a long day. Five hours later a tired group of golfers saw
Alan Sullivan declared the winner with a net 68, Chris Hulmes in second on
net 71 and Jack Spencer taking the third spot with a net 72.
The “twos” pot was shared between Chris Holmes and Dave Smith.
Friday. October 6,
Treasure Hill, Stableford
Friday was a visit to Treasure Hill for a Stableford event on
what must be the toughest course in the region. Mr. Loy, 31 points and Chris
Holmes, 34 points were third and second respectively but leading the field
home with 37 points was Jack Spencer.
Tony Duthie scored the only “two” of the day and special prizes for ‘Near
Pins’ were awarded to Mr. Loy, Tony, Chris Holmes and Bill Hewitt
John leads the running for October prize
PSC golf from The Bunker Bar
Eastern Star Country Club
The first Medal competition of the month was played at Eastern Star Country
Club & Resort on Monday, October 2nd.
 John
McDonald fighting hard to retain his “Golfer of the Month” title
With a large field split into two flights and the cut at 14 and under, we
found last month’s ‘golfer of the month’ John McDonald continuing his good
form by winning the A Flight with 40 points. This was way ahead of second
placed William Macey who thought he was on to a good thing when he turned
his card in with 37 points, but it wasn’t to be. Third place on the podium
went to Roger Privett with 35 points.
The B Flight had a tie for runner up spot between Alan Sullivan and Jim
Wooler who both scored 37 points, but the winner was none other than
Japanese golfer Mashi Kaneta who found himself in the B Flight for a change
and took the honours with 39 points.
Peter Habgood had a good day around the par 3’s, winning two of the prizes.
Gordon Melia and Geoff Hart claimed the other two.
Phoenix Golf & Country Club
Another big field travelled the short distance to the lovely Phoenix Golf &
Country Club on Wednesday for the first Medal Comp of the week.
Today the cut was 15 and under and the B Flight was close, Jim Payne just
edging out Sunny Ruthsip to win with a level par net 72. Sunny shot a net 73
and third place was tied between PJ Redmond and David Johnson who both
finished with net 74.
In the A Flight Gerry Cooney was third with a very credible one under par
net 71, one behind Gordon Melia in second, but the winner with the best
score of the day was William Macey who shot a great four under par net 68 to
take the honours.
Near pins were shared between Alain Cipolat, Gerry Cooney, Gordon Melia and
Peter Habgood.
Emerald Golf Resort
A Last minute change of venue was enforced on The Bunker Boy’s on Friday,
October 6th due to the Royal Thai Navy at Plutaluang prohibiting the use of
golf carts because of the recent wet weather. So it was back into the
transport for the short hop to The Emerald in Ban Chang, who gladly
accommodated over two dozen golfers at short notice - our thanks to them!
Stableford was the format and with the cut at 15 and under we saw Clarke
Alexander leave the rest of the field trailing in the B Flight, scoring 38
points and winning by a massive nine points ahead of his nearest rival.
Bryan Rought was that man in second with a measly 29 points and Jim Wooler
took third with 28 points.
It was a little closer in the A Flight where we had newcomer Jim Treen
playing off handicap 13 finish third with 30 points, Mashi Kaneta took
second place with 33 points but John McDonald made it clear that he wants to
retain his ‘Golfer of the Month’ title by winning with 40 points and making
it two wins out of three this calendar month.
Near pin prizes were claimed by Alan Campbell, Geoff Parker, Jim Treen and
Jim Payne.
| The Bunker will be holding their annual two day
“Golfer of the Year” tournament at Crystal Bay on Monday 16th Oct
and at Mountain Shadow on Weds 18th Oct - for details call into The
Bunker Bar Soi Chaiyapoon (opp. Tony’s Gym 3rd Road) or call Mick
038 429 292. |
Thunder and lightning can’t stop Colin & Frank at Green Valley
PSC golf from Bowling Green
Left Bottom (Thurs) - Fergus, Colin, Phil, Tewin,
Frank & Toy; Right Bottom (Sat) - Derek, Dick, Perte, Gordon & Steve; Main
Picture (Tue) - Derek, Fergus, Rod, Phil, David, Tewin & Pha
Saturday, September 30, Sri Racha, Stableford
1st Dick Warberg (21), 39 pts
2nd Peter Harris (22), 38 pts
3rd Derek Eastham (13), 37 pts c/b
4th Steve Hamstead (12), 37 pts
Dick Warberg and Peter Harris both played a good game and it came down to
the last few holes to finally decide a winner, with Dick just edging out
Peter by one point. The course played well and was in great shape for all
the golfers. We had good weather and no excuses to say why we could not play
well this day.
