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Hall battles the heat
to take first at Burapha
Golf from the Blue Moose
Two foursomes teed off at the Burapha Golf Course this past 18th of April.
The course was in great shape and the weather was ‘Hot’. Only two greens
were recovering from airing but otherwise all greens were good. If you
didn’t hit the fairway, you were in big trouble. While a cart path sized
line went from the tee box to the fairway, you had to be lucky to hit on it.
On either side of the fairways was grass so dense that a short caddy could
be lost in it. Needless to say it resulted in numerous lost balls - the
grass is that deep.
Winner Richard Hall, left,
with runner-up Bruce Funk.
A few players broke out their umbrellas to ward off the
sun. Did I mention it was hot? We played the C and D courses today.
Back at the Blue Moose the cards were tallied, Richard
Hall came in with a 37 to take first place while Bruce Funk and Larry
Emerson tied for second place with a 35 but Bruce took it on the count back.
The Blue Moose provided some snacks. Everyone misses Caddy Shack II and
Herbie’s vittles.
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Pattaya Sports Club
Bowling League
Trophy winners: Leo and
Antero (3rd place) Darl, Aht & Noodle (1st) Morn, Duanjai & La (2nd).
Green Tree won the first place trophy and sent Indiana
down to second place after they took all four points from a poor bowling
Indiana team. Aht Johansson was best for Green Tree with a 521 series.
Bavaria gets the third place trophy but was unable to
move up to second after losing three points to VFW Post 9876. Ooy Pluemkamon
bowled a 540 series for VFW.
Ralph Oderbolz bowled a 513 series to lead Brother D to a
three point win over Tea Party.
Cafô Kronborg took four points from a forfeit by Canada.
The new league will start in two weeks and all PSC
bowlers are invited to join us. Just show up at Pattaya Plus Bowl on second
road at 1300 hours, 27 April and put your name in the draw for teams. Fun
bowling will start at 1400 hours.
Another first for Mason
The Pattaya Golf Society (IPGC) at Rabbi’s Elephant Bar
The Pattaya Golf Society made its first ever visit to
Wangjuntr Highlands on Wednesday, 18th April, in an attempt to get as far
away as possible from manic Pattaya during Songkhran week and we were
treated to an empty course of stunning panoramas, great changes in elevation
and huge, contrived quirky greens. What a challenge for the lads!
Teeing off late after the group leader had managed to
miss the entrance by some 25 kilometres - his driving on the back nine
followed the same pattern! - the cart path restriction, the oppressive
humidity and the steep “alpine” fairways made for a five hour round, but at
every turn the course was spectacular with deer and ostriches watching with
casual amusement.
Sharing second place were Wichai Tananusorn and Tony
Thorne with 30 points, both having played the course before, but the winner
was John Mason on “terra incognita” with 32 points after playing bogey golf
for most of the holes. The group had to wait until the seventeenth to record
the only birdie ‘2’ of the day, a fine effort by Tony Thorne.
What an experience the day had been, with magnificent
value for money and John Mason recording another PGS “first” after recording
the group’s first Emerald hole-in-one almost a year ago to the day.
Top performance from
Thorne
At the end of a Songkhran week there were few golfers
left in town but quite a strong field turned out at Emerald on Friday, 20th
April to play a Pattaya Golf Society stableford event. The course was
reasonably presented with greens running at a moderate pace and the lack of
customers saw everyone finish within four hours.
In third place Wichai Tananusorn returned a score of 35
points after an uncharacteristic blemish on the second hole. In second was
Stuart Thompson who performed manfully despite a painful back condition to
put together a round of 37 points. The best round of the day was recorded by
Tony Thorne and three fine birdies combined with a clutch of strong pars to
give him 40 points, his best performance with the group in many months.
Hopefully he is on the way back after a testing year of struggles with form.
There were no birdie ‘2’s and the Booby Bevy went to Dave
Lehane by way of a welcome back after his first tentative round after
surgery. Stick with it Dave, good to have you back!
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Cook & Ritchie top 40
at Green Valley
PSC golf from The Outback Golf Bar
Tuesday, April 17, Pattaya
C.C. - Stableford
With most of Pattaya’s golfers away and missing the joys
of Songkran, there were just 7 Outbackers who arrived at Pattaya Country
Club to find an almost deserted course.
The weather was hot and the course, with only the front
nine open, was in a reasonable condition although a lot of work is going on
creating new tees – using the grass being taken from the back nine as it
undergoes its lengthy refurbishment.
There were no ‘2’s so it was three places.
In top spot was Terry Marney (29) with 39 points; second
was Nigel Cannon (21) with 38 and a count back for third between the two
ladies playing today both having 36 points. Thanks to a better back nine,
Orn (14) got the nod over Seesa (26).
Chad was the man in charge and a welcome return to Alan
Pearce.
Friday, April 20, Green
Valley – Stableford
20 Outbackers went to Green Valley on a very hot and
humid day; numbers were down due to Songkran and the recent trip to Royal
Hills. The course was in great condition and gets better week after week and
the scores are starting to reflect the quality of the course.
Welcome to new members Phil Stevenson, Richard Cook, Gary
Ritchie and Alan Clark.
Two divisions plus the ‘2’s with newcomer Richard Cook
winning Division 1 with the day’s best score of 41 points on his 11 handicap
and Greg Ritchie continuing his recent good form, winning Division 2 with 40
points on his 20 handicap.
Ian Heddle had the only ‘2’ of the day on hole 12.
Div A (0–16)
1st Richard Cook (11) 41pts
2nd Martin Kingswood (16) 38pts
3rd Mark Taversham-Hamm (6) 37pts
Div B (17+)
1st Greg Ritchie (20) 40pts
2nd Sugar Ray Handford (18) 35pts
3rd Adam Oyston (17) 33pts
Note: The Outback Golf Bar is situated about 6km
from Sukhumvit Road along Soi Siam Country. All are welcome to come and join
us for a beer and a hit. Just call in and put your name down on the list or
call Jack on 087 941 2474.
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Rosco aims high at Royal Hills Classic
PSC Outback Golf Bar Songkran Road Trip
John, Suzi and Rosco.
Armed with the latest GPS, 22 Outbackers left the bar
just after 8am, to play in the 3rd Royal Hills
Classic; on the way they were scheduled to play at Lotus Valley, formerly
known as The International Trade Centre.
The course lies a good distance East of Bangkok, and is
easily reached in less than one hour and twenty minutes, provided that you
know where you’re going. The Klong bridges and poor quality roads will slow
you down a bit but when you get there, it’s well worth it, an impressive
course that is completely out of place amongst the extensive rice fields.
You actually wonder why, why is it here at all; there’s not a hotel to be
seen?
A well priced green fee, complete with cart make it an
economical place to play on some of the best manicured greens and fairways
you’re ever likely to see in Thailand, and with the prospect of a deal for
walkers coming soon in the low season, it’s a venue that should not be
missed.
Rosco, centre, with Bernie and
Paul.
