PSC golf from The Outback Golf Bar
Monday, Sept, 2, Burapha C & D – Stableford
Thirty-one Outbackers played at Burapha on the C and D loops, once again in perfect weather but in contrast to the previous week when 38pts in Div A wouldn’t even guarantee a podium place, this week the same score would have won by three.
Surprisingly, 35pts was enough to win today, scored by New York Steve just one point ahead of Fidge Button, who was soon to be heading back to Broome after his holiday here and in Hua Hin. Regrettably for Fidge, we may not see him back in Thailand playing golf for quite some time but have a good trip mate and keep in touch. Muzza took third place with 31.
Sugar Ray Handford (3rd left) holds the Frank O’Neill Memorial decanter as he celebrates his win with his wife & kids plus second placed Joachim Oestreicher (2nd right) and third placed Howard Marson (far right).
The best score of the day came from Mark Kembrey in Div B with 39pts, beating the in-form John Stafford by five and course specialist Bob Lindborg (33) was third.
Div C was won by the very ordinary score of 32 by an embarrassed Tim Knight, beating Andy Makara (29) and Jim Payne with 28pts.
Finally, welcome to Andy Whitton, a friend of Chris Smart’s, and was having his first game with the Outback.
There were only two ‘2’s, both on D2 from Peter Stonebridge and Andy Makara.
Div A (0-14)
1st Steve Poznanski (12) 35pts
2nd Fidge Button (13) 34pts
3rd Murray Hart (13) 31pts
Div B (15-22)
1st Mark Kembrey (19) 39pts
2nd John Stafford (15) 34pts
3rd Bob Lindborg (21) 33pts
Div C (23+)
1st Tim Knight (23) 32pts
2nd Andy Makara (24) 29pts
3rd Jim Payne (27) 28pts
Tuesday, Sept. 3, Phoenix M & L – Stableford
We had 8 Outbackers today playing the Mountain and the Lakes as Ocean remains closed for renovation.
Steve Poznanski joined us today, rolling up to our four-ball with a bag of cold beers as just a little warm up session, hardly the forerunner to a great game of golf but it works for many and can be a lot of fun. Muzza had a plan in mind to have a dry day but that was quickly scuppered as he found himself in the Poz group and John Lawton doesn’t need much encouragement anyway but he may have just met his match! I managed to miss the beer gang but never too far away to hear the laughter.
The course was in great condition and the greens were fast as per usual with tricky pin positions making our putts even harder and it’s still a great deal on a Sports Day. Our winner today was Steve Kerr with a fine 38pts from a very happy Steve Poz with 33.
There were two ‘2’s from Steve Kerr (8th) and Murray Hart (11th).
1st Steve Kerr (10) 38pts
2nd Steve Poznanski (12) 33pts
Wednesday, Sept. 4, Siam Plantation – Stableford
With Steve Mann back in Aus for about three weeks, it remained Jack’s job to get the early starters off at Siam Plantation today: just the three very select groups, consisting of 11 players on the brilliant A & B nines.
There’s only another three weeks or so of low season left here at Siam so take advantage of the excellent rate here whilst you can; it seems unlikely to be repeated and no high season rate has been agreed yet but were working on it.
Geoff Stimpson totally adores this course and demonstrated it again with an excellent 38pts to take first place ahead of Jim Bell (welcome Jim) with 36, while third place went to Jim Bryan on 35.
There were three ‘2’s from Steve Poznanski & Geoff Stimpson (3rd) and Jim Bell (16th).
1st Geoff Stimpson (8) 38pts
2nd Jim Bell (15) 36pts
3rd Jim Bryan (15) 35pts
Friday, Sept. 6, Green Valley – Frank O’Neill Memorial trophy
It was six years ago to the day that the Outback Golf Bar started at the old Junior Bar just round the corner in Siam Country Road; moving to its current location in February 2010. Formerly, this two-day tournament which started today at Green Valley was known as The Decanter but the name was changed last year to The Frank O’Neill Memorial. The format is 36 holes of stroke-play if you make the cut which is the top half of the field. If you don’t, you play in the plate competition which is 36 holes of stableford. There are also the usual daily comps, near-pins and ‘2’s.
46 players lined up at the earlier than usual time of 9.04, to try their luck at winning this prestigious tournament. The weather was great, not too hot and the course once again in perfect condition, amazing considering the amount of play it gets.
As the cards were returned, it was quite apparent that the scoring generally was higher than average with the best being a net 68. There were no less than four players on that mark, with three of them being in Div B and the usual count back sorting them out.
Suzi Lawton was perhaps the surprise overall winner on Day 1; playing in one of the last groups out with General Jack, husband John and New York Steve. The whole group was once more subjected to Steve’s beer presentation pack which pretty much set the tone for the day but whilst Jack and John buckled under the pressure; Steve just hit the ball better and better and thoroughly enjoyed himself and Suzi, who had resigned herself to playing in the Stableford comp on Monday after a front nine 49, couldn’t miss a putt on the way back, coming home in 43. This gave her a gross 92, net 68 with a brilliant back nine. Well done lass!
John O’Keefe won Div A with 70 from Dennis Pelly (71) and Steve Poz’s 73, with both John Cunningham and Paul Bourke on the same score.