Gordon Everingham, despite a ‘nearest to the pin’ & a Birdie 2 is now in
possession of the yellow cap. Must say he does look good in yellow...
Nearest Pins: Darren Martindale, Derek Eastham, Gordon Everingham.
2’s: None - Gordon Everingham got one but he didn’t enter the competition
Lucky Draw: Terry Hopkins.
Tuesday, October 2, Eastern Star, Stableford
A Flight:
1st Fergus Brennan (13), 39 pts
2nd Derek Eastham (13) 34 pts
3rd Phil Dwyer (19) 32 pts
B Flight
1st Rod Sutherland (21), 38 pts
2nd Tewin Lamthong (27), 35 pts
3rd David Swaine (36), 34 pts
After a few months away on ‘work’ leave (smile), Rod came back and showed
his form has not deserted him while he’s been gone. Great to see him do so
well on his return, he came to the course with only a few hours rest.
Meanwhile, our illustrious leader Fergus won the A division with a nice 39
pts, also coming in first with the best overall score of the day. The course
was in good condition and we all enjoyed the day at Eastern Star. Phil got
3rd place on a count back over Steve Hamstead and Tom Herrington.
The yellow hat was passed on to Dennis Stepera who promised to wear it with
style
Nearest Pins: Fergus Brennan, Frank Kelly, Rod Sutherland
2’s: Frank Kelly
Lucky Draw: John Dennis.
Thursday, October 5, Green Valley, Stableford
A Flight
1st Colin Cronin (19), 39 pts
2nd Fergus Brennan (14), 37 pts
3rd Phil Dwyer (19), 35 pts
B Flight
Frank Kelly (20), 40 pts
Tewin Lamthong (27), 38 pts
Toy Theobald (26), 34 pts
Even with the inclement weather the course played well and Colin and Frank
came to the fore to post impressive wins. Les Burns, maybe our hardest
worker on the course, posted his best score with a nice 32 pts. Well-done
Les. The greens and fairways were in good condition so play did not need to
be halted. Today we had the pleasure of the Bowling Green proprietor Reg
joining us. We had a few new members joining us also today and they did well
in the results.
Dennis Stepera has become attached to the yellow hat and decided to keep
hold of it a little longer.
As always on our golfing days, on our return to the Bowling Green we were
presented with a delicious meal. A big thanks to Reg and his all his
wonderful staff.
Nearest Pins: Fergus Brennan, Steve Holtrop,Frank Kelly, Bob St. Aubin.
2’s: None
If any one is interested in golfing with the Bowling Green we play every
Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. We meet at Bowling Green at 7.45am for
breakfast and transportation, and new players are always made to feel
welcome. You can phone Reg on 087-136-5681 to put your name on the list.
The Square Ring
by Howie Reed
It’s always nice when the “little folks” take the
time to drop an electronic line to ‘The Square Ring’:
-“I have read with great interest your recent writings and must say your
man Jeeves seems to be quite active.” - Yes, Jeeves has been on the go a
lot what with personal appearances and living up to his new found
reputation as the “Prince of Pattaya”. It seems that he has a different
“new friend” each day.
The email continued: “Noticed however you have not mentioned the recent
big golf occasion when your superstars got their butts kicked in the
Ryder Cup ... and far be it from me to make mention!!”
Well yes even though this is a column about boxing I felt I must
respond. And I did.
“Dear Mr. Brook. Might I point out that the Ryder Cup is a golfing
competition between the USA and Europe. At one time it was a golfing
competition between the USA and England except the bloody English kept
getting their collective butt’s kicked so they changed the rules to
include all of Europe. Good thing that Europe won or you’d probably try
and change the rules again. If at first you don’t succeed, then change
the rules till you do.”