Faced with a choice between the blue or the white tee (a
difference of about 400yds), we elected to go with the longer blue tees at
around 6,500yds, not particularly long by many player’s standards but with
no roll due to the wonderful, almost a soft mattress like quality of the
fairways, with not a weed in sight, it (the course), played its full length.
We had been given the luxury of a two tee start at 11.30,
the weather was excellent but the scoring generally on the low side with the
exception of one player, Rosco, who left the remainder of the field in his
wake in this warm-up round, with a fantastic 42pts, seven clear of his
nearest competitor, Paul Greenaway with 35. Paul looked as though he was
going to score somewhere near the 40pt mark, after 22pts on the front but a
series of missed putts on the back, left him wanting. Paul Bourke (32pts)
took third in the same division with the final place going to Bernie
Stafford on 29.
In Division B, the girls took advantage of the course
being some 1,000yds shorter than for the men, as Sakorn put a very good
round together to score 34pts to win from Suzi in second with 31; the minor
places were filled by Jon Kittilsen (31) and Jean Morel (30).
After a drink and a bite to eat, we left for Royal Hills
to arrive there just after 5.30pm and after checking in many of the group
could be found at the Orchard Cafe, just outside of the main entrance to the
hotel, enjoying the odd bevvy or two, contemplating the golf the next day.
Tuesday, April 17, 3rd
Royal Hills Classic - Day 1
We woke to the bright morning sunshine beaming across the
eighteenth fairway from over the surrounding hills and captured by the
hotel, which is sited adjacent to the green and down alongside the fairway.
It’s a tranquil setting, with the dew still glistening on the grass, as many
of the Outbackers were up early and ready to do battle on this stunning golf
course.
We had been joined by two more players, making our full
complement of 24 for the start of our 3rd Royal Hills
Classic with a start time due at 9 a.m. However, as with previous years
there is a pro event that starts later in the week and many of them (the
pros) were teeing off from the tips, going out in five and six-balls and
generally in a haphazard order with the starter, showing little of no
control. There was also a shortage of caddies, and our first groups, who
eventually teed off from the tenth, actually went off without caddies, to be
joined by them later in the round.
So after a crazy start, we were all away, a little ahead
of schedule as it turned out, with the group this time electing to play from
the shorter white tees. Although on the first nine (course back nine) there
was a significant difference between the whites and the blues, on the back
they were, with the exception of one hole, all on the same tee box.
It was a good paced round with no hold-ups but even from
the shorter tees, the course was the winner in most cases; only Rosco
(again) and Paul Greenaway, both with 37pts, gave the course a bit of a
lesson, with the rest of the field trailing way behind.
Three of last year’s top five finishers, namely Bernie
and John Stafford were again showing well with Bernie (34) grabbing third in
Div A and John (33) winning Div B and Kamol (Mon) leading the three ladies
in the field with her 31pts.
After the golf was finished and before it was dark, we
were treated to a spectacular storm up and down the valley, which lasted a
good 40 minutes or so.
Div A (0–16)
1st Rosco Langoulant (16) 37pts
2nd Paul Greenaway (11) 37pts
3rd Bernie Stafford (13) 34pts
Div B (17+)
1st John Stafford (18) 33pts
2nd Jon Kittilsen (19) 32pts
3rd Sugar Ray Handford (18) 32pts
Wednesday, April 18, 3rd
Royal Hills
Classic - Day 2
After the previous day’s evening storm the skies cleared,
giving way to another bright and sunny morning. Capt’ Steve was on the
putting green at breakfast time and said that the rain had little or no
effect upon the course and it wasn’t necessary to impose preferred lies and
indeed the carts were still using the fairways quite normally, which was
amazing considering the quantity of rain that fell.
The young pros were out again from the tips smacking the
ball down the first fairway, rather intimidatingly, as they could easily be
watched whilst having breakfast. So the scene was set for our second day
here but just before tee off another little twist was added as the tee of
the day was moved back to the blues.
After the customary group photo, Rosco, Paul Greenaway,
George Bishop & Bernie Stafford led the field out on time and everything was
going smoothly until the untimely arrival of a top general; some of his
sub-ordinates, playing a few holes in front of our leading group, left the
course to greet him at the clubhouse before re-joining the course at the
same hole they had been on before. The result, a total mess, our first group
were then right behind these two six-balls. Needless to say, the pace of
play slowed right up and by the par-3 16th there were
three groups on the tee.
Presentation was held at the restaurant that afternoon
and the Royal Hills management apologised profusely for the incident which
was actually out of their control but they did later in the day present the
Outback Group with some complimentary green fees for the inconvenience. Nice
gesture!
Same old faces on the leader-board as Rosco won Div A
with 36, from Bernie and Mon both on 33 and both of whom finished in the top
five last year. In Div B, Sakorn came out on top with 35pts from another of
last year’s top five finishers, John Stafford with 34.
Div A (0–16)
1st Rosco Langoulant (16) 36pts
2nd Bernie Stafford (13) 33pts
3rd Kamol Thongkiew (12) 33pts
Div B (17+)
1st Sakorn Pramoolchart (19) 35pts
2nd John Stafford (18) 34pts
3rd George Bishop (17) 31pts
Thursday, April 19, 3rd
Royal Hills
Classic - Day 2
After a leisurely breakfast and watching the young
pretenders bombard the centre of the first fairway, we checked out and left
for Lotus Valley, for the final round of the 54-hole tournament. The journey
took about an hour, made easy by the GPS gismo but the road was poor in
places, however we arrived at a deserted course with plenty of time to
spare.
With a two-tee start, this time from the whites, the
leading groups went out in reverse order from the first, whilst the
also-rans started from the tenth and we were all finished in well under four
hours.
Bernie Stafford won Div A with a fine 40pts, the best
score of the day, and standing on the 18th tee Rosco
in his mind had all but lost the overall lead and drove recklessly off the
tee.
Looking at his second shot from the balcony of the
clubhouse, Capt’ Steve reckoned he’d lost it (the tournament) as he (Rosco)
appeared to hit a driver off the deck towards the green. His next shot found
the green about 5 metres from the pin and he holed the downhill slider for a
birdie, and the overall win but at the time he didn’t know it, thinking that
Bernie had scored 41.
Paul Greenaway and Paul Bourke filled second and third
places, both scoring gross 81’s as did Bernie.
The rabbits came good in division B as the Lawtons, who
were in the second group out, and the Turnip, who played in the first group,
all came good to take the top three places as John won by three with 37 from
Suzi with 34 and Turnip 33.
As Capt’ Steve and Jack were checking the scores, Rosco
came in and confirmed that he didn’t hit driver but hit three wood for his
second shot but he said he didn’t really care because he thought he had
lost, but he did not know Bernie’s score was 40 and not 41 and that made all
the difference as Rosco had won the overall by just one shot on a total of
108. Bernie was second with 107 and Paul was third with 103.
Presentation followed shortly after when the full results
were announced, after what had been another remarkably successful tour for
the Outback.
There were a total of nine ‘2’s during the three days
from Paul Greenaway, Tony Garnett, Mick Leighton, Kamol Thongkiew, Paul
Bourke, Martin Kingswood, Steve Mann & Jean Morel got two.
