2008 SEASON 

OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

FINAL RESULTS

Pos Player Pts Bir Par Bog DB+ 3 4 5 OOM 
1stGlen Cooper 20 0 8 6 4 5 11 4 10 
2nd Gary Purchase 7 0 3 9 6 6 -1 2 8 
3rd Dave Williams 5 2 4 4 8 6 2 -3 6 
4th Andy Paddock 4 1 3 9 5 0 7 -3 4 
t-5th Rob Orrock 2 0 3 8 7 4 -1 -1 1 
t-5th Kevin Oldfield 2 0 2 7 9 1 3 -2 1 
t-5th Steve Knight 2 0 3 8 7 -2 6 -2 1 
t-8th Andy McLeod -2 0 2 6 10 -3 -1 2 0 
t-8th Bob Taylor -2 0 3 3 12 -1 2 -3 0 
t-10th Ian Smith -3 0 0 7 11 3 -5 -1 0 
t-10th Dave Turner -3 0 3 7 8 3 -1 -5 0 
12th Martin Rainer -6 1 3 7 7 -3 -4 1 0 
 Totals  4 37 81 94     

HOLE BY HOLE PROGRESSION

Player 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 
Glen Cooper 2 1 3 5 6 8 11 12 15 13 15 17 18 20 21 22 21 20 
GaryPurchase 2 1 3 1 -1 0 1 2 3 5 3 4 2 4 5 4 5 7 
Dave Williams 3 4 2 4 3 5 7 5 3 4 6 8 6 4 2 4 2 5 
Andy Paddock 1 -1 0 1 3 2 5 4 2 0 -1 0 1 2 1 2 3 4 
Rob Orrock 2 3 5 3 4 5 3 4 3 1 3 4 2 1 -1 0 1 2 
Kevin Oldfield 1 2 4 5 7 9 10 11 10 8 9 10 8 6 4 2 4 2 
Steve Knight -2 -1 -2 -1 0 1 -1 1 0 2 3 1 2 0 1 -1 0 2 
Andy McLeod 1 3 4 5 6 5 3 2 3 1 2 3 2 1 3 1 -1 -2 
Bob Taylor -1 -1 0 1 2 0 1 -1 -2 0 1 2 0 -1 1 -1 0 -2 
Ian Smith 1 2 -1 0 -2 -1 -2 -3 -2 -1 -2 0 -2 -3 -2 -4 -2 -3 
Dave Turner 1 0 -2 -4 -3 -1 -3 -2 -4 -3 -4 -5 -7 -8 -6 -5 -4 -3 
Martin Rainer -2 1 2 1 -1 -3 -2 -3 -4 -5 -4 -3 -4 -5 -6 -5 -7 -6 
Hole 12 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 
Stroke Index 17 7 15 9 5 13 3 11 1 14 18 2 6 10 16 12 4 8 
Par 3 5 3 4 4 3 4 4 5 3 4 4 4 5 4 3 4 4 
Birdie 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 
Par 4 1 6 2 1 4 1 1 1 3 4 0 0 2 3 2 0 2 
Bogey 4 5 2 5 7 4 3 6 1 4 6 8 3 2 6 4 7 4 
D Bogey + 3 5 4 5 4 4 7 5 10 5 2 4 9 8 3 6 5 5 



SEPTEMBER CLASSIC

(FULL REPORT TO FOLLOW)

FINAL RESULTS

Pos  PlayerPtsBir Par Bog DB+ 3 4 5 OOM 
1st Andy Paddock 33 0 9 6 3 11 18 4 10 
t-2nd* Dave Turner 30 0 5 9 4 9 16 5 7 
t-2nd Kevin Oldfield 30 0 3 8 7 10 15 5 7 
4th Gary Purchase 28 0 4 9 5 11 10 7 4 
5th Martin Rainer 26 0 5 10 3 11 13 2 2 
t-6th Ian Smith 24 0 4 4 10 15 6 3 0 
t-6th Bob Taylor 24 0 5 3 10 13 11 0 0 
8th Rob Orrock 22 0 4 5 9 10 7 5 0 
9th Andy McLeod 21 0 3 4 11 6 13 2 0 
10th Keith Watson 15 0 3 2 13 5 5 5 0 
 Totals  0 45 60 75     
* denotes on countback (Dave T 16 pts, Kevin 13pts on back 9)