Jeeves is also somewhat of a gossip. Under the new contract with the
Pattaya Mail, Jeeves is to be allowed space each week for a “little
boxing gossip.” Jeeves we await your report.
“Your Lordship, as Manny Pacquiao prepares for his November 18 fight
against archrival Erik Morales he’s cleaning house. Out go his promoter
and troika of managers. Like many in boxing he’s signed a multi-fight
deal with Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions. With his contract
with current managers Shelly Finkle, Nick Kahn and Keith Davidson up on
January 31 of next year, Pacquiao will manage his own affairs with an
assist from trainer Freddie Roach.
“Then there’s word out of Brazil that WBO lightweight champ Acelino
Freitas is hanging them up, which many agree with. He had a record of
38-1 with his only loss coming to Diego Corrales late in his career.
“No, there’s more Your Lordship. Former WBC ‘almost’ champ Danny Green
battled gurgling huge waves and rescued a drowning man at a resort 150
miles south of Perth. Some hope he’ll be able to do the same with his
own boxing career.
“And finally when Scott Harrison steps back in the ring on December 9
against Nicky Cook, heavyweights Matt Skelton and Audley Harrison will
appear on the under-card in a battle of ‘never was and never will be’.
“That’s the gossip your Lordship. How’d I do?”
“Fine Jeeves. Thirsty?”
“Yes My Lord.”
“Well take a lager from the fridge for a job well done.”
It wasn’t only the former PM that got a wakeup call recently. Last
March, Somsak Sithchatchawal went to Paris and upset Mahyar Monshipour
with a 10 round KO to win the WBA Super Bantamweight title. Many thought
that Somsak’s first title defense against 6’2 Celestino Caballero would
be a walk in the park. Celestino was the “interim champ” but all boxing
fans know that “interim” doesn’t amount to much. How could Somsak loose?
He was fighting at home before the home fans and was meeting a
challenger who’s credentials didn’t exactly jump off the page yelling
‘Look at me.”
The first two rounds were very close but in the third disaster struck.
The boxing wire reported: “The Panamanian landed an accurate uppercut
that dropped the local hero, then he wildly stalked the now former
champion and successfully floored Somsak twice more, forcing the referee
to stop the bout in this round.” Whoops!
If you got up bright and early last Sunday expecting to see Diego
Corrales (40-3) defend his WBC lightweight title (135lbs) against Joel
Casamayor (33-3-1), you got conned again by a WBC boxer.
See, Corrales lost his 135lbs title at the weigh-in when the closest he
could get was 139.5lbs. Oh yes, there was the usual, “I tried so hard,
I’m so sorry” crap that we heard from Jose Luis Castillo the 2 times he
didn’t make the weight when fighting Corrales.
After all the chest beating by the WBC, the Nevada State Athletic
Commission and cable giant Showtime, yet another fight in Las Vegas goes
into the dumper. Sure they fought anyway but who cares. It was just
another fight where the fans paid for a championship fight and got a
hose job from Las Vegas, The Commission and the WBC. Scumbags all!
“I sacrificed. I sweated. I did a lot of things that hurt my body, that
tortured me, because I’m a professional and I’m a man of my word and I
signed a piece of paper that said I would weigh 135 pounds at a
particular time and I weighed 135 pounds when I said I would.
“I fulfilled everything that was asked of me, but I don’t think he did
the same thing. Screw him. Screw him. This is bull. Be a professional
and do your job for a change.” The speaker Joel Cassamayor Jnr? Nope.
That was Diego Corrales on June 2, minutes after Jose Luis Castillo
couldn’t make the 135-pound lightweight limit for their planned June 3
title fight.
It’s probably poetic justice that Diego Corrales not only lost his title
and about half a million dollars, but also a split decision to Joel
Casamayor last Sunday morning. Casamayor with the win gets the WBC
lightweight title. The judges scoring was a bit strange as Casamayor got
the nod 115-112 and 116-111. One judge, name withheld to protect the
blind, had it 114-113 for Corrales.