Div A (0–16)
1st Bernie Stafford (13) 40pts
2nd Paul Greenaway (11) 38pts
3rd Paul Bourke (9) 36pts
Div B (17+)
1st John Lawton (21) 37pts
2nd Suzi Lawton (19) 34pts
3rd Dennis Persson (17) 33pts
Overall winners (top 5)
1st Rosco Langoulant 108pts
2nd Bernie Stafford 107pts
3rd Paul Greenaway 103pts
4th Paul Bourke 96pts
5th John Stafford 94pts
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Seve has his revenge, but Brian was brilliant
PSC golf from The Golf Club
The Khao Yai Posse poses
poolside at The Landmark in Pak Chong.
Steve Ellison
This weeks’ write up has turned out to be more of a
travel piece on Pak Chong & Khao Yai than intended. We hope it will be of
some help to those golfers who are considering a different golf destination.
This area is about 3 hour 20 minute drive from Pattaya and is just
north-east of Bangkok, so an easy route on the 7 to the 9 to the 1 to the 2
and you are there. The town we based out of is called Pak Chong and all golf
courses were no more than a 30 minute drive.
On Sunday, there was an optional golf day so some of the
boys headed out to the Khao Yai Golf Club (formerly Life Priviledge and also
Mission Hills). The consensus was the course was great and all of the lads
were very happy to have played this Jack Nicklaus layout. We were treated to
the weekend special of 1,000 baht green fee after 1:00 and it turned out to
be a great deal.
Khao Yai Golf Club is in a spectacular setting and the
course is in very good nick every time we have played here, so is therefore
highly recommended.
Khao Yai Golf Club.
Another bunch of us non-golfers headed up route 2090 to
Palio, a very successful development that recreates a little bit of Tuscany
in the Thai mountains. There are lots of little shops, cafes and restaurants
here in their version of Siena that is quite picturesque and worth the
effort, especially if there are ladies in tow.
Monday, April 16, Mountain
Creek B & C (White tees) – Stableford,.
1st John Emmerson (12) 34pts
2nd Vince Chesney (9) 32pts
3rd Jimmy Brackett (5) 32pts
Now on to the Monday comp, the Seve Ballesteros designed
Mountain Creek. There are trickier courses, I am sure. There are places here
where there were supposed to be fairways, and someone forgot to put them in.
This course has more blind shots than I have ever seen before, and the
smallest of landing areas in the narrowest of fairways. Playing it for the
first time was never going to be easy.
Marlene and Brian Prudden.
There are photos of Seve in the clubhouse so we know he
was here, just why did he approve some of the hole layouts? There are not
enough straightforward golf holes on this course, it’s just way too tricked
up. Only Seve would be able to pull off some of his amazing shots here! One
needs to play this 27 hole course a few times to get the hang of it, so best
of luck to those who wish to take on the challenge. You will need it.
John Emmerson shot the best score today with 34
Stableford points and that was all we could muster as many of our players
just got so frustrated with this course it did their heads in. Well played
Johnny, patience has its virtues.
Vincent Chesney came in 2nd with a
32 on countback with 15 on the back side over Jim Brackett’s 14 so it just
shows to go ya how hard a track this is.
Near pins winners were Peter Le Noury and once again,
Jimmy Brackett. At least the par 3’s on this course were really interesting
and beautiful.
Course condition was excellent and our 1,550 green fee,
caddy and buggy was great value for a Songkran holiday rate. This course
opened about 8 months ago so it is all new and very clean.
Bonanza Golf Club & Resort.
The course looks more mature than one would think for the
young track that it is. It has been cut through the lush jungle so most
holes have the sensible red stakes on the left and right of the narrow
fairways making the deep jungle a lateral hazard and speeding up play.
The facilities here are quite unbelievable. The massive
modern Thai-style clubhouse is superb and has very good food at OK prices.
Now if they would only have a look again at the golf course…
Tuesday, April 17,
Panorama (White teees) – Stableford
1st Brian Prudden (20) 41pts
2nd John Emmerson (12) 41pts
3rd Bob Newell (9) 40pts
For the record, the course formerly known as Voyage
Panorama is now called simply Panorama. We have played here several times
and it has always been a pleasurable golf course and today was no exception.
The staff were amazing and made us feel right at home. The course was in tip
top shape and we can highly recommend it to those who venture up north to
the Khao Yai area.
One of the great aspects of golf is that we can all get
out there and enjoy the competition from a level playing field, through the
use of a handicap system and tee positions. No other sport is able to match
what we have on the golf course that allows people of all ages and all three
sexes to enjoy.
Brian Prudden won today’s comp at the ripe young age of
77, ain’t that great? The Golf Club allows for those over 70 years old to
play from the tees one closer that those we play for the comp to make it
fair and keep everyone in the game. Brian proved he was able to do just that
and walked away with 41 Stableford points and on top of the heap.
John Emmerson continued his good run of play with a 41 as
well (a full 7 points better than his Monday win) but not as well as
Brian’s. In fairness, John gave credit to his new pain killers that gave his
back a rest for 18 holes. I want some of those! Fortunately for John, The
Golf Club has no policy regarding random drugs testing. But maybe we should.
Bob Newell drove into town on his new Keeway Speedlight
200 (Matt, to you and me) and took third place with 40 points. Bob had an
easy 3 footer on the 18th that he bungled but we won’t
dwell on that, will we? Now getting back to that putt he missed, he would
have won had he made that teeny little 36 inch shot dead straight and
uphill. At least he won the long drive contest…not on the course, but by
taking 2 days to get here from Pattaya on Matt.
Thursday, April 19,
Bonanza (white tees) – Stableford.
1st Brian Prudden (20) 38pts
2nd Ed Wycoff (10) 38pts
3rd Bob Newell (5) 37pts
4th Jimmy Brackett (5) 37pts
Wednesday was an optional golf day and some of the boys
also went to Toscana Valley, one of the top 5 courses in Thailand. It cost
us 2,800 to play here, like Siam Old course it is truly a championship golf
course with first class facilities and is in pristine condition. Play here
if you can, it is great!
And now, on to Bonanza, which is a lovely mature course
that is a must-play when in the Khao Yai area. The golf course is in great
shape and I suppose one could compare it to Green Valley in Pattaya, where
every hole is different and just an all around nice day out. We timed the
trip for Sports Day and played this wonderful track for a mere 500 baht, the
best deal up there for sure.
The weather was gorgeous and a slight mountain breeze
made the day just perfect for a round of golf, just ask Brian Prudden. With
support from wife Marlene, Brian once again took the top spot with 38
points. The Pruddens, from Mandurra- just outside Perth in Australia, have
been married for 52 years so that is quite a partnership.
Ed Wycoff - the big winner 2 weeks ago - also shot 38 but
had 17 on the back to Brian’s 18 for second place and Bob Newell battled it
out with Jimmy Brackett and walked off the back nine with a massive 22
points to blitz out Jimmy for third on count back.
So for this year, it looks like Brian Prudden claims Man
of the Match for Khao Yai Songkran Tour 2012! Well played mate and thanks to
all 22 golfers who joined us for another great road trip.
