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Asian stars aiming to end European dominance of BMW Asian Open
This week’s 2007 BMW Asian Open at the Tomson Pudong
Golf Club in Shanghai might see its first ever Asian winner, despite one of
the strongest international fields ever assembled at the event.
 Thailand’s
Thongchai Jaidee will be hoping to break the European stranglehold on the
BMW Asian Open 2007 as the tournament enters its final two rounds this
weekend.
From April 19-22, Asia’s finest golfers will be
battling hard to beat some of the biggest names in golf like South African
giants Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, big hitting American John Daly, 8-time
European number one Colin Montgomerie and Ryder Cup hero Paul Casey.
So far this season, Asia has a perfect record for
European & Asian Tours co-sanctioned events played in China. In the
European Tour season-opener, South Korea’s Yang Yong-eun beat world number
one Tiger Woods to win the HSBC Champions in Shanghai. Last month in Sanya,
Thailand’s Chapchai Nirat outclassed a field which included 2000 European
number one Lee Westwood, leading from start to finish to win the TCL
Classic.
Jointly sanctioned by the European and Asian Tour, the
USD $2.3 million BMW Asian Open has seen European winners for four of its
previous five editions.
The closest that an Asian player came to winning the
tournament was in 2001 when two-time Asian number one Thongchai Jaidee
finished one stroke behind Jarmo Sandelin to claim second and also in 2002
when India’s Jyoti Randhawa fell short by one stroke, taking runner-up
behind Paraig Harrington.
For 2007, local fans will be certainly be relishing the
thought of Chinese heroes like Liang Wen-Chong and Zhang Lian-Wei becoming
the first Chinese player to win an European Tour title on home soil.
Zhang, China’s most celebrated golfer with four Asian
Tour titles, has already proven that he can match the very best players in
the world by beating then world-number two Ernie Els in 2003 to win the
Singapore Masters. Last month, Liang joined Zhang as the only Chinese to win
a European title at the same tournament.
"The BMW Asian Open 2007 is one of the key
tournaments in China and of course I want to do well in it," said
Liang, currently number two on the Asian Order of Merit. "This year’s
field for the BMW Asian Open is definitely stronger with the inclusion of
Ernie Els and Retief Goosen. I’ve been working hard for the past few years
and my game is now at a level where I can be competitive in any European and
Asian Tour event. Of course, I would dearly love to win the BMW Asian
Open."
Thailand meantime has several talented hopefuls who are
capable of winning the BMW Asian Open. Thongchai Jaidee, the first Thai to
play in all four of golf’s majors and two-time Asian number one (2001,
2004), will be hoping to improve on his best-ever second-place finish at the
tournamnet in 2001. Compatriot Thaworn Wiratchant was Asia’s best finisher
at the last BMW Asian Open (joint 13th) and this former Asian number one
(2005) will be eager to add to his eight Asian titles. Veteran Prayad
Marksaeng has won in China before, winning the 2005 Crowne Plaza Open in
Beijing and his best finish at the BMW Asian Open was in 2004 where he
finished third.
Big-hitting Thai youngsters like Prom Meesawat and Nirat
Chapchai could also spring a surprise or two. Prom, nicknamed the ‘Big
Dolphin’ is still only 22 years old, but he has already won the SK Telecom
Open last year beating a field which included the likes of KJ Choi and Jeev
Milkha Singh. Nipat, a year older than Prom, is nicked ‘King Kong’ and
this big hitting youngster has certainly made headlines by winning the
co-sanctioned TCL Classic in Sanya last month in impressive style.
Other Asian Tour players aiming for Shanghai glory include Simon Dyson of
England who finished runner-up at the 2004 BMW Asian Open, veteran Frankie
Minoza of Philippines who won his local national Open in January and current
Asian Order of Merit leader Anton Haig who won the Johnnie Walker Classic
last month by beating a world-class field which included Ernie Els, Retief
Goosen and Colin Montgomerie.
Oka Sulaksana takes 1st round
of Windsurfing Cup
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Indonesian windsurfer Oka Sulaksana defeated hometown
favourite Aran Homraruen to be the IMGO overall champion at the 1st round of
the Thailand Windsurfing Championship held at Jomtien Beach in Pattaya from
6 - 8 April.
 Oka
Sulaksana was the overall winner of the 1st round of the Thailand
Windsurfing Championship 2007.
Unfortunately, due to some disappointing wind conditions
the racing was restricted and five other classes in the competition had to
be cancelled.
Sulaksana and Homraruen are no strangers to each other
having competed in many events around the world, but this time it was the
Indonesian champ who got the upper hand over his great rival. Another Thai,
youngster Navin Singsart was third in the race giving credence to his rising
status in the sport.
The second competition in the series is scheduled for August 3-5 and
organizers will be hoping for more favourable wind conditions to those
experienced here. The Thailand Windsurfing Championship reaches its climax
in November when Jomtien Beach will also play host to the Windsurfing RS: X
Asian Championship.
The lack
of wind resulted in only one group being able to compete.
‘Zone 4’ crowned 2007 Pattaya Beach Soccer Champions
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
April 8 saw the final of the Pattaya Beach Soccer 2007
championships being held at Jomtien Beach with the Krua Surf A team (a well
known team in Pattaya) facing off against and the Zone 4 team.
 The
2007 Pattaya Beach Soccer champions receive the winners’ trophy and prize
money.
Both teams had come through tough semi-finals to reach
the decisive game in the week long tournament and of the two it looked as
though the exertions of the previous matches had a more telling effect on
the Krua Surf A team. Despite having a wealth of experience in this form of
soccer, they were unable to overcome there opponents in the final as they
went down to a 6 - 5 defeat.
 Zone
4 take on the Krua Surf A team in the final.
The ‘Zone 4’ players were naturally elated at having
overcome their more illustrious rivals and also securing the 10,000 baht
first prize and the champions’ trophy. The beaten finalists had to be
content with a 7,000 baht runners up prize and the knowledge that there will
always be another year.
In the third placed playoff match, Puankan A Team
defeated Kao Rai A Team by a 12 - 7 scorline to receive 5,000 baht whilst
Kao Rai A Team picked up 3,000 baht.
Mr. Phisai Phanomwan Na Ayutthaya (Special Subcommittee Chairman of
Tourism and Sports in Pattaya City) was on hand to present all the trophies
and prize money.
‘Thumbs up’ for The Beaver at the Camel Summer Charity Classic
Camel
Charity Classic 2007 champions (L to R): Mike Morris, Bill Thompson, Ian
Warwick and cheerleader Larry Willett (Larry Ball not present).