There was a championship fight on the card as Aussie Vic Darchinyan’s
(27-0) had his way with Glenn Donaire (16-3-1) defending his IBF/IBO
flyweight title. Over 6 rounds the entertaining Darchinyan hit Donaire
with almost every punch he threw. After getting caught by some quality
punches early in the 6th, Donaire complained of a “broken jaw”. The
fight was stopped, but because “someone” decided that the injury was
caused by a head butt they went to the cards. Sixty to 53 ... game over
and please drive home safely.
A little closer to LOS, Thailand’s WBC interim 108-pound champ Wandee
Singwangcha did the same thing as Corrales. Joe Koizumi writes: “ Wandee
Singwangcha also failed to make the weight and disgracefully forfeited
his belt Sunday afternoon in Tokyo. Wandee arrived at the weigh-in place
about an hour before and realized he was 1.7 kilogram (3.75 pounds) over
the 108-pound light-flyweight limit, and attempted to reduce his weight
by skipping rope at a garage of the Korakuen Hall. At the official
weigh-in time, 3pm, the Thai still scaled in 1.2 kilogram (2.75 pounds)
over the limit, while Japanese challenger Munekatsu Kayo successfully
made the weight.
“The champ was given a further 2-hour allowance to make the weight. At
4:30 pm, Wandee, already exhausted, then checked the weight again, but
was as heavy as before, still 1.2 kilogram over. He finally declared
that he had given up attempts to reduce the weight any more.
“It means Wandee couldn’t or didn’t want to make any more effort to
reduce the poundage for 90 minutes in order to conserve his energy to
fight tomorrow. We hope Wandee will not show a lackluster performance to
insult the crowd just in order to get his purse in a non-title affair,
where Kayo will be crowned, provided that he wins. The WBC interim belt
will become vacant in the case of a victory for Wandee.”
It’s not been a good couple of days for the WBC who lost two champions
for failing to make the weight, and this after all their chest beating
about “integrity of the sport.”
The other big fight card in the USA on Sunday morning featured 7 foot
WBA heavyweight champion Nikolai Valuev (45-0, 35 KOs), defending
against Monte Barrett (31-5). The fight was entertaining if you’re into
bear baiting or pitting a mongoose against a cobra. It was said, “If
Valuev can fight a little he can have an impact.” Well he could fight a
little. Darn little. “It’s sad to see these two fighting for a
heavyweight title”, said Hall of Fame trainer Emanuel Stewart.
The semi-main saw WBC light heavyweight champion, Tomasz Adamek (31-0)
retain his title with another majority decision over Aussie Paul Briggs
(25-3). It was a war with Adamek having the bigger firepower
WBC #2 flyweight Panomroonglek Kratingdaenggym (15-0, 8 KOs) captured
the WBC Youth fly title but who cares? Well yes besides the winner and
his promoter. The win last week was against a Filipino named Lito
Sisnorio. The promoter reported that Sisnorio’s record was (10-3-1). Not
according to “official boxing records”. He’s actually (5-3-1), losing 3
of his last 4.
Medgoen Singsurat (45-4, 32 KOs), as his record indicates, has been
around forever. Odd that he’s never fought for a world title and of his
49 fights, he’s had only two outside the Kingdom. From the boxing wire,
“He stopped a Filipino whose name was reported as Ric Moreno. Mr. Moreno
has no official record and may actually be someone other than Mr.
Moreno.” Ya think? “This Is Thailand” .
“Yes Jeeves? As a matter of fact I have completed another masterpiece.
Yes a lager and a cigar would do me nicely. Going out? Clubbing with Mr.
Lord? Jeeves you are now soaring with the eagles. Remember you still
have to get up with the chickens.”
Dick cards 46 points at Burapha
PSC golf from Tropical Bert’s
Tuesday, October 3, Burapha,
Stableford
This is always a course that attracts a fair few golfers, most with a
preference for the A & B nines, and if we are due to play these two
particular tracks the smiles are all the bigger. So with this in mind we
requested our favourites.
Dick, right, being congratulated by the PSC Golf Chairman, Mike Gerrard
Breakfast over, into cars and up the road to Burapha; one of the good
things is that this course is pretty close so you save time and petrol.