Note: The Golf Club is “The Home of Golf in
Pattaya” and is located on Soi LK Metro. We play on Monday, Wednesday and
Friday so come join us for a fun day out. Just call 085 434 3377 or see our
website www.golfclub pattaya.com and for more information mail us:
[email protected] and see updates at www. facebook.com/golfclubpattaya.
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Parish takes a shine to Crystal Bay
PSC golf from Tropical Bert’s
Derek Brook
Friday, April 12, Crystal
Bay – Stableford
This was the day that nearly was not. We thought we would
slip in a day at the end of water throwing in Pattaya and see if we could
get a group together. Mind, we knew that most of our players were leaving
town, but surely we could get together a few diehards who had hidden away
for a few days.
Brian Parish.
Well it seemed that the answer was no way, no golf. With
a couple of days to go we had a two-ball, Dick and myself, and quite
realistically with Dick playing so well of late I did not fancy coming
second, so a cancellation was on the cards. Then the cracks opened and a few
hardy souls came forth, including arrivals from UK, and blow me down we had
a couple of cars full. Oh the joy. So off we went with a smile on our faces,
powder coated or not.
Crystal Bay was quite empty, so we were soon booked in
and onto the course where we were told we would play the C & A Nines in a
strong wind. While this course is not a shadow of what it was 10 years ago,
it is still a far better than many who seem to have a better ‘Go To’
following and at present it has a great rate for the poor old ones, like me,
who take a buggy. I can do with a bit of that, and incidentally as a sister
course of Mountain Shadow, both share the great rate.
So off we went in blustery conditions and the course was
in quite good shape, really, it has seen a bit of use but the fairways are
now starting to grass up and the greens are still hard and fast. The rough
mind is still rough and at least at this course it is fairly forgiving, in
most places, but they do tend to grow the trees directly in front of my
ball. I seem to always hit a tree or am stuck behind one; that is if I am
not in a bunker. I suspect I have at some time hit all the trees on all the
courses, well it feels that way. Mind, there were some good scores.
Back at Bert’s we were able to all sit around one of
Bert’s big tables, and that was OK as I was able to share with one of the
players, Henry O’Brien, who ordered the ‘Golfers Special’ and it was so much
we shared one between us. Getting old has its privileges, I still listen to
my mother who knows all the places to get a ‘pensioners meal’ within miles
of her home. I can go with her now. Happy Days!!
Well we did have a result and winners. Brian Parish had
the best score with 40 points, with 24 points on the back nine, with the
scribe in second with 38 points on count back over Dick Warberg in third. We
were so sorry for the rest we bought them a few beers and in fact had a
great night, especially as Nigel brought my cheese. Holiday players do have
their uses. T.T.F.N.
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A quiet week on the fairways
Bunker Boys @ The Bowling Green
Neil, left, the only one of the 3 ‘bandidos’
to play through Songkran.
It’s that time of the year again that all Pattaya expats
dread, and when the sensible ones leave town. It seems that each year
the water madness gets worse, with reports that it started on the 9th
and will go through to the 19th.
How the city authorities can class the mayhem as a tourist attraction is
beyond my powers of comprehension, and the disruption to local
businesses (including golf courses) must be enormous.
The management of the Bowling Green took the sensible decision to close
the premises until the 19 th
so our small band of die-hard golfers was left without a home base for
the first two games of the week.
Monday, April 16,
Pattana – Medal
Only 5 golfers today due to the public holiday, but
at least the management at Pattana came up with a reasonable deal for
us. We were told that we could play as a 5-ball if we took golf carts
(one to a cart) at a price of 1,500 Baht – not too bad for a holiday.
There was some controversy on the day regarding
handicaps when it was found that one member had an IPGC handicap one
shot lower than the PSC handicap he was playing off on the day. Come on
guys, there’s no controversy here, if you have 2 handicaps (where else
but Pattaya!), then it’s basic golf etiquette that you play off the
lowest handicap – end of discussion.
1 st Lee
Butler (16) 35pts
2 nd Tony
Robbins (hcp 12) 31pts
Wednesday, April 18,
The Emerald – Stableford
More proof today of the impact of Songkran, as we
arrived at Emerald to find it eerily deserted. Our intrepid group of
die-hards teed off without any other golfers in sight in perfect
weather, with a cool breeze keeping the temperature down. The round was
completed in double quick time, and Colin Greig kept up his recent run
of good form to win the day.
1 st Colin
Greig (8) 36pts
2 nd Paul
Smith (3) 33pts
3 rd Lee
Butler (16) 29pts
Friday, April 20,
Bangpra – Medal
The last time we played Bangpra was only 3 weeks ago,
and the course was packed, but today we arrived to find it was deserted.
Today was the hottest day of the year so far (our resident meteorologist
estimated 39 degrees) and several players wilted on the back nine. There
was no stopping Neil Griffin though, and the highest handicapper on the
day, carded the best net score of the day to take the honours.
It was a strange day on the par 3’s with only one
green being hit – by P.J. With an empty course we were completed in well
under 4 hours, leaving ample time for a few refreshing beers on the way
back to the Bowling Green (now thankfully back open). Hopefully next
week sanity will return (well maybe not – it is Pattaya after all), and
the golfing scene will return to normal.
1 st Neil
Griffin (28) net 74
2 nd Tony
Robbins (12) net 78
3 rd Colin
Greig (8) net 83
Note: The Bunker Boys are a PSC
affiliated golf society who now play out of the Bowling Green on Soi
X-Zyte between Pattaya 3rd
Road and Soi Buakhaow. We play three times per week on Mondays,
Wednesdays, and Fridays, so if you enjoy a fun day out, and a friendly
but competitive golf competition why not come and join us.
We meet at the Bowling Green at 9 a.m. for breakfast
and transportation, and new players with valid handicaps are always
welcome. For more information call Dave on 087 146 9978, email dave.
[email protected].
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Griffiths shoots best of the week
Jomtien Golf with the IPGC
Monday, April 16, Eastern
Star – Stableford
The craziest week of the year here and for some of our
lads who had not gone away or into hibernation for the week they needed a
game. A holiday price today so obviously we were at Eastern Star and with a
few overnight cancellations we only went out with two divisions and the cut
was6-16 in division 1 and 17 + in division 2.
Mike Missler and Rod Howett,
1st and 2nd division winners at Eastern Star on Friday.
We are still being told by the management that the greens
will be highly improved in the next 21 days, so we will keep everyone
updated.
Alan Griffiths, playing off 11, shot a gross 38 on the
back nine to score 22 points and with 15 on the front he won division 1 with
37 points. A great round Alan! Frank Kelly was second one point behind and
Chris Voller took third on 34.
Iain Walsh with 34 points beat Mauri Friman on a 19/17
count back to win division 2 and Walter Webber was third two points behind.
Friday, April 20, Eastern
Star - Stableford
The same divisional cut as Monday and there was a slight
improvement to the greens, let’ see what the next few weeks will bring.