The Camel
Classic organizers (L to R): Keith Whittle, Ronnie Coulson and Trevor Whittle.
The brothers Whittle played a heads up match a month ago with the loser
required to donate Bt.10,000 to the tournament. Keith lost!
Bill Thompson
The Camel Bar in Ban Chang hosted their sixth Summer Charity
Classic on April 14 and it was all thumbs up for the team from the Beaver Bar.
Thumbs up it really was, as Larry Willett had to miss the
tournament after an altercation with the meat-slicing machine at the Beaver.
His large bandage on his thumb caused the team to walk around with their thumbs
up all day to acknowledge his support of his charges. The team of Bill
Thompson, Mike Morris, Larry Ball and Ian Warwick won the scramble event with a
net score of 55.1. The Beaver team finished with 11 birdies which included four
2s. They did not put a 5 on their scorecard until the final hole. Well done!
The Campbell’s team of Bob, Wayne, Doug and Graham finished a respectable
second with a net 58.1.
The event was hosted to support a handicapped child at the
Khon Kaen special school for the handicapped and to give financial assistance
to the St. Camellian Center in Ban Chang.
The support was tremendous as many individuals and companies
poured their money into this tournament to help it continue the financial aid
this tournament is getting famous for. The proceeds of over 175,000 baht will
be presented to these two charities shortly.
Of special note were the beautiful trophies presented to the
winning teams: John Munroe of Siam Asia Scaffolding, SAS, purchased the
trophies to show his support for the organizing work of Ronnie, Steve Coulson
and Keith Whittle at the Camel.
Other major contributors included Dene Mundy, Moira Stewart,
Terry Curtis, Bob McLachlin, Kenny Leadstone, Paul Ruffles, the Ban Chang Golf
Society, the Pattaya Sports Club, Mr. Mac, Mr. Klaus, ALE, Apple Honey Cider,
John Smiths, Milligan’s Bar, Beaver Bar, McAllister’s, Black Cat Bar,
Trevor Carnahoff, Rainbow Bar, Dave Stockman, GSI, Warehouse Bar, Offshore Bar,
Terry Tansley, Eddie Blackwell and Apple, Emerald Golf Course, Jim Ryan, Trevor
Whittle and Big Mick.
In addition to the organization of the tournament, Ronnie,
Steve and Keith also made financial contributions. The Ban Chang community is
proud of these sponsors and we say a big Thank You!
At the presentation ceremony, following a delicious meal put
on by The Camel, an auction was held when Tom Rafferty donated about 20
commemorative golf hats from major Asian golf tournaments. The bidding was
spirited and lively as many people dug deep to add to the proceeds.
Nearest the Pin awards went to Bob Campbell, Wayne Campbell
and Peter Allen. Steve Ponter won the Longest Putt award; Khun Apple won the
Ladies Long Drive award whilst David Arrowsmith won the Men’s Long Drive. Ray
Barrett won a special prize, a ladies bra, for putting his name on the Ladies
Long Drive board.
It was a great day at The Emerald Golf Course and a great evening back at
The Camel. Thumbs up to The Beaver for winning and thumbs up to all of the
sponsors and supporters of this fine golf tournament.
A lesson from Ian Grout
IPGC Pattaya Golf Society at the OK Corral
Tuesday, April 10, the Royal Thai Navy course at
Plutaluang acted as host for the Pattaya Golf Society when it played a medal
event over the South and East nines. It has to be said that the course is
not in its best condition at the moment with heavy aeration and sanding
converting the greens to the consistency of peanut brittle, very hard and
uneven. However, hopefully, things will soon change as we enter the rainy
season.
The two playing flights were cut at handicap 19 and under
and the welcome addition of three ladies and a junior, Man Chaidara, playing
his first round with the group. Indeed the nine-year old excelled himself by
returning a score of net 82 on his first visit to the course.
In the second flight Carl Lovatt improved on his recent
form to take third place with a score of net 77, but he was still chasing
the petticoat tails of Umalai "Ton" Chaysa who continues to
impress her peers with a fine net 75, for second place. The flight winner,
completing a Plutaluang hat-trick, was Tony Kitchen and his net 73 was a
good return after his first two holes left him nine over par!
In the top flight Bob Lindborg and Joop Medze tied for
third place with steady net 74’s whilst the day’s only sub par round was
recorded by Bangkok teacher Ian Grout, his net 70 drawing the blinds on his
annual holiday. The day’s best gross of 81 was recorded by Mikael
Andersson and the only birdie ‘2’ was accomplished by the accuracy of
David Thomas, never a stranger to this award.
At the other end of the leader board the return of Keith
Stanbury guaranteed the award of the ‘Booby Bevy’, especially after a
first hole thirteen, and a high closing gross. After the presentation the
big question remains, "Will Tony Kitchen make it four on Sunday?"
Watch this space.
Cunningham finds his feet again
Thursday, April 12 saw another in the PGS’ monthly
series of four-person scrambles; this time at Green Valley on a heavily
overcast day, the eve of the soggy annual Songkhran festival.
Nine teams had turned out to play the event with the
added restriction of four compulsory drives making the team captains think
much more about their task. It certainly added zest to the flavour of the
day, as did the return of many old friends and golf colleagues.
As the day progressed it became clear that the extra
drive was toughening up the contest and everyone enjoyed the challenge more
for that. Of course, it was inevitable that the lower handicapped teams held
the day as the fancied "Birdie Boys" outfit first came in with a
gross of 65, giving them a net score of 58.25. Messrs Thornton, Traynor,
Holmes and Davisson always take some beating!
It held the lea d for a mere thirty minutes until the
returning John Cunningham led his troops into the clubhouse bearing a score
of 55.3, a testimony to the accuracy of John and team-mates Bill Hewitt, Les
Hall and Ben Findon. The two teams had to wait until the final group
returned to know their fate and, right on cue, Bob van Mol, Doug Campbell,
Jeff McLaury and Graham Hiskett handed in their card of 56.75 to sneak
second place.
There were five birdie 2’s on the day and the pot was
shared by the teams led by Jim Ferris, David Thomas, John Cunningham, Bob
van Mol and Emiel van der Wiele.
Only at the presentation was it revealed that a seriously
hung-over Carl Lovatt had suffered so much on the course that his final
compulsory drive was required on the final hole and his venture OB added
weight to the seasonal slogan "Don’t Drink and Drive". As a
result his team-mates, David Thomas, Mod Churaiska and Tony Kitchen were
awarded the ‘Booby Bevy’ for their fortitude, patience and tolerance on
a trying day. But, ultimately, Scrambles are always fun and Green Valley had
been no exception.