After a quick change it was down to the starter and ... Guess what? A &
B closed - we are off to C & D. The last time we played these two nines
they were in bad shape, so we were not too happy about being ushered
onto them again. But lo and behold, the C & D courses turned out to be
in fine condition and we had a really great day. Amazing how conditions
vary so much on the same course. The fairways were fine and the greens
were cut and in fast condition. Yes, it was a bit soggy but you cannot
blame the course management for the weather, besides the last few years
we have been complaining about a shortage of rain.
Round over, the cards were collected and then off we went back to
Bert’s. There, an early meal meant we were able to have the presentation
over quickly and disappear into the night. Well some of us didn’t, but
that’s another story.
So to the winner, who was Dick Warberg with a very impressive 46 points,
ahead of a three-way count back, with Daryl Evans in second, Anders
Pederson in third and Marty Allred in fourth.
T.T.F.N.
Near Pin: Nigel Perry (2), Thomas Johansson, Max Matthews, Joel
Flor (2), Daryl Evans
Long Put: Richard Kubicki, David Evans
Nigel Cannon - McAllister’s ‘Champion of the Month’
PSC McAllister’s Golf
Don McAllister with ‘Champion
of the Month’ Nigel, Apple, Dennis and the lovely Aye
Friday, October 6, The Emerald, Stableford
Being the first Friday of the month, the Monthly Mug was up for grabs at
Emerald last Friday. Overcast skies did not give way to rain, making it
a pleasant day and best of all, most of us made it around the course in
around four hours.
Nigel Cannon made best use of his 23 handicap to post a score of 41
points and take the ‘Champion of the Month’ honours. This was a very
good score given that the course was playing very long in the heavy
conditions - normally conditions that favour the single-digit
handicappers.
Second with 39 points was Denis Willett (11) beating Kevin Mitch (26)
into third place on count back. Apple Jitchana (15) took fourth place
with 35 points and is becoming a regular on the podium. Dennis did very
well after a slow start on the first 3 holes but many of the remainder
of the field including your scribe had a disastrous day. It would appear
that the only real solution may be to reverse the cycle - drink all day
and play golf at night.
Back at McAllister Bar & Grill prizes were dispensed quickly and
efficiently by MC Dennis allowing the afternoon to develop into a
memorable evening on the Street of Dreams. The real bright spot of the
day, however was to see Don McAllister back in the saddle, obviously
showing real improvement which he ascribes to taking his daily dose of
the Thai herbal remedy Morseng. As depicted in the photograph Don is
still very much a part of the scene.
We look forward to seeing everyone again next Friday - tee off before
8:30am if possible at The Emerald and be assured of a great day of golf
and good clean fun.
VFW Post 9876 new first place leader
Pattaya Sports Club Friday Bowling League
200 Bowlers - Barry, Bill,
La, Somrak, Mai and Konrad
Bill Gibson rolled a 538 series to lead VFW Post 9876
to a four point win over Shenanigans and helped his team to take over
first place. Café Kronborg only managed to get two points from Brother D
and dropped to second place. Montana won three points from Café Ole and
moved into third.
Mai’s Thai Restaurant, led by Barry’s 530 series, took three points from
Domicil which resulted in Domicil sliding down the standings to fourth
place. Jack & Tar won four points from House of the Golden Coin behind
Mai’s great series of 631 and games of 182, 247 and 202 with Lance
adding a 548 series in the match. La rolled a 214 game, 564 series, to
lead her Three Sisters team to a four point sweep Diamond Shop.
|
League Table (week 4)
|
|
Team
|
Points
|
Standings |
|
VFW Post 9876
|
4 - 0
|
15 - 5 |
|
Café Kronborg
|
2 - 2
|
14 - 6 |
|
Montana
|
3 - 1
|
13 - 7 |
|
Domicil
|
1 - 3
|
12.5 - 7.5 |
|
Mai’s Thai Restaurant
|
3 - 1
|
11 - 9 |
|
Three Sisters
|
4 - 0
|
11 - 9 |
|
House of the Golden Coin
|
0 - 4
|
9 - 11 |
|
Jack & Tar
|
4 - 0
|
9 - 11 |
|
Brother D
|
2 - 2
|
7.5 - 12.5
|
|
Café Ole
|
1 - 3
|
7 - 13 |
|
Shenanigans
|
0 - 4
|
6 - 14 |
|
Diamond Shop
|
0 - 4
|
5 - 15 |
|