37 points won both divisions today, with Mike Missler
winning division 1 ahead of Alan Pilkington in second two points behind and
Bill Bertram beat Mikael Andersson on an 18/16 back nine count back for
third after they both scored 33 points.
Rod Howett topped the second division, with Iain Walsh
second on 34 and Walter Webber third with 33 ahead of Stan Everingham in
fourth with 29.
Near pins went to Jason Cole, Arthur Hancock, Alan
Pilkington, Marty Rock, Rod Howett and Joe Kubon.
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Dore blasts Khao
Kheow into submission
IPGC golf from The Links
Sunday, April 15, Green Valley –
Stableford
The reasonable turnout today, despite the start of Songkran week, were
rewarded with a course still in pristine condition, and with the course
almost to ourselves, the first 3-ball were able to tee off on arrival and
made it round in well under four hours.
Big hitting Byan Dore.
The almost ideal golfing conditions were reflected in the
standard of scoring for the day with all but one player scoring 30+ points.
Joe McArdle showed a return to form with his first sub-par round in over two
months, to take first spot with 37 points, two ahead of the ever consistent
Jon Batty, again in the placings, with Gerry Hannon a further two points
back in third.
There were no ‘2’s registered so the pot carried forward to Khao Kheow on
Wednesday.
1st Joe McArdle (13) 37pts
2nd Jon Batty (8) 35pts
3rd Gerry Hannon (10) 33pts
Wednesday, April 18, Khao Kheow – Stableford
A full minibus travelled up to Khao Kheow today to tackle the A & B courses
off the yellow tees, and we were again met by an almost empty golf course –
I wish it could be Songkran every week! A lot has been said of the condition
of the course in recent weeks, especially the greens, but apart from a few
patches on the B9, the course is generally in good condition.
Conditions were very hot and humid, especially on the sheltered A course,
which made for difficult scoring for everyone bar Sunday’s “all but one”,
Bryan Dore, who finally made the most of his monstrous drives, to shoot a
fantastic gross 74, which included a one under par back 9. Jon Batty again
took second place, but this time a full 7 points behind, with Len Desharnais
completing the placings back on 27 points.
Canadian Len Desharnais also benefited from the ‘2’s rollover, birdying the
signature 8th hole on the B course.
1st Bryan Dore (6) 40pts
2nd Jon Batty (8) 33pts
3rd Len Desharnais (16) 27pts
Note: The Links depart from the hotel on Soi Buakhao at 9.30am on Tuesdays
and Thursdays and for Rayong Green Valley every Sunday. Sign up at the hotel
or contact Jon on 080 021 1034. A full schedule of courses can be found on
the IPGC website www.ipgc.org.
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John Heaney Sunday’s best
PSC golf from Lewiinski’s Golf Society
Sunday, April 15, Green
Valley - Stableford
1st John Heaney (18) 39pts
2nd Dean Higgins (13) 39pts
3rd Ian Halfpenny (13) 36pts
Songkran week was upon us and several of the venues
decided to just cancel their fixtures rather than fight the water and the
exodus of farangs, including the Offaly gang, who left for the airport in a
Securicor van.
Sunday’s top two: John
Heaney, right, and Dean Higgins.
Because Lewiinski’s has always been a halfway house for
lost souls the society chose to provide a distraction to those that stayed
behind. Irishman John Heaney was glad he stayed as he was involved in a 39
point count back with good friend Dean Higgins and came out the winner. Ian
Halfpenny showed he could splash it about a bit as he closed the flight with
a solid even par round.
Paul Robinson slotted home the only ‘2’ of the day.
Monday, April 16, Khao
Kheow - Stableford
A Flight
1st Matt Cronin (13) 37pts
2nd Adam Oyston (16) 35pts
B Flight
1st Bev Byrne (23) 36pts
2nd Christy Knight (22) 35pts
With the majority of the society’s core members away to
the UK, Bintan, Khao Yai or Ireland, the field was wide open. Irishman Matt
Cronin jumped through the unprotected breach in the society’s defenses and
snatched the A Flight gold on the day with a very impressive 37 points. Big
Adam Oyston took the silver two strokes adrift.
Bev Byrne was the toast of the bar as her even par round
took top spot in B Flight. Christy ‘good’ Knight, unaccustomed to taking a
back seat to anyone on this course, had to settle for second place with Sean
Soden getting the short stick and left out in the cold.
John Rehm pocketed a healthy 2’s pot.
Wednesday, April 18,
Mountain Shadow - Stableford
1st Max Scott (5) 36pts
2nd Bob Watson (3) 35pts
3rd Savatore Brizzi (8) 33pts
A field wracked by Songkran defectors took on the often
unforgiving layout of Mountain Shadow. With the heat, the lads were reticent
to avail themselves of the favorably priced liberations of the course, which
only served to make it tougher.
Max Scott was the toast of the day with a best on the day
even par round, as Bob Watson filled the Silver spot a shot off the pace.
Savatore Brizzi completed the frame a further two strokes back.
Bob Watson and the headline boy John Heaney split the 2’s
pot.
Friday, April 20, Treasure
Hills - Stableford
1st Paddy Jordan (18) 39pts
2nd Michael Prideaux (11) 38pts
3rd Sean Soden (23) 35pts
Irishmen ruled the flight as Paddy Jordan (39 points) and
Sean Soden with a 35 point count back over Fellow Irishman Peter Wallace
filled the first and third places on the podium. Michael Prideaux stopped
the Irish boys from cleaning up with38 points.
Colin Sansom slotted home the only 2 of the day.
Note: Lewiinski’s is situated on Pattaya Land Soi
1, Beach Road Soi 13/3 near to Walking Street. Anyone wishing to play with
us just pop in and add your name to the list or call Colin on 089 826 0764.
Transport is provided.
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Hoser Memorial Golf Tournament
at Plutaluang Golf Course
on Thursday May 3rd, 2012
The First Annual Hoser Memorial Golf Tournament will be
held on Thursday May 3rd with Tee-offs from 08:00 onwards at Sattahip’s
Plutaluang Golf Course.
The format will be “modified Stableford” in that everyone
starts off from ZERO handicap
You will be awarded 1 stroke towards a “day handicap” for
each beer (or mixed drink) that you consume on the course (to be verified by
your playing partners).
A very nice winner’s plaque will be presented to the
winner on the day
It will be “pay your own” at the course on the day with a
1000 Baht sign up fee on top of your course costs. This will get you a Golf
Shirt, and a good feed afterwards at The Haven, with a free Hoser Shake to
boot.
There will be limited transportation available from The
Haven on the day on a first come basis for those who think they may wind up
with a HIGH handicap.
For more information visit the Hoser Memorial Golf
Tournament website at:
http://jackalopeopen.awardspace.com/Hoser%20Memorial/HMGT2.html
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Thai Polo prevail in annual beach tourney
Action from the final between
Thai Polo and China. (Photo/www.florsilvestrini.com)
The finals of the third ‘Asian Beach Polo Championship
InterContinental-B.Grimm’, Asia’s only beach polo tournament, took place
April 7 at the beachfront of the InterContinental Resort Hua Hin.