Bob gets his beer
PSC golf from The Three Sisters Bar
Opening the month of April, it was Dale Murphy with
the hot hand. Even with his improved handicap, Dale managed a creditable
40 points to whip the field. The day was hot and muggy but the rains
stayed away. The weather should be cooling down as the rainy season
begins shortly.
Following Dale with 38 points was Paul Kraft. He had a
good day but got overheated walking the course. Paul Donahue came to his
rescue and gave him a lift the last few holes.
On April 10 it was Bob Benda’s turn at the top and he
didn’t even have to buy the beer on the 16th hole. Dale Murphy did the
honors as Bob had bought for 4 weeks in a row. Coming in with 37 points,
Bob was a happy camper, especially with the free beer at the end of the
17th hole.
The Poustie pairing - a class apart
Phoenix Members Golf Society
Mike
Gerrard
Wednesday, April 11, Pairs
2-Ball B/B
Being the middle Wednesday of the month, it was ‘pairs
day’ at our Shangri-La south of town. Two-ball better ball was the format
and twelve pairs were eventually sorted into 6 four-balls to take on the
challenge of the Lakes and Ocean courses. The ground staff had already
started some work on the Ocean course, which will be closed next week for
annual repairs.
 Friday’s
A & B Flight winners: Mike Poustie (left) and Jack Spencer (right) with
one of the lovely Phoenix waitresses.
After having many near misses with the rain recently, we
felt we were not going to be so lucky today and as we started out, so the
rain came down. Not too heavy though, so we all plodded on and after about
30 minutes the clouds went away and God and Buddha smiled on us all again.
With pairs competitions the scoring is always good and
today was no exception. However the pairing of Mike and Angela Poustie way
outclassed the rest of the field. They recorded a net 64 to take first
place. With Angela going back to the UK next week the rest of the field will
have a chance to shine.
Second to the Poustie’s with a combined net 67 were ‘yours
truly’ and Terry Turner and third with the same score came Geoff Bowers
and Nigel Irvine.
Technical awards were claimed by Mayo Deane, Bob Deane,
Terry O’Conner, Prakong Robinson & Brian Jacks.
Friday, April 13,
Stableford
Tiger tee day at the beautiful Phoenix fairways. With
only 3 tee times booked (bearing in mind playing off back tees and it being
a holiday. double green fee for guests) we had the usual last minute
arrivals to give us 20 players for the day.
A slight change has been made to the format of Friday
golf from now on. All players (including guests) will compete for the same
prizes, with 2 flights split at the center of the pack. Only players with
official handicaps can compete for the major prizes, but technical and lucky
draw prizes are for everybody.
The skies were clear today and no threat of the Songkran
rain. Not on us anyway. The Mountain course was open today with Lakes being
our back nine. The Mountain has had quite a lot of work carried out on it in
the last 3 weeks and is looking superb. The bunkers have been re-laid and
the sand is now to PGA specifications. Not so many fried eggs now. The
greens, although a little slow, are in good shape and in a couple of weeks
will again be the envy of many other courses.
Considering we were off back tees there were quite a lot
of good scores (I hasten to add there were some very bad ones as well,
including myself).
‘A’ Flight winner today with 39 points was Jack
Spencer with Mayo Deane coming second with 38 points. ‘B’ Flight winner
with 39 points was Mike Poustie and Mayo’s husband, Bob came second with
38 points.
Technical prizes went to Jack Spencer, Steve Page, Brian Jacks and Bob
Deane.
Jean makes a winning debut
PSC golf from Tropical Bert’s
Tuesday, April 10, Green
Valley, Stableford
What with the PSC Club Championship taking place and
Songkran being celebrated in Pattaya, playing golf here in the early part
of the month is limited. Also at this time of the year the exodus of
players is at it’s highest and it is nice to see those who dare to brave
the ‘free showers’ playing as much golf in between as they can.
 Tuesday’s
top two Steve Hamstad (L) and Jean Yves Morel (R) with Pu and her staff.
On this day many of the players turned up at Bert’s
before they packed for their ‘annual trip’ out of town. We will miss
them for the next couple of weeks. Still, they turned up to play a really
fine course, and after the normal early morning peace and quiet of Bert’s
off we went up the road to Green Valley. This is one of the better drives,
more like a medium iron, and we were soon there dropping our clubs off and
booking in with plenty of time before our tee off.
The changing facilities here are very good, and it was
not long before we were on the first tee ready to go. The weather looked
menacing all day, and the breeze did get up, but we were lucky and
completed our round in fine conditions. The course as usual was in great
shape, and being quiet we made the 4-hour round quite easily, all in all a
fine day.
Back at Bert’s the presentation got underway and the
winner was declared as Jean Yves Morel who was playing for the first time
with us. Jean returned a fine 40 points to finish ahead of Steve Hamstad
with 36 points in second and Derek Brook with 35 points in third.
T.T.F.N.
Near Pin: Mashi Kaneta, Steve Hamstad, Mike Wing, Andy Evans
Long Put: Jean Morel, Derek Brook.
The Beautiful Game?:
Riz Taylor
Trophies head to ‘usual suspects’
The Pattaya Mail hasn’t been paying me
the big bucks over the last two years to bring its knowledgeable readership
what it already knows about football. In fact it hasn’t been paying me the
big bucks at all, but that’s a private matter between myself and the
editor.
As much as I’d like to spend ten minutes each week
rewriting football gossip churned out by the major newspapers that are too
lazy to dig up real stories, what I’m supposed to cover are the issues
behind the headlines whilst keeping the lazier readers amongst you updated
with what’s been happening.
One of the things I promised myself when starting
"The Beautiful Game?" was not to spend all my time concentrating
on the Premiership’s Big Four. Other sides and their quirky stories would
always be welcome in these pages, and by and large that’s what has
happened when possible.
Yet, with an air of inevitability, the rise and rise of
the big boys in recent years has been hard to ignore, along with the linked
influence of money in the modern game. Those eating at football’s top
table increasingly gorge themselves on all the game has to offer without
giving a stuff about the rest, and it’s hard to see that changing in the
near future.
There’s talk of a breakaway European league being on
the cards, with the members of the infamous ‘G14’ group - curiously
still keeping the same name despite now numbering 18 clubs - seriously
considering the prospect of leaving the confines of UEFA and their domestic
leagues to form a competition of their own.