Peter Stonebridge headed the three players on 68 in Div B, with Sugar getting second and Aussie visitor Tom Bayley third. Whilst we’re on the subject of Aussie visitors, welcome to John Mills, Howard Marson, Stewie McKeown, Barry Thompson, Jim Graham, Tom Bayley and Chris Van H.
In fact it was another Aussie visitor, Howard Marson, who won Div C with a net 70 from a very happy Tony Aslett with 71 and also Bob Lindborg on the same score.
The cut came at net 77 with 24 players going forward to another 18 holes of stroke-play on Monday and the leader in the plate stableford comp Jim Graham starting off on 34pts after he failed to make the medal cut as a result of his 14 on the first hole. Andy Makara was in second place on 33pts and he missed out as he had a 10 on the third.
There were five ‘2’s; four of them on the 12th from John Cunningham, Ian Heddle, John Mills and Suzi Lawton the final came from Pete Stonebridge on the 16th.
Overall
1st Suzi Lawton (24) net 68
Div A (0-14)
1st John O’Keefe (14) net 70
2nd Dennis Pelly (11) net 71
3rd Steve Poznanski (12) net 73
Div B (15-20)
1st Pete Stonebridge (16) net 68
2nd Sugar Ray Handford (17) net 68
3rd Tom Bayley (16) net 68
Div C (21+)
1st Howard Marson (22) net 70
2nd Tony Aslett (22) net 71
3rd Bob Lindborg (21) net 71
Monday, Sept. 9, Burapha – Frank O’Neill Memorial trophy
The second half of the Outback’s 6th Anniversary Tournament was played from the white tees on the A & B nines at Burapha. 45 players today, one less than on Friday but of those, 40 played on both days.
With the benefit of a two tee start, we were all quickly away, which proved to be a tremendous advantage as heavy rain began to fall as the final groups on both nines were playing their last hole, so nobody got really wet, except NY Steve, who didn’t seem to really care after three triple bogeys ruined his round!
John Cunningham played some impeccable golf on his front nine, with a level par 36 (nine straight pars, no birdies or bogeys) but he let a slip a little on the inward nine but still did enough to win Div A with 38pts from Tony Pike (9) on 37. Gary Saunders took third, also with 37.
A great round from Sugar Ray, 43pts, gave him the Div B win from newcomer Manoj (41) with John Mills in third on 37.
In Div C. Joachim paved the way with a fine 40pts from Aussie visitor, Howard Marson (37) and Bob Lindborg on 36.
The presentation took place at the Outback at about 5.30pm but not before an excellent spread of food was served up in the new a/c restaurant. General Jack welcomed everybody before moving on to the results starting with the day’s as above. After those came the two day plate event for all who didn’t make the top 24. This went to Bob Finley with 66pts from Gary Saunders on 65, followed home by three players all with 64; Rosco, Jim Payne & Andy Makara (finishing in that order after c/b) with the final place going to Tony Pike on 62.
500 baht near pin vouchers were won by Tom Bayley (4th), Robert Ford (9th), John Cunningham (12th) and Pete Stonebridge (16th) at Green Valley on Friday and today by Manoj (A3), Sugar Ray (A6), Steve Poznanski (B3) and Geoff Stimpson (B8)
There were five ‘2’s today; Paul Smith & Manoj Singh (3rd), Sugar Ray Handford (6th), Tony Pike (12th) and Manoj Singh again (17th).
So moving on to the main event; a comfortable win for Sugar with 133 to take the Frank O’Neill Trophy, eight shots clear of second placed Joachim. Aussie visitor, Howard Marson who finished third in Hua Hin back in March, had to settle for third again on 142, beating his compatriot Tom Bayley on the same score. John Cunningham headed a three-way count back on 143 for the last two podium places, as Dennis Pelly got sixth as Bob Lindborg just missed out.
Div A (0-14)
1st John Cunningham (6) 38pts
2nd Tony Pike (9) 37pts
3rd Gary Saunders (14) 37pts
4th Dennis Pelly (11) 36pts
Div B (15-20)
1st Sugar Ray Handford (17) 43pts
2nd Manoj Singh (18) 41pts
3rd John Mills (19) 37pts
4th Rosco Langoulant (15) 36pts
Div C (21+)
1st Joachim Oestreicher (21) 40pts
2nd Howard Marson (22) 37pts
3rd Bob Lindborg (21) 36pts
4th Ivan Plunkett (25) 35pts
Overall Medal (2 Days)
1st Sugar Ray Handford, net 133
2nd Joachim Oestreicher, net 141
3rd Howard Marsonm, net 142
4th Tom Bayley, net 142
5th John Cunningham, net 143
6th Dennis Pelly, net 143
Overall Stableford (2 Days)
1st Bob Finley 66pts
2nd Gary Saunders 65pts
3rd Rosco Langoulant 64pts
4th Jim Payne 64pts
5th Andy Makara 64pts
6th Tony Pike 62pts
Finally, Nigel Cannon stepped up to say a few words in Frank O’Neill’s memory, as well as the memory of last year’s winner of this event, George Bishop and more recently Barry Chadbourn; everybody raising their glasses to absent friends and then went on to thank Jack for the day and to wish the Outback continued success.