The event, co-organized by Suwat Liptapanlop and Harald
Link, chairman of the B.Grimm Group, was held to promote tourism in Hua Hin
and also to raise funds for the ‘Kamlangjai Project’ or Inspire by Princess
PA, initiated by HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha.
Players from all four teams
pose for a group photo at the conclusion of the event.
(Photo/www.florsilvestrini.com)
As usual the tournament drew a relative who’s who of
local socialites, luminaries and VIP’s to attend, including the guest of
honour, H.E. Rolf Schulze, the German Ambassador to Thailand.
A parade of horses, marching bands and a fashion show by
models on horseback by Burberry and La Perla preceded the polo matches,
which had to be played early in the day to avoid the afternoon high tide.
The third place play-off match was between the Macau team
(Rodrigo, Goncalo and Santi) and the India team (Claudia, Bhawani and It),
with the latter going on to record a comfortable 6-3ฝ victory.
The climax of the competition saw Thai Polo, based here
in Pattaya and comprising Harald Link, Caroline Link and Nu, take on a
strong representative team from China of Claude, William and Juan. The China
team got off to a good start and were the first to put a goal on the
scoreboard in the opening chukka, but Thai Polo used their experience to
drag themselves back into it and eventually outlasted their opponents to
record a hard fought 4-2 win and collect the Princess PA’s Cup.
The day ended with cocktails, and sumptuous dinner along
the beach, all served under a picturesque setting sun.
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Supachai eyes London gold while blazing a trail for disabled Thai athletes
Derek Franklin
While Olympic champions become household names in
Thailand, gold medal winning athletes with a disability often remain unknown
and do not always receive the same recognition or financial rewards as their
able bodied compatriots.
Supachai Koysub shows a
selection of his winning medals from previous Olympic Games.
The eyes of the world will look towards London this
summer when Queen Elizabeth II presides over the opening ceremony of the
2012 Olympic Games. Of all the sporting events taking place throughout the
world, none causes as much interest and excitement as the Olympic Games.
Viewers from the richest and poorest nations will be
transfixed to their television screens, cheering their compatriots and
hoping that their athletes will win the most prized of sporting prizes, an
Olympic gold medal. After seventeen days of triumphs and heartache the
Olympic flame will be extinguished, the lights will fade and the athletes
will return home.
Thailand has only won seven gold medals at past Olympic
Games, and weightlifter Prapawadee Jaroenrattanatarakoon and boxer Somjit
Jongjohir both became household names after winning gold in Beijing 2008.
All Thai athletes will be hoping and praying that they are selected for
London and that all their hard work pays off and they too can return home
from London carrying a medal.
But less than three weeks after the Olympic closing
ceremony, the stadium in East London will once again welcome athletes from
around the world. The torch carriers will light the cauldron and athletes
will compete for gold at the 2012 Paralympic Games.
Thai athletes competing at recent Paralympic Games have
won more gold, silver and bronze medals than their able bodied countrymen
and yet the names of these athletes often remain unknown.
One such athlete is Supachai Koysub. A native of
Chaiyaphum province, Supachai contracted polio at an early age which left
his legs severely weakened. At the age of seventeen he travelled to Pattaya
and enrolled at the Redemptorist Vocational School for People with
Disabilities. It was here that Supachai was first introduced to athletics,
in particular wheelchair racing.
A year later he competed in his first ever wheelchair
race at the National Games for the Disabled and surprisingly he won a silver
medal.
At the age of twenty three Supachai was selected to
represent Thailand at the Sydney 2000 Games.
An unknown athlete, he was not expected to feature on the
winner’s podium, and in the 100m wheelchair racing final he lost out on a
bronze medal by one hundredth of a second.
In the first heat of the 200m he came second to Swedish
athlete Hakan Ericsson, who broke the world record. However in the final
race Supachai passed Ericson, won the gold medal and broke the world record,
finishing with a time of 25.01.
Supachai also went on to win a second gold medal in the
4x100m race and silver in the 4x400m race. On arriving back to Pattaya he
continued with his work as a teacher at the Vocational School, but all his
free time was committed to training.
Four years later he travelled to Europe for the 2004
Athens Paralympic Games and won two gold medals in the 4x100m and 4x400m
wheelchair race, both times helping his team mates break the world record.
At the Beijing 2008 Games Supachai won two silver and one
bronze medal, and he is hoping to do better later this year when he
represents Thailand at his fourth Paralympic Games in London.
Currently at a training camp in Korat, Supachai, along
with his fellow athletes, is training as hard as his body will allow. A team
of coaches, physiotherapists, nutritionalists and psychologists are working
together to ensure each athlete is in his or her peak condition. Ranked
number two in the world, Supachai is one of the favourites to win a medal in
London.
While national TV networks will be dedicating whole
channels and many hours of coverage each day to the Olympic Games, it is
unlikely that the Paralympic Games will receive as much air time.
There will not be as many spectators watching the Games
in the Olympic Stadium. The number of television crews will be reduced and
the results of the Paralympic Games will take up a minimum of inches in the
newspaper columns.
If an able bodied Thai athlete returns to Thailand from
London later this year carrying a gold medal, they will be met at the
airport by fans, photographers and film crews. They will make headline news,
their photo will appear on the front pages of the Thai and English
newspapers and they will receive a generous financial gift from the
government. If Supachai, who is currently ranked number two in the world of
200m wheelchair sprinting, brings home a gold medal, the likelihood of him
being mobbed by the media at Suvarnabhumi is small.
Athletes with disabilities work as hard, if not harder
than an able bodied athlete. These athletes have won more gold medals than
their non-disabled compatriots and yet they receive less coverage, little
support and on average just half of what an able bodied athlete receives in
prize money from the government.
But for Supachai it is not about the money. At the age of thirty five
many athletes will be thinking about retirement, but Supachai is already
looking ahead to the 2016 Games which will be hosted in the Brazilian city
of Rio de Janeiro. But before thinking too much about participating in his
fifth Paralympic Games, he has to prove in London that he is still a force
to be reckoned with.
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Ehsen hat-trick seals big City win
Bangkok Casuals Football League DIV 1 & 2
Paul Frain
After the New Year break, City were on their travels to
play Bangkok F.C. in the capital last weekend and were surprised when the
home team were only able to field nine players for the first fifteen minutes
of the game. This didn’t make things easy for City however as the hosts
dropped deep and their well organized defence was able to deal with anything
Pattaya threw at them.
Once they were back to a full complement of players,
Bangkok become more of any offensive force and they almost capitalized on a
misplaced pass in the Pattaya defence to open the scoring but the chance was
wasted and both teams went into the half time break with score level at 0-0.
After the break City took the game by the scuff of the
neck and started to find the gaps in the Bangkok defense and Dipita was
unlucky to see his shot hit the side netting from a good position. This gave
City confidence and an easy chance was missed by Ehsan and then a probing
centre found the same player again unmarked and he struck the ball with
power and the deadlock was broken when the ball hit the back of the net to
make it 1-0.
City were now on song and a good center were wasted as
the forwards were left behind due to the quickness of the run down the wing.