I can’t see that being anything other than a disaster,
but who can predict what the fans will make of it? Perhaps they’ll really
want to support a club who play in a relegation-free league and see the
likes of Barcelona and AC Milan each week, but personally I couldn’t
imagine anything more dull. Traditional rivalries will be lost forever, and
going to an away game will mean substituting miserable trips up and down the
motorway for even more miserable fortnightly journeys on
"no-frills" low cost airlines. No thanks.
Perhaps that’s what explains the current trend of
super-rich foreign types queuing up to purchase Premiership clubs with a
quick buck in mind, but if that’s the case why are they buying the likes
of West Ham, Aston Villa and Portsmouth? These guys won’t be invited into
any ‘Super Duper’ Euro League, so that’s one conspiracy theory put to
bed.
But rich men don’t get rich by making daft decisions
and maybe this bunch of billionaires expect the Premiership itself to become
the world’s most dominant division by engulfing its competitors. That
might be the case one day, and perhaps already is financially, but on a
footballing stage English clubs have flattered to deceive when it comes to
scooping silverware in Europe’s premier competition. Manchester United and
Liverpool might argue that point after having both won the Champions League
in the last decade, but they’ll admit there was more than an element of
luck along the way.
And yet maybe even that is about to change, as for the
first time English clubs find themselves making up three of the final four
in the European Champions League, and this time on merit. Manchester United’s
spanking of Roma, Liverpool’s easy victories over PSV and Chelsea’s
professional removal of stubborn Valencia all point towards a second era of
European dominance for English sides, even if this time around it’s hard
to spot the British and Irish players amongst them. We’ll see.
Back in the real world, Wigan chairman Dave Whelan -
himself a multi millionaire, this is not a real world anymore - has been
moaning about the big boys taking all the spoils. "Next season, you
know, I know, the rest of the nation knows that it’s going to be
Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea who are going to be the
top four. That’s not competition, and we must change that. If we all got
35-40m - rather than some clubs getting 25m or 30m and the top clubs getting
50m or 60m - we could afford better players. That would lead to better
competition and Manchester United and Chelsea not winning everything."
And win everything they might, particularly in Chelsea’s
case as they steam on towards an unprecedented quadruple of every available
trophy on offer. After an FA Cup semi-final weekend which saw the
Premiership’s top two ease into the final at the new Wembley - another
demonstration of their complete dominance were one needed - it looks like
being a showdown between the pair for every honour. Chelsea will meet United
in the FA Cup Final on May 19, ten days after their Stamford Bridge
encounter that looks set to decide the destination of the Premiership
trophy. And the Champions League too? Who’d bet against it?
Personally I’m hoping for a Liverpool and United final
in the Champions League, because even if you don’t support either side you’ll
realise exactly what the match will mean to both sets of supporters who will
never ever, EVER hear the end of it should they lose. In fact I’m rubbing
my hands with glee at the very prospect. You could make a decent argument by
suggesting that this would be the biggest game in the history of both these
famous clubs.
A fantastic prospect for some of us, and although I often
wish there were different representatives in the competition each year this
is just about the best proposition that the Champions League could throw up
for the neutrals amongst us.
We might all secretly agree with multi-millionaire and
man-of-the-people Dave Whelan when he says that the wealth should be spread
more evenly, but we’re stuck with what we’ve got for the time being and
even though the same old suspects look like contesting every trophy, it will
at least be an exciting and "unpredictable" climax to the season.
I’ll do my best to enjoy it, but whilst I do I’ll be secretly hoping it
never happens again.
World Cup heads
to Brazil
Hardly the most amazing headline of all time, but this
time we’re talking about the finals themselves rather than the trophy.
When Columbia fell out of the running to host the 2014 World Cup finals last
week it left Brazil as the only remaining contender in the running.
Brazil have hosted the event once before in 1950 when its
team lost 2-1 to Uruguay in the final. Four previous World Cups have been
held in South America, but rather than list them I’ll leave that with you
as one to ponder. It’s not like you have anything else to do, is it?
This weekend
Tottenham host Arsenal in the North London derby in this
Saturday’s early game, kicking off at 6:45 Pattaya time, and this fixture
normally throws up a moment or two worth catching.
West Ham simply must win at home to Everton, whilst the
standout fixture of the weekend is Charlton against Sheffield United if we’re
given the chance to see that and not some meaningless mid-table contest.
Newcastle against Chelsea on Sunday is another important one, whilst in the
Championship unstoppable Sunderland could all but seal their promotion back
to the big time with three points against Colchester.
See you next week.
The Guru medals and qualifies for the fifth time
IPGC golf from Lewiinski’s
Sunday, April 8, Green
Valley - White Tees, Monthly Medal
A Flight
1st Jim Wickstrom (4) net 68
2nd Jim Munns (12) net 69
3rd Mark Wood (6) net 69
B Flight
1st Bob Lindborg (17) net 66
2nd Adam Schoenfeld (12) net 67
3rd Seamus Cotter (14) net 67
C Flight
1st Mol Thongkiew (21) net 68
2nd Joe Tynan (26) net 71
3rd Barry Chadbourn (20) net 71
Near Pins: #2: Roger Koehler; #9: Bob Patterson, #12: Peter LeNoury;
#16: An Kaesavane
2’s: Jim Munns, Mark Wood, Doug Lynch, Peter LeNoury, Rick Holmes, Roy
Thornton, Steve Mulberry, Bob Patterson, Colin Davis
The Guru of Green Valley received his moniker during a
phenomenal run in 2003 when he won or tied the winner of the Monthly Medal
fours times! Of course, he has shown his mastery of the Society’s tacit
home course on numerous occasions in between the Monthly events. Bob needed
every stroke to take the Medal and to take his B Flight, as well, as he
edged, by one, two 67’s fashioned by New York Slim and Irish Seamus
Cotter.
The Low Gross on the day belonged to 4 handicapper Jim
Wickstrom who won A Flight with net 68, thanks to a level par round off the
stick! Jim edged Capt. Fogg, The Pride of Aberdeen and Dene the Dream by a
single stroke, as the day’s scores were consistently low because GV
management would not allow the tees to be backed up to the yardage markers.
The irrepressible Ms. Mol snatched another first, this
time in C Flight, as her net 68 was three clear of Irish Joe Tynan and
Englishman Barry "Chad" Chadbourn. Joe had the better of the count
back.
