Travellers Rest Golf Group
Wow what a week for competitive sport; the Olympics reaching its climax with some fantastic performances in numerous events, the US PGA, the final major of the year, is edging towards a fascinating conclusion and the new football season is just getting underway.
Not to be outdone, the TRGG threw up some incredibly close finishes this week with one exception and that came from Ted Senior on Thursday at Phoenix when he absolutely walked all over the rest of the field. A few of us demanded a steward’s inquiry and called for a drugs test. Ted, who has been having a miserable time of late with some very indifferent golf, was as amazed as the rest of us at his 44 points and stated it was “better than sex, well almost”. I guess some days everything just goes right, well done Ted.
The 4 matchplay winners: Tim Dalton, Jim Cleaver, Alun Evans and John Dean.
On Monday 6th August the TRGG visited Bangpra and Simon Tapster (17 handicap) immediately banished those Monday morning blues by taking first place with 37 points. Andrew Curtis (16) was second with 36pts and Fergus Brennan (12) continued his fine form from the previous week by taking third place with 34.
Tuesday 7th August was Eastern Stars turn to host us and it was only after a count back that the two leaders were separated: Seil Revels, playing off four, just took the honours from Gary Bennett (17) both finishing on 34 points. Fergus Brennan (12) was third for the second day running one point behind on 33.
On Thursday 9th August it was our weekly visit to Phoenix (Mountain and Lakes) and for the first time in a long while we had enough players for two divisions. We also had a competition within a competition because eight of us were playing the first round of a matchplay event.
Thanks go to John Dean for arranging that and by coincidence he was drawn to play me in the first round. I was three up after eight holes but felt that because of all his hard work it was only right I let him progress to the next round and duly lost 2 and 1. No in truth he beat me fair and square and left me feeling like Adam Scott after he let a similar lead slip in the Open.
Division 1 was for those with a handicap up to seventeen and as previously stated Ted Senior (13) played some of the best golf of his life in shooting 44pts and winning by seven lengths from John Baxter (15) on 37pts and Fergus Brennan (12) in third on 36pts. Fergus has now finished third in the last three events and it just goes to show what a considerate event organizer he is by letting others in with a chance now he has his golf game back (see last week’s report).
Division 2 was for eighteen-handicap and upwards and was won by that wily old fox Alun Evans (23) with 33 points. Marnie Kregor (32) was second on 31pts and Alan Morgan (30) was third on 30.
On Saturday 11th August it was our regular visit to Crystal Bay (B and C courses) and once again it was an incredibly close finish and some very high scoring.
Marathon runner Richard Talbot (21) finished in a dead heat with Alan Morgan (30) on 41 points but Richard won on count back. Tim Dalton (20) was third on 40pts. All I can say is either Crystal Bay is getting easier or all the first three need to hand over some urine samples for testing.