Then Bangkok, in one of their rare attacks, nearly scored after their
forward beat three City defenders but somehow put his shot wide.
City went up the other end of the pitch and gained a
corner on the right and when Thioma swung the ball in it was met by the head
of Ehsan before thundering into the back of the Bangkok net before anybody
moved to make it 2-0.
Almost immediately Bangkok pulled one back though as the
City defense failed to tackle the Bangkok forward who gleefully accepted the
chance and slotted the ball home to make it 2-1.
City were having none of it however and put the Bangkok
defense under extreme pressure and a miss-kick from one of the City forwards
found Ehsan who’s shot left the Bangkok keeper rooted to the spot to make it
3-1, which also completed his hat-trick.
Bangkok were now down to nine men due to injuries and
from another city corner Dipita was the quickest to re-act to make it 4-1.
Then a final goal came just before full time when a usual City passing move
saw centre forward Vorontsov score to make it 5-1.
This fine win for City keeps them on course for second
place and they are on their travels again this coming weekend with a trip to
face Cosmos.
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TOT deal United
a second straight defeat
Thai Premier League Season 2012
Pattaya United’s O. J.
Obatola slips away from the TOT defence during the second half of their Thai
Premier League fixture in Bangkok, Sunday, April 22. (Photo/Ariyawat
Nuamsawat – Pattaya United)
Pattaya United suffered their second consecutive defeat
of the season last Sunday to make it a Sonkran holiday to forget for the
Eastern Seaboard outfit.
Having lost 2-0 at home to Chainat the week prior to the
New Year period, United seemed to carry a hangover from the festivities into
their match against TOT in Chaeng Wattana, Bangkok last weekend.
It all started so promisingly however as the Dolphins
took the lead against the previously winless TOT when Paul Ekollo latched
onto a through ball from Kim Do-Yeon in the 18th
minute to break through the TOT back line and slot the ball past the
advancing keeper to give Pattaya the lead.
The home side were level by half time however as Diego
Walsh’s free kick was cruelly deflected off the Pattaya wall and left
Preedaboon stranded in the United goal.
The home side took control in the second half and edged
ahead when defensive midfielder Pichit Ketsro ghosted through the United
defence to head home a cross from Nanthasri in the 67th
minute.
United struggled manfully to get back on level terms but
the TOT defence held firm and the hosts sealed all three points in the final
minute of injury time when a thunderbolt left foot shot from Deeprom crashed
into the net from an acute angle.
Pattaya will need to regroup from their Songkran slip-up
to take on their next challenge, which is a home match against Esan United
at the Nongprue Stadium in Pattaya this coming Sunday, April 29. Kick-off is
scheduled for 6 p.m.
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NeilPryde Racing Series to join
Thailand’s Top of the Gulf Regatta
The NeilPryde Racing Series,
racing the one-design ISAF RS:One Class, take to the waters in Pattaya to
join the Top of the Gulf Regatta this year.
The NeilPryde Racing Series – a one-design windsurfing
class world tour – will race in Thailand for the first time at the 2012 Top
of the Gulf Regatta, Jomtien Beach, Pattaya. The Series will race over the
first two days of the Regatta, Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th May, and provide
a spectacular display of close-quarter racing at Ocean Marina Yacht Club.
Launched in 2011, the NeilPryde Racing Series will hold
its first stop of 2012 in Pattaya in conjunction with the Top of the Gulf
Regatta. Subsequent sailing venues for 2012 include Istanbul (Turkey),
Dunkerque (France), Porto (Portugal), Cardiff (Wales), Trapani (Italy), Nice
(France), Hong Kong and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).
Designed by Olympic windsurf equipment supplier
NeilPryde, the NeilPryde Racing Series uses the new, universal one-design
ISAF windsurfing class, the RS:One.
The RS:One Class features a new, attractive, and dynamic
race format making the racing a spectacle for the crowds. One sail, one
board - everyone on the same equipment allowing male and female racers of
all ages to compete together with equal chances.
Top Asian athletes will compete on the RS:One along with
local windsurfing heroes and London Olympic Games representatives from
Thailand. The winners of each division will share the US$3000 prize money.
Race Manager, Emmanuel Messiaen, said, “We expect 20 to
30 racers in Pattaya, with a strong representation from Thailand, as well as
racers from Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. Being a one-design class, we
will supply the RS:One equipment and all will be equal. The winner will be
the one who races the best over the two days.”
The Top of the Gulf Regatta is Asia’s largest multi-class
regatta, combining keelboats and multihulls with dinghies and beach
catamarans, and new for this year windsurfing, in conjunction with the
NeilPryde Racing Series and with support from the Windsurfing Association of
Thailand.
William Gasson, Founder and Chairman of the Top of the
Gulf Regatta Organising Committee, said, “We’re delighted to welcome the
NeilPryde Racing Series to the Top of the Gulf Regatta this year. The
Regatta aims to support all disciplines within the sport of sailing and this
year we will have a diverse fleet on-the-water from boards to dinghies to
beach catamarans, multihulls and keelboats.”
The Top of the Gulf Regatta will take place 4–8 May 2012
at Ocean Marina Yacht Club, Na Jomtien, Pattaya. The NeilPryde Racing Series
will take place 5th and 6th May, with a possible exhibition night race with
LED sails on the evening of Saturday 5th May.
(Infinity Communications PR)
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Pattaya gears up for another festival of rugby
Pattaya 10’s rugby takes place
at Horseshoe Point, May 5-6, 2012.
The weekend of 5th and 6th May 2012 will see the twelfth
staging of the Pattaya 10’s Rugby Tournament, which is now known as the
Amari Orchid Pattaya Chris Kays Memorial Tournament to perpetuate the memory
of the former Pattaya Panthers captain, who was tragically killed in the
Bali bombing in October 2002.
Once again the tournament will be staged at The Horseshoe
Point Resort, the newly expanded playing field is superb and with the
support of Khun Chainarin Srifuengfung, Khun Girana and their staff, we are
sure that everybody will love playing or watching the rugby in such
attractive surroundings. There will be an open 10’s Tournament for men and a
Junior Division (Under 15’s), which is now in its fourth year, to enable the
youngsters to display their skills and potential on a major stage.
There will be 16 teams in the main tournament and as
usual this year there will be a very strong local influence led by the Old
Bangkok Bangers and the newly invigorated Southerners! We look forward to
the return of The Royal Thai Police to defend their title and The Chiang Mai
Suas, who were beaten in an epic Cup final for the second year running and
they will be hoping that this will be their year … third time lucky?
Former champions Thai Barbarians will be back and other
new names include Surin Bold and the Watsrichan Old Boys.
The overseas flavour will come from the Pau Ma Tei
Barbarians a newly born touring side of the famous Valley RFC in Hong Kong
and I am very pleased to report that following extensive chronometer
retraining one of our favourite teams the Buccaneers from Australia have
actually managed to book their tour for the correct weekend this year and we
look forward to their return to the tournament.
Of course crowd favourites The Bangkok Japanese will be
looking to upset some of the more favoured teams. There will not be such a
strong academic influence this year as our tournament clashes with the
University games so many University sides will be missing however Thammasat
University will be making their first appearance at the tournament.