HOLE BY HOLE PROGRESSION

Player 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 
Andy Paddock 0 2 3 5 8 8 8 9 11 12 15 17 20 23 25 28 30 33 
Dave Turner 2 5 7 8 10 10 11 11 14 15 17 18 20 22 25 26 28 30 
Kevin Oldfield 0 2 5 7 8 10 11 14 17 19 19 21 22 23 25 26 28 30 
Gary Purchase 0 1 2 4 6 8 11 12 12 12 15 16 18 20 23 25 27 28 
Martin Rainer 1 3 5 7 9 11 11 13 14 15 17 19 21 22 22 24 25 26 
Ian Smith 0 3 5 5 5 8 9 10 10 11 14 14 16 18 20 21 24 24 
Bob Taylor 0 3 6 9 12 14 14 15 16 16 18 18 20 20 20 20 23 24 
Rob Orrock 0 0 2 2 4 6 7 9 11 11 14 15 17 17 20 20 21 22 
Andy McLeod 3 6 7 8 9 10 10 11 14 14 14 15 16 18 19 20 20 21 
Keith Watson 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 5 5 5 6 9 9 12 13 15 15 
Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 
Stroke Index 9 7 17 5 1 13 3 15 11 16 8 18 6 2 12 4 14 10 
Par 4 3 4 4 4 3 5 3 4 4 3 5 3 4 5 4 3 4 
Birdie 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Par 1 4 5 1 2 2 1 3 3 0 5 2 2 1 5 1 6 1 
Bogey 3 3 4 4 4 4 0 3 4 4 2 6 6 4 3 2 2 3 
DBogey + 6 3 1 5 4 4 9 4 3 6 3 2 2 5 2 7 2 6 



PAR 3 CHAMPIONSHIP

The 16th annual Par 3 Championship was held for the first time in the splendour of Nailcote Hall, host for the British Par 3 Championships. The event also had a brand new 36 hole format, 18 holes of strokeplay followed by 18 holes of stableford, with the winning score achieved by subtracting the stableford score away from the strokeplay round.

The uncharted waters of the 9 hole Cromwell Course were to provide members with an extremely rocky ride, with the course, the strong wind and at times driving rain, undoubtedly providing the stiffest test we had ever faced in this competition.

The first 9 holes of the 1st round’s strokeplay proved a see saw affair as members tried desperately to get to grips with the demands of this tough course. But at it’s conclusion Andy Paddock and Martin Rainer held a share for the lead on 4-over par, one shot clear of Kevin Oldfield with Dickie Gorton a further 6 shots back in fourth. Andy P, Martin and Kev had all played solid, if unspectacular golf, but crucially had kept a card wrecking high score off their cards.

Andy P started the second 9 holes of the 1st round strongly, a run of 4 gross pars in 5 holes gave him a two shot lead after 15 holes over Martin, with Kevin who had unfortunately came to grief at the 13th and 14th a further 8 shots back in third. Even at this early stage in the 36 hole marathon, the title was, barring a dramatic collapse, seemingly between the two of them.

Martin, after consecutive gross pars at the 15th and 16th holes, finished the round poorly recording a triple bogey at the tricky 17th hole after finding bunker trouble off the tee. Andy P finished with a net score of 6-over to hold a comfortable 4 shot lead from Martin, with Kevin 8 shots back in third.

The course was proving to be a real beast. The margin of error was very slight. Each hole provided a different unique challenge and there were no “safe” areas to aim for. Finding the green from the tee was proving very elusive and even when found the greens had enough slope to test putting to the full. The course had also yielded only one birdie, a chip in from Keith Watson at the 17th. There were also no less than 6 scores of 10 or worse!!!

Andy P increased his lead to a commanding 7 points after the first four holes of the second round stableford format. Martin had started the round sluggishly recording only one point from these initial four holes. The scene was set however for a titanic battle for the title over the closing 14 holes, rivaling the likes of Watson & Nicklaus at Turnberry and Faldo & Norman at Augusta.

Like two prizefighters slugging it out in the ring, Andy and Martin went toe-to-toe, looking for the knockout blow. Momentum shifted as each hole went by. Martin trimmed Andy’s lead to 2 points with 9 holes to play but Andy courtesy of a net birdie at the 10th increased the lead again to 4. Martin thanks to a red hot putter, produced a blistering run of 9 holes from the 5th to the 13th, playing them in gross one over par but still had a 3 point deficit to overcome with 5 holes to play as Andy was still playing really solidly.