Monday, April 9, Bangpra -
White Tees, Stableford
A Flight
1st Mossy Quaid (8) 40 points
2nd Gary Blackburne (6) 37 points
3rd Peter Hynard (10) 35 points
B Flight
1st Dave Boran (14) 36 points
2nd Chaten Patel (16) 34 points
3rd Oddvar Rykke (22) 32 points
2’s: Gary Blackburne, Gordon Kerr, Paul Walia, Brian Byrne, Roy Byrne
(2), Mo Lamki
It was off to Bangpra to battle the lightening fast
greens and the monkeys. Irishman Mossy Quaid did it best as his 40 points
topped A Flight and the day. He was three clear of Nice Guy Gary and five
atop that esteemed Thai linguist, Peter Hynard.
Nice Guy Gary’s good mate, Dave Boran, showed he was
ready to compete from the start of this visit by taking B Flight with a
level to handicap 36 points. Dave was followed in declining two-point
increments by The Rajah and Oddvar the Tentmaker.
Wednesday, March 11, St.
Andrews - White Tees, Stableford
A Flight
1st Gareth Gill (9) 37 points
2nd Mossy Quaid (8) 35 points
3rd Pat Regan (11) 35 points
B Flight
1st Neil Cameron (17) 39 points
2nd Chaten Patel (16) 35 points
3rd Robbie Bennett (20) 31 points
2’s: Gordon Kerr, John Pegrum, Peter LeNoury
Wednesday’s venue was the intriguing construct of
Desmond Muirhead. The Clubmaker to the Stars showed fine mettle as he topped
the day and B Flight with 39 points. The Rajah posted his second silver of
the week, whilst Robbie Bennett was just happy to see any part of the podium
with his 31 points.
Big Gareth Gill topped A Flight with an excellent 37
points, two clear of the quartet of Mossy Quaid, Pat Regan, Ian Grout and
Steve Smith. The two Micks had the smilin’ eyes as they claimed second and
third, leaving the Brit and the Yank wanting.
Friday, April 13, Eastern
Star -
White Tees,
4-Person Scramble Stroke/Medal
1st Chaten Patel, Mossy Quaid, Nick Payne & Steve Mascari - net 55.4
2nd Roy Thornton, John Emmerson, Rick Holmes & Barry Traynor - net 55.8
3rd Bob Patterson, Mark Wood, Peter LeNoury & Kris Kritsanajootha - net
56.0
With it being Friday the 13th, it seemed that if there
was to be any safety it should be in numbers so a 4-person Scramble was the
order of the day. A couple of guys who would have contended for the title
slot on a non-Medal week, Mossy and The Rajah, teamed up with Nick Payne and
the nearly fully recovered President to top the 11 team field by 0.4
strokes. Roy Thornton, MBE, a self-styled Scramble Maven, assembled a good
enough team of horses to take second. The Senator, The Pride, The Story and
Kris Krits took the bronze.
Rememberance: Steve Ross who ran the Lewiinski’s
Society since its inception in 2000 until July of 2002 passed away 15 April
2007 in Hua Hin. Steve had been active in Pattaya golf for some time leading
the Splinter Group and sponsoring the annual Rossie’s Scramble. The
Society passes on its condolences to his family and friends.
Cooney on the march
PSC golf from The Bunker
Monday, April 9, Phoenix,
Medal
The week started at the beautiful Phoenix Golf and
Country Club with a Medal competition for The Bunker Boy’s.
 Brian
Maddox continued his winning streak with 41 points at Burapha.
On a lovely day for golf with only slight showers around
keeping conditions pleasantly cool, we saw Clarke Alexander come out on top
with a one under par net 71, Dave Keats shade second place with a level par
net 72 and Paul Davies in third with a net 75.
Near pin prizes went to Glen Cunningham, Paul Davies and
Clarke Alexander.
Wednesday, April 11,
Burapha, Stableford
Just a few days after the Pattaya Open was held at
Burapha Golf and Country Club, the Bunker Boy’s held their first
Stableford comp of the week on the same American Wood nine and British Links
nine.
With the course in fantastic condition the golfer’s
made the most of it as Gerry Cooney continued his winning ways taking the A
Flight with a brilliant 42 points. Paul Smith was some way back in second
with 37 points and Geoff Parker claimed third spot with 36 points.
In the B Flight Brian Maddox continued his winning streak
with a great 41 points ahead of Bryan Rought with 38 points and Stan
Everingham with 37 points.
Near pins went to Andy Richards, Charlie Gooch and two
went to Glen Cunningham.
Friday, April 13,
Treasure Hill, Stableford
Playing Stableford format again at Treasure Hill Golf and
Country Club, Gerry Cooney was at it again and not even a thirty-minute
downpour could stop him from coming out on top with a winning score of 39
points. Second place went to John Hughes, who thinks he has finally got the
Treasure Hill monkey off his back, scoring 33 points ahead of Gary Austin
and Brian Maddox who shared third place with 31 points.
Only two par three greens were hit so the prizes were shared between Mick
Ramshaw and John Hughes.
Dennis tops Eddie for 2nd consecutive win at The Emerald
PSC Golf from the Beaver Bar & Grill
Friday, April 13,
The Emerald,
Stableford
With Songkran and the rainy season rapidly approaching,
the Beaver group of golfers were just finishing the last couple of holes
when the skies opened. But that did not deter Dennis Willett from shooting
his second consecutive 40-stableford point round at the Emerald golf course.
Fresh off his Hole-in-One just two days prior, Dennis was consistent all day
with 20 points on the front and 20 on the back.
 Friday’s
top three (L to R): Terry Curtis, Dennis Willett and Eddie Blackwell.
Unfortunately for Eddie Blackwell, his better scoring
occurred on the front nine. Setting the pace early with nine straight pars
and 23-stableford points, Eddie faltered a bit on the back, losing the
back-nine count back to Dennis. Rounding out the winner’s circle was Terry
Curtis with 37 points.
Rushing to the clubhouse to beat the rain, Terry
inadvertently dumped golf chairman Tony Oakes from the buggy, causing some
minor scratches. Why Tony was riding on the back of the cart to begin with
is open for discussion, though it’s well known that he likes to help pull
weeds from the course between shots.
Near pins were won by Mike Morris on #7 and Bill Thompson
on #15.
The Beaver Bar & Grill plays the Emerald each Friday with tee-off
times between 7:45 and 8:45. The Beaver opens at 6:30 and early risers have
plenty of time for the popular breakfast menu before tee-off.