Don’t underestimate the hosts who have been training hard
on the field under new coach Des Halls and new Captain Adrien Simon, the
leader of the French revolution!
A tournament such as this could not be staged without the
backing of the generous sponsors and this year the Amari Orchid Resort have
become the tournament principal sponsor and the tournament will therefore be
known as the Amari Orchid Pattaya Chris Kays Memorial Tournament. There has
also been significant support received from MBMG International, Jamesons and
Cranes & Equipment Asia.
In addition the Panthers would also like to thank other
tournament sponsors Construction Cost Consultants, Bangkok Pattaya Hospital,
Aus Group (formerly Modern Industries), CR Asia Ltd., Waste Management
Services Thailand, Societe Generale de Surveillance, Jardine Shipping
Services, Phoenix Pacific Inc., Icebreaker and Rhenus Logistics.
Players and friends will get together on Friday night
(4th May) for a “welcoming party and training session” at Jamesons the Irish
Pub. The action begins at 9am on Saturday and concludes around 6pm Sunday in
what should be a memorable weekend festival of rugby - there will be almost
24 hours of entertaining rugby action during the two days.
Note: the U 15’s tournament will be played from 16:00 to
19:00 on Saturday evening and will conclude between 08:00 and 10:00 on
Sunday morning.
“The weather is forecast to be fine and the venue is in
perfect condition so we have no doubt that this will be the best tournament
yet,” said Chairman of the Pattaya Panthers, Jim Howard.
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Nigel Short triumphs at 12th
Bangkok Chess Club Open 2012
British Grand Master Nigel Short won the recently
completed 12th Bangkok Chess Club Open 2012 with a
last-round draw against IM Nguyen Duc Hoa, whose outstanding performance
earned the Vietnamese player a Grand Master norm.
British GM, Nigel Short,
centre, the Bangkok Open Champion 2012, stands alongside India’s M.R.
Venkatesh and Neelotpal Das at the conclusion of the tournament.
The annual event took place at the Dusit Thani hotel in
Bangkok from April 14-19 and was attended by a host of top chess players
representing 34 nations in total. India provided the largest contingent with
33 players aiming for the top award and while there were also numerous
players from China and the Southeast Asian countries, players travelled from
as far away as Europe, the USA, and Australia to be part of one of Asia’s
foremost chess events.
From the beginning of the tournament Short demonstrated
his great fighting spirit. Having won the Gibraltar Chess Festival in
January, it was apparent that he had come to Bangkok with a high confidence
level and the mission to become the sole champion. Mission accomplished!
Short played with passion and expertise in his fourth consecutive BCC Open
tournament and finally managed to win it.
GM Farrukh Amonatov faces WGM
Pham Le Thao Nguyen of Vietnam in the final of the Blitz Championship.
While defending champion GM Jan Gustafsson and Women’s
World Champion GM Hou Yifan underperformed, other predominantly Asian
participants played very well and often surpassed expectations. In the
Challenger category, Tint Swe Win (Myanmar) was the sole winner with 6.5
points after having defeated Filipino front-runner Arnulfo Gavilan Jr. in
the final round. Tint Swe Win was followed by a pack of six players from the
Philippines!
The very competitive and well-attended blitz tournament
was won by GM Farrukh Amonatov while IM Nguyen Van Huy was the runner-up,
and Wan Yunguo finished third.
For more information including a full list of the winners
and scores, go to http://bangkokchess.com.
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Tears from Thai champ
at Bali Hai ‘Fight Night’
Buakaw Por. Pramuk, right,
lands a high kick on Russia’s Zaripow Zaripow Rastem during their 70kg
contest.
Manoon Makpol
Big time Muay Thai boxing hit Pattaya last week as the
city staged a spectacular ‘Fight Night’ at Bali Hai Pier on Tuesday, April
17. A total of 8 top class bouts were held at the temporary arena to the
delight of the thousands of fight fans who came to watch the show and the
millions watching at home on the Thai Channel 3 live broadcast.
The highlight of the evening was a contest that very
nearly didn’t happen. Right up until the opening bell it was unclear whether
Thailand’s Sombut Bunchamekh a.k.a. Buakaw Por. Pramuk would show up
following a contract dispute with his former training camp and promoter.
Zaripow Rastem is knocked to
the canvas during the second round and counted out.
Buakaw had fallen out with his previous handlers over a
pay dispute and following his walk-out it appeared that the Thai boxing
commission would veto his appearance here in Pattaya. However, much to the
delight of his many fans, the Surin native did indeed take to the ring last
week to face off against Russia’s Zaripow Rastem in the 70kg division.
As it transpired the bout was something of an anti-climax
as Rastem was comprehensively outclassed, and with Buakaw seemingly able to
pick his opponent off with ease, the Thai champion unleashed a devastating
assault in the second round that saw Restem knocked to the canvas and
counted out.
After the fight a tearful Buakaw announced to the crowd
that his desire to fight for his fans and the King had overcome any fears of
the legal repercussions he may now face.
“I didn’t think I was going to fight tonight… I’ve got a
lot of problems,” said the Thai boxer. “But I am very determined and all
relevant authorities, whether it is my old boxing camp or the manager of
Thai Fight, know of my determination. I have worked hard, practiced hard and
I wanted to fight because I was last year’s champ. Most importantly, I am
not up here for myself but for my country, for the King and my people of
Surin. Today, brothers and sisters have come to cheer me and I cannot throw
that dream away, no matter what, even if I have to go to jail tomorrow.”
Singmanee Kaewsamrit, 2nd
left, and his camp show their delight at being awarded a points decision
over Sudsakorn Sor Klinmee.
At the conclusion of his emotional speech Buakaw got on
his knees to ‘wai’ his 62 year old father who was also in the crowd to watch
his son fight.
In the aftermath of last week’s fight it now seems that
the Thai members of Parliament have become involved in the dispute between
Buakaw and his former promoters, with rumours of a supposed 3 million
buy-out deal being bandied about as a possible solution to the dispute.
Back to the action in the ring and other notable contests
at the Pattaya Fight Night last week saw Singmanee Kaewsamrit outpoint
Sudsakorn Sor Klinmee in the 67kg division; Bernueng Top King Boxing got a
three-round decision over American Chaz Mulkey, and Kem Sitsongpeenong put
on an impressive performance to stop Frenchman Mickael Cornubet.
The Muay Thai tournament proved to be another big success
for city officials and the promoters and once again highlighted Pattaya’s
suitability and capacity for hosting premier sporting events. The contest
was accompanied by a spectacular firework show and a live music performance
by Thai favourites Carabao. We hope to see more such events being staged in
Pattaya in the near future.
America’s Chaz Mulkey, right,
faces off against Thailand’s Bernueng Top King Boxing.
An emotional Buakaw Por.
Pramuk parades a picture of His Majesty the King in the ring following his
victory over Rastem.
The Pattaya public turned out
in their thousands to watch the action in the ring.
Buakaw supporters had much to
cheer about on the night.
Carabao put on a live music
performance to keep the fight fans entertained between bouts.
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