Andy found trouble at the 16th and 17th holes and went scoreless, Martin seized the opportunity to level affairs with one hole to play. It was fitting that this 36 hole marathon would go down to the last hole and this story had one last dramatic twist that would decide the fate of the competition. Now the Cromwell Courses 9th hole has to be the toughest finishing hole we’ll play. It is only a mere 136 yards from the tee but has water front and back. The green has two tier’s and the pin on this day was only a few paces from the water on the back plateau.

Martin had strategically played this hole with a 5 iron to the right side of the green in his previous 3 attempts, as with the severe cross wind he believed it was a fool’s errand to attempt to hit the green. However as the wind had subsided he hit 6 iron looking for that knockout blow, as he only needed to match Andy’s score to win the title on countback. However to his horror his tee shot agonisingly found the pond at the front of the green. He desperately scrambled for a net bogey, but had left the door wide open for Andy to claim the title.

Andy, who had found water with his previous tee shot at this hole, struck a perfect shot that found the front tier of the green. He could now afford the luxury of 3 putts and still claim the title. However his approach putt failed to make the top tier. His second putt up the steep slope was still some three-foot short of the hole. Andy now needed to make this to claim the title, made even tougher by the gallery of members watching!!! Cometh the hour, cometh the man!!! Andy drained the putt to clinch a dramatic win and record his second Par 3 Championship title.

It had been a superb day. £10 for a day ticket was amazing value. For the record Kevin Oldfield produced an excellent 26 points from the 2nd round to claim third place. Dave Turner, despite playing the 9th hole in 20 shots during round 1, finished fourth. Steve Knight also produced a commendable 7 pars, the most during round 2.

However the day belonged to Andy. His win has put him back in the race for the Order of Merit title, which is a really tight affair with anyone of 5 members still able to win as we head towards the last two events of the season. The new venue and format certainly elevated the Par 3 Championship’s worth and a return visit is a must for next year. The format may well be changed as several members suggested, rightly so, that the second round was an anti climax for all but the leading two. I believe everyone who played was taken by surprise as to how difficult this course was, but at  least the greens were receptive. Goodness only knows what it would be like in firm conditions, possibly as the book about the US Open suggest, Tiptoeing Through Hell!!!       


FINAL RESULTS

Pos Player Round 1 Round 2 Total Bir Par Bog DB+ OOM 
1st Andy Paddock 60 23 37 0 12 15 9 10 
2nd Martin Rainer 64 26 38 1 13 15 7 8 
3rd Kevin Oldfield 72 26 46 0 9 12 15 6 
4th Dave Turner 78 25 53 1 9 13 13 4 
5th Rob Orrock 77 21 56 0 6 14 16 2 
t-6th Richard Gorton 77 20 57 0 7 10 19  
t-6th Steve Knight 77 20 57 0 10 6 20  
8th Bob Taylor 79 20 59 0 9 8 19  
9th Keith Watson 78 17 61 1 3 15 17  
10th Ian Smith 85 14 71 0 3 11 22  
11th Terry Janes 89 15 74 0 2 10 24  
 Totals    3 83 129 181  

HOLE BY HOLE PROGRESSION

Player 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 
Andy Paddock
3
7
11
14
19
22
24
27
31
34
37
40
44
47
50
53
57
60

59
57
56
56
56
55
53
50
49
46
45
43
42
40
39
39
39
37
Martin Rainer 3 7 10 13 17 21 24 27 31 35 38 41 45 49 52 54 60 64 
 64 63 63 63 60 58 55 54 52 50 48 46 44 43 42 40 39 38 
Kevin Oldfield 4 9 12 15 17 20 24 27 32 34 38 42 49 55 60 63 68 72 
 71 71 70 68 66 65 64 62 62 59 58 56 56 53 51 49 46 46 
Dave Turner 2 9 12 17 20 25 29 32 40 42 46 50 54 58 62 65 68 78 
 74 72 72 70 69 67 66 65 63 63 61 61 61 61 59 57 55 53 
Rob Orrock 6 10 14 18 22 26 32 34 39 41 44 51 55 59 64 68 72 77 
 76 75 74 73 71 70 70 70 68 66 64 63 62 61 59 59 57 56 
Richard Gorton 6 10 14 16 19 22 32 34 38 43 47 51 56 58 63 68 73 77 
 74 72 72 70 69 66 66 64 64 62 62 62 62 62 60 58 57 57 
Steve Knight 6 10
14
18
22
26
32
34
39
41
44
51
55
59
64
68
72
77
 76 74 72 71 69 68 67
6464 63 61 61 59 57 57 57 57 57 
Bob Taylor 5 10 14 17 19 27 30 32 37 42 46 49 52 55 61 65 74 79 
 78 76 76 76 75 75 75 72 71 69 68 66 64 62 60 60 59 59 
Keith Watson 3 7 12 16 29 33 36 38 42 45 49 55 59 64 70 73 74 78 
 75 73 72 72 72 72 70 69 69 68 67 66 65 65 64 63 61 61 
Ian Smith 5 9 12 16 22 27 32 35 40 43 51 56 59 62 66 77 81 85 
 83 83 81 81 79 77 77 77 77 75 74 74 74 74 73 73 72 71 
Terry Janes 4 9 14 17 25 33 38 43 52 58 62 67 69 73 77 80 83 89 
 89 88 86 85 84 84 83 82 82 80 80 80 78 78 77 77 75 74 
Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 
S.I 5 17 15 9 11 13 1 7 3 6 18 16 10 12 14 2 8 4 
Birdie 1
0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0          
Par 10 14 14 7 13 13 2 10 0          
Bogey 13 21 14 16 13 17 15 14 6          
DB+ 20 9 16 21 17 14 27 19 38          


