The Pattaya Golf Society (IPGC) at Rabbi’s Elephant Bar
On Monday, 14th January the Pattaya Golf Society made the slightly longer journey to Bangpakong Riverside to play a stableford event on the extremely well prepared course. The fairways are better than anywhere at the moment and the greens were the only disappointment being in need of a cut. But the whole experience of playing golf there is an exciting one.
The two flights were divided at fifteen and under and a tight encounter ensued in the second flight as Jim Ferris, a man in form at the moment, shared second place with John Chelo on 36 points. The winner was Yvonne Earley, playing solidly and hitting the fairways, and her 37 points represented a good day’s work for the lady golfer.
PGS Championship winners Pete Sumner and Wichai Tananusorn, flanked by runners-up Masa Takano and Mike Earley.
In the top flight Dave Moriarty’s 34 points took third place but Mike Early emulated the round of his wife with 37 points for the runner-up spot. The winner was Dave Edwards, freshly returned from England via Abu Dhabi, and he showed he has lost none of his form with an excellent 39 point return giving him a good win.
There were birdie ‘2’s for Rick Schramm and Michael Lindberg and Rabbi’s free beer went to Yvonne Earley as well.
The Booby Bevy went to new member Gerald Meredith who rented clubs from the bar but discarded a couple of hybrids and grabbed two irons from a nearby set. Irishman Gerald is right handed and on the course he found out the clubs were not! The fun continues with the Pattaya Golf Society.
Sumner retains his title in style
On Wednesday and Friday, 16th and 18th January, the Pattaya Golf Society held its Annual Strokeplay Championship at Emerald on a course well prepared and in comfortable conditions with a strong wind evident on the second day.
The current PGS Champion, Pete Sumner, was there to defend his title, as were the usual favourites Masa Takano, Wichai Tananusorn and Dave Edwards and the first day went to form with Sumner shooting gross 77 for a net score of seventy, with Khun Wichai finishing only two shots behind and striking the ball well.
The second day saw the leaders go head-to-head and after nine holes Khun Wichai had made up the two shots difference and took the lead after twelve when Pete Sumner suffered a triple bogey. However some uncharacteristic mistakes by Wichai handed the lead back to Pete on the fourteenth. Things remained that way until the final hole when Sumner birdied against Wichai’s par and drove home his advantage from the first day.
Elsewhere there were spirited performances by Mike Earley and Masa Takano which boosted their final standings also.
The daily “pool” results saw flight wins for Pete Sumner (2), Gary Bolger and Larry Slattery and Alan Flynn, who shot the best net round of the week with 69. The final results under the competition rules saw the Net Champion confirmed as Wichai Tananusorn (149) with Mike Earley taking the runner-up place on 150, leaving the Gross runner-up as Masa Takano (170).
Pete Sumner proudly retained his title as Gross Champion with an excellent 159 and also took possession of the perpetual trophy kindly donated some ten years ago by Harry Riley and Dale Shier. At the presentation in Soi Buakhao later, the organiser Mr Len thanked all those who had contributed to an excellent Championship, including the Elephant Bar hosts Rabbi and Khun Peung and offered the congratulations of all who were involved in the week to a very worthy Champion, Pete Sumner.