Good scores hard to come by at testing Bangpra
PSC golf from the Oohsa Bar
Tuesday, April 10, Bangpra, Stableford
1st Jeff Wylie (7) 38 pts
2nd Neil Duncan (16) 32 pts c/b
3rd Jim Smith (24) 32 pts
Near Pins: Neil Duncan, Gary Percy, Jeff Wylie, Roger Yabsley
Long Putt: Ray Allison
A small field of only 13 players, but it was a pleasure
to return to Bangpra for our first visit of 2007. The course was in
excellent condition; indeed it was difficult to find a criticism of any
kind. Sadly the heavy demands on this fine course and the premium rate it
commands in the high season make it difficult to justify keeping it on the
rota until this time of year.
 Tuesday
winners (L-R): Neil Duncan, Jeff Wylie and Jim Smith.
Bangpra is not a monster so why did everyone except the
winner find it so difficult to score well? Big fast greens led to
three-putting; perhaps that was the answer.
Jeff Wylie played very well for his winning score of 38
points, but it was not so much his good play which was the talking point but
the failure of the rest of the field. The highlight of Jeff’s round was
the par five 15th where he hit his second to around 20 feet - missing the
eagle putt by inches.
There was a pack of players six points back on 32. Neil
Duncan taking 2nd place from Jim Smith on count back. Overall it was a
memorable day, we shall return!
Thursday, April 12,
Plutaluang S & E, Stableford
1st David Gardner (10) 39 pts c/b
2nd Neil Duncan (16) 39 pts
3rd Roger Yabsley (16) 38 pts
4th Yves Philibert (25) 34 pts c/b
5th Jeff Wylie (7) 34 pts
Near Pins: Barry Quirk, Jeff Wylie, David Gardner, Michael Warner
Long Putt: Ray Allison
A good turnout of 20 players set off for our usual
Thursday meeting at the Navy course. This is the third week in a row we have
played south and east due to maintenance work on north and west. A few holes
are still recovering from hollow tyning two weeks ago, but overall the
course was in good shape.
Playing here every week we should be getting the measure
of it by now and with three scores of 38 or better there are signs that this
is happening. In addition, there was about an hour of heavy rain but it didn’t
seen to put the leaders off at all.
David Gardner took first place with a score of 39 points
which included a ‘tap in’ from around 10" for a two at the par
three 11th - winning a free beer from Malcolm! Neil Duncan had an almost
identical round of 39 points but dropped back to second place on count back
with 11 points to David’s 12 on the last six holes. Roger Yabsley was only
one point away in third on 38, perhaps unlucky not to win, but the standard
is improving.
Most of the players agree that our regular Thursday
fixture at Plutaluang is proving successful. Two 18’s to choose from, the
early 9.30 tee off, a short drive time and abundance of watering holes for
the return journey is an attractive formula.
Next week we are at Treasure Hill on Tuesday 24th April and Plutaluang on
Thursday 26th. Come into the Oohsa Bar and sign up. You will be most
welcome.
Brennan takes a shine
to The Emerald
I.P.G.C. golf with The Caddy Shack.
Tuesday, April 10, The
Emerald, Medal
Songkran is getting near and people are disappearing
rapidly as the crazy season approaches.
The Emerald was the venue for the day and this is always
a popular choice but a smaller then usual field turned out. Don Francis came
third with net 73, Peter Le Noury second on level par 72, but Michael
Brennan destroyed the course with a great net 66.
There were no 2’s so a large rollover at Sattahip was
anticipated.
Friday, April 13,
Sattahip, Stableford
The Navy course at Sattahip was the choice for a stable
ford competition over the North & West layouts on a very wet day.
Thunderstorms and lightning descended and play was delayed for about 2 hours
in the middle of the round. Many golfers called it a day but the diehards
carried on.
Don Francis fired 34 points for third, Damian Trante
finished second on level par 36, and Bill Cameron took the top honors with
38 points.
Damian fired the only ‘2’ of the day on West 8 to
take the huge pot.
Bernie fires ‘wonder shot’ at Crystal Bay
PSC golf from The Peacock Place
David Evans
Monday, April 9,
The Emerald,
Stableford
Monday saw the return of Captain Bob from his trip back
to the home country. By the time we left for The Emerald GC, where we were
scheduled to play, we had 30 players on the start sheet. The greens on the
front nine had unfortunately been recently hollow tined and sanded which
made them exceedingly slow and difficult to putt with any confidence. The
back nine hadn’t though so we were able to enjoy most of the remainder of
the round.
To add insult to injury however, when we were on the
17th fairway the heavens opened and although we managed to complete the
hole, we decided to abandon the 18th and run for the cover of the
clubhouse. By this time we were absolutely drenched and the money collected
from the competitors, which was in Captain Bob’s back pocket, had to be
dried out before the presentation.
Some great scores were posted with the A flight set at 0
to 13 being won by Jack Spencer H/C 9 with 38 points winning on count back
from Vinai Jomparnit H/C 9 and Captain Bob H/C 6.
The B flight set at 14 to 20 was won by Bob Drumm H/C 17
with 38 points, second was Colin Norris H/C 15 with 35 points on count back
from Tony Cobb H/C 17.
The C flight was won by Trudy Chadbourne H/C 21 with 30
points, second was Mark Brenton H/C 29 with 25 points and third was Karen
McGilvary H/C 25 with 24 points.
Only one ‘2’ was posted and that was by Jack
Moseley. Jack Moseley, Jack Spencer and Captain Bob all donated their
winnings for a celebratory drink and a very fine bottle of Captain Morgan
rum was donated by Matt Anderson for general consumption. A great time was
had by all.
Wednesday, April 11,
Crystal Bay, Medal
For our second outing of the week we headed for Crystal
Bay GC. Sometimes I feel as though we are not welcome at some clubs. We had
booked this venue for almost two months and yet we were directed to play
the ‘C nine’ which had only recently been hollow tined and sanded
although the ‘A nine’ was open and in perfect condition. Needless to
say we were not offered a reduction in the green fee. Am I being unfair in
my presumption?
Captain Bob elected to play a Medal round and only two
people played better than their handicaps. Roger Sowman returned a net
score of 67 and Bernie Seagrave returned a net score of 68. Jack Spencer
carded a net 73, Ian Edwards a net 74, Harvey Samuel a net 75, Ken Little a
net 76 and Alan Bishop a net 76.
2’s were recorded by Roger Sowman, Ken Little and
Bernie Seagrave. Bernie’s ‘2’ was quite remarkable. Having put his
drive into the bunker on the opening hole, which is a par four, he
proceeded to hole his bunker shot for an eagle.
Come and join us if you would like a game of golf with a
friendly society. We meet on Mondays and Wednesdays and our schedule
appears in The Pattaya Mail on page 53. If you would like further
information call Bob on 087 941 2474.
The Square Ring: by Howie Reed
Amid flying water from power-squirt guns
that supposedly aren’t being sold, and at the same time dodging kamikaze
drivers masquerading as sane individuals, the ‘Square Ring’ comes to
you in spite of all the tumult and chaos.
Someone inquired recently why information about or
concerning boxing in America is included in this effort, which is published
by the leader on the Eastern Seaboard of Thailand. Good question. It’s
done because the Pattaya Mail is the primary distributor of the ‘Square
Ring’ via the Internet and the column is read around the world,
especially in the colonies where the truth and boxing don’t always
coincide.
With Jeeves gone AWOL this week it was left to ‘The
Master’ to answer e-mails, queries, secure companionship and answer
letters. Actually it was easy as The Square Ring only got one e-mail from a
pal of ‘The Master’. Doug is the ‘Governor’ of the Bourbon Street
fine dining restaurant/hotel on Washington Square in Bangkok. Go in for a
visit, mention the ‘Master of The Square Ring’ and Doug will allow you
to purchase a libation.
Anyway, here’s Doug’s query: "I have a question
for you that had been bothering me for a while. As a leading boxing
authority I know you can enlighten me on the pondering situation. When the
girl, usually good looking, half dressed and carrying a card displaying
what round it is, is walking around the ring, the camera ALWAYS shows the
boxer spitting in a bucket. I want you to take this protest to the highest
powers available to get more coverage on the "in-between round
girls" and not spitting boxers. Do they really think anybody wants to
see that? Yours Doug Harrison."
Good point and spot on. Having attended many fights I
know that after the lady has walked around with the numbers, when the bell
rings the most familiar question is, "What round is it?" On a
serious note it’s an attempt by TV producers to give the viewer an
"inside view". Of course if the TV producers were boxing or even
sports fans they’d know that watching half-naked ladies walking with
numbers is more informative than whatever is said in a corner between
rounds. The only thing that takes place between rounds is a mouth wash and
passing on advice from a guy that isn’t getting hit to a guy that is. In
addition to which, said advice will probably be forgotten when the bell
sounds.
Anyone in boxing knows that the real work is done in the
gym. The boxer is trained in the gym to react to certain situations in a
particular way. If the boxer doesn’t do it in the gym he won’t do it in
the ring. With the exception of trainer Teddy Atlas, most trainers aren’t
able to make a difference once the bell rings.
In football, baseball and basketball there are some
coaches, cause that’s what trainers are, that make great in-game
adjustments. Most trainers just want to keep their boxers doing what they
planned on doing in the gym. Then there are trainers that are complete
frauds and couldn’t teach a duck how to quack. They are always the most
vocal between rounds with instructions that an MIT graduate couldn’t
execute.
Those of you that were waiting with baited breath for a
showdown between Joe Calzaghe and Mikkel Kessler can do a Joe Pesi and
"forget about it". I’m always reluctant to use Calzaghe’s
promoter Frank Warren as a source, but that aside he recently announced,
"I’ve made Mogens Palle a written offer for Joe to fight Mikkel
Kessler, but he has faxed me to say that Kessler won’t be ready for July.
Why, I do not know, because he was calling Joe out after his last fight.
But you can’t force him to fight." Kessler had previously said,
"I want Joe Calzaghe, if he dares."
Next up for Calzaghe is probably Dennis Inkin the WBO
mandatory challenger, even though he won the WBC International title by KO
over Mario Veit. Calzaghe will be "riding the pine" for about
four weeks though with a broken hand. Jermain Taylor? Not in July as Taylor
fights Cory Spinks on May 20. Taylor’s trainer Manny Stewart is taking it
very slow with his fighter, which is a good idea.
Promoter Frank Warren claims he’s offered Taylor $4
Million USD for a September meeting in the UK. If the bout takes place an
American referee will be doing the honors. This concession came in the
light of British referee Terry O’Conner "home cooking" the
stoppage of the Manfredo bout.
In the ‘Land of the Lord’ (Sweden), professional
boxing has only been back a short time but already the promoters have
figured out how to sell "a sow’s ear as a silk purse." With
great fanfare it’s been announced that on September 15, former champion
Riddick Bowe will headline a card that will also include Bruce
"Seldom" Seldon and maybe Evander Holyfield.
To add a little local flavor, Seldon will meet Michael
Lindblad (24-5) in a battle of the "never was" and "never
will be’s." This will be the first card in Karlstad since 1963. As
bad as this one looks, it may be another 44 years before a return.
On Sunday last, when Ruslan Chagaev (23-0) dethroned now
former WBA Heavyweight champ Nikolai Valuev (46-1) at the Porche Arena in
Stuttgart, it was called " a very close and tactical fight." The
translation into frank talk usually means "a boring fight where
someone had to win." Judge Chalerm Prayadsab had it 117-111, Judge
Hector Hernandez 115-113 and personal Chagaev official Stanley
Christodoulou from South Africa had it a flat-footed draw at 114. ‘Personal
Chagaev official?’ Yep. In Chagaev’s last four fights Christodoulou had
judged two and refereed one.
Valuev displayed a touch of class that is often missing
in boxing today when he said after the fight: "I agree with the
decision of the judges. My opponent found a tactic with which he was
successful. Now I’ll take a break and then begin training again."
One fight that wasn’t tactical was the bout between
Wladimir Klitschko and Lamon Brewster in April of ’04. Looks like a re
match is set for July 8 for the IBF/IBO titles in Cologne. Never trust your
eyes though, as any punter in Pattaya knows. Looks sometimes are deceiving.
In this case the press release reads: "Brewster previously scored a
fifth round stoppage over Klitschko in a brutal WBO title war in
October." Of course it was in April - and three years ago!
The big fight last weekend was Manny Pacquiao (43-3-2)
against. Jorge Solis (32-0-2) from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. Top
Rank and its promoter Bob Arum did the pay-per-view and warned boxing fans,
"There will not be a free replay the following week. If you don’t
tune in on April 7 to watch it, you’re not going to get another chance to
see it." How will I ever go on with my life?
The fight itself drew 14,793 to the Alamodome that can
seat 65,000 for football and probably 80,000 for boxing. Reporting for ‘The
Square Ring’ was Pattaya boxing guru Vic "O.R." Cross.
"Good thing you didn’t spend big bucks for the
Pacquiao vs Solis get together. Not bad but not great from my point of
view. Maybe I’ve seen too many good fights in the lighter weight
divisions lately so I’ve become a little spoiled. Just like having these
beautiful Thai women constantly throw themselves at me.
"Manny Pacquiao seemed a little slow getting off
the mark in the early rounds, maybe because Solis had a long and awkward
style that Pacquiao needed time to adjust to. As Pacaquiao began to adjust,
it was apparent he was going to dominate the action. An accidental head
butt in round six, which opened a cut over Pacquiao’s eye really lit the
fire under him. His left hand was devastating in the 7th and into the 8th
when he put Solis away with it." For the record Referee Vic Drakulich
reached 10 at the 1:16 mark of the 8th.
Jeeves is still MIA on his Songkran Holiday but he did
e-mail me from Phuket and the Island Lager Bar where he’s relaxing with
pals Mr. Brook and the Lord of Pattaya.
"Your Lordship, everyone sends their best. Net will be in with
lager, cigars and to re-stock the music machine. Attended a meeting of the
‘Phuket Grumpy Old Men Society’ last night at the Island Lager Bar. Not
too grumpy while likker flowed and ladies smiled. There’s a chap here on
holiday from Iraq. He wanted me to pass along the weather forecast for Iraq
next week: ‘Sunni in some places.’"
What makes a race an adventure?
The 2nd North Face River Kwai Trophy
The
2nd North Face River Kwai Trophy gets under way.
By Simon Thomas.
This was the question on many people’s minds last month as
they gathered for the 2nd North Face River Kwai Trophy in Sai Yok area of
Kanchanaburi, 140km North West of Bangkok.
The kayaking
provided a scenic but strenuous test for all the competitors.
To me one of the big aspects of any adventure race is really
having no idea about what may be around the next corner, so the pre-race
briefing gives a good chance to try and glean any information that may serve as
a physiological crutch while on the course. Having completed a couple of these
races before, knowing when the finish line might appear is a very important
factor to getting to the end!
As we walked to breakfast, the best news was that the sun was
nowhere to be seen: the longer it could stay behind the clouds the more chance
of survival out on the course. Much to most peoples surprise this event is not
iron legs and steely gazes all around, all competitors are strictly ‘weekend
warriors’ of greatly varying shapes, sizes and abilities. There is no need to
be a super fit athlete to attempt this type of event - a ‘can do’ attitude
and a love of a personal challenge is all that is required.
 Jongsak
and Kriattisak emerge from the jungle as this year’s River Kwai race
champions.
Serge, the race director had catered for this motley crew
with the provision of 2 distances, a shorter ‘adventure’ category for those
confident in themselves and a longer ‘extreme’ distance for those with more
testosterone than sense. We had signed up for the extreme....
After we all gathered at the start line the first bit of
information was revealed, we would start the race with a run, good for us as a
team as we can run but have a surprising lack of ability at anything else! The
flag dropped and we were off, distance, duration and activities unknown.
The first run leg was great, a winding cross country route,
taking in roads, tracks, a rickety old bridge and even the odd temple, the
course was marked every 100m or so with orange tape but somehow we still managed
to get lost. When we finally emerged from the bushes, a stream of panting,
jangling, sweating men and women was hustling past, we had gone from 1st to 6th
place. Not the best start! We slowly worked our way back up the field much to
the delight of all those teams that had seen us disappear over the horizon like
frightened gazelles earlier in the race.
After around 11km the run course stopped abruptly at the
river bank where a pile of Kayaks were waiting - the race marshal pointed first
at the kayaks and then down the river and mumbled something in Thai. We got the
idea and dragged the massive plastic boat down into the water. It soon became
clear that ‘Feel Free Kayaks’ are built for comfort not speed, the plus side
of this is that they are impossible to capsize but the down side is that they
don’t seem to go very fast.
 An
adventure race requires skills in a multitude of disciplines.
For me and my spindly arms and tired back, the kayak section
could not have been over soon enough, after around 5km of paddling we finally
saw the finish point ahead and the paddling became frantic as we all tried to
manoeuvre into a better position for the check point. We ditched the kayaks at
the side of the river only to be told to jump back into the river and continue
the journey downstream minus the kayak!!
Have you ever tried to swim in a fast flowing river with a
lifejacket on? Well the simple answer is you can’t! I tried front crawl, back
stoke and a breast stroke version that is not shown in any text books, all to no
avail, as I adopted a lying position and drifted down the river with 5 other
rival teams.
After emerging from the water, we were directed up a hill and
ended up back at the race start point where our mountain bikes were waiting like
stabled ponies. We were less than 2 hours into the race and judging from past
experience we could have at least 5 hours left to go!
The mountain bike route was a hugely varied, predominantly
cross-country route; it traversed tracks, forests, fields and the occasional
stream. No real navigation necessary, just follow the orange tape and ride as
fast as you can! For the occasional mountain bike rider like me, this section
was a great novelty and in between scaring myself silly charging down hills with
very little control, it was a great way to see the countryside and remind
yourself of the great scenery Thailand has to offer.
Fifty minutes later we pulled into the checkpoint and dumped
our faithful steeds at the side of the road, a quick set of instructions
confirmed the next adventure was inappropriately termed the ‘Jungle run’.
After we had clambered up and down the 6th ridiculously steep slope of the day,
I had conjured up a few more apt names for this section. Finally we emerged into
the open and on to the edge of a rather unpleasant looking lake - I have never
been so glad to chuck myself in semi stagnant water - what a relief!
The lake swim eventually brought us back to our bikes.
Somewhere in the middle of the jungle it had become less of a race and more a
survival exercise and although we emerged pretty much neck and neck with the
leading team, we were in no state to race! In a vane show of bravado we tried to
bluff our level of fatigue and both teams took turns in the lead before the
masters team of Khun Jongsak and Khun Kriattisak pulled away and disappeared
down the jungle tracks that we were riding.
An hour later and the finish line was in sight! We put in a
final burst to please the mingling crowds only to be redirected some 15 metres
short of the finish line to a bike drop off zone and another cross country run -
so this was why it was called an adventure! It turned out that this was the
final challenge and we crossed the line in 5:48 minutes, 4 minutes off the
leaders but thankful to have finished!
The finish line is a great place to be, competitors are strewn around like
broken pinatas after a kid’s birthday party, all swapping tales of hardship,
adversity and personal goals achieved. With the first and last teams separated
by some 4 hours you can be sure that every team had an adventure and are all
looking forward to the next one!
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