STABLEFORD PLATE

 Gary Purchase produced a round of epic proportions to claim the 15th Annual Stableford Plate at Stratford Oaks. His 45 point haul was the highest ever in the event and in any Society stableford competition. He shared the lead at the 1st, gained the outright lead at the 2nd and was never headed. His 10 point margin of victory was the highest for many years but fell one point shy of Keith Watson’s tournament record.

Seemingly endless days of heavy rain finally abated and our 12 members, on our first ever visit to Stratford Oaks, were greeted to a fine sunny afternoon. Ideal conditions for golf. The course, situated near Stratford upon Avon, was surprisingly quiet and maybe the reason why they had started taking Societies on weekends for the first time this year.

Gary, the Societies best dressed man, was kitted out in a smart white polo with lime piping and as finer pair of strides as you ever did see. He started in blistering fashion with consecutive net birdies at the opening two holes. After a lengthy drive into mounds to the left at the tricky Par 4 5th hole, his approach failed to reach the green. Undaunted though, he holed his chip shot for a net eagle and a total of 15 points to hold a 4 point lead over Andy Paddock.

His outward 9 went from strength to strength and net birdies at the 6th and 7th holes set up an impressive 24 point haul. The chasing pack were finding it virtually impossible to keep pace. Andy McLeod scored a very respectable 18 points, achieving net birdies on holes 5 and 8, to narrowly hold second place, with Martin Rainer, thanks to a red hot putter, and Ian Smith a further point adrift.

The 11th hole was to prove the unquestionable turning point in the contest. After a net birdie at the 10th Gary held a seemingly unassailable 7 point lead with 8 to play. However his approach to the lengthy Par 4 11th hole found thick rough behind the green and a lost ball was a distinct possibility. It was eventually found but Gary still faced the prospect of his first scoreless hole of the day and a real momentum stopper. However he thwarted potential disaster by nonchalantly draining a 30 footer for his nett par!!!

Andy Paddock with a spectacular gross birdie at the 11th and nett birdie at the 12th had closed the gap at the top to 5 points. However net bogeys at the 15th and 16th put paid to any chance he had of catching Gary. The race for the runners up spot was becoming an intriguing affair with 3 points covering no less than 6 players with 3 holes to play. Ian joined Andy Pad in second place on 31 points after a net birdie at the innocuous looking Par 3 16th, which played tough into the freshening breeze. Bob Taylor, who had gained a fine net eagle at the 10th, also made birdie to reach 30 points and the second place contest was now between the trio.

Gary finished his round in impressive fashion. He courted potential trouble at the 15th, but his brave tee shot across the dogleg found the middle of the fairway and a fine iron shot to the green resulted in yet another nett birdie. He achieved nett pars at the 16th and 17th holes and finished with aplomb at the short Par 5 18th, achieving his seventh nett birdie of the day for a remarkable points tally of 45 points. To put his round into perspective his gross score was 80, a nett score of 62!!!! He joins a select band of members who have shot gross single figures in a Society competition. He grossed 1 birdie, 7 pars and 10 bogeys and did not have a single double bogey on his card. His round, and 10 point victory, will go down in the annuls of Society history as one of the greatest ever played.

Andy Paddock finally prevailed in the tussle for runners up spot, closing in strong fashion with 2 nett pars for a total of 35 points. It was a welcome return to form, glimpses of which had been shown on three very demanding golf courses during Golfest 08. Ian was three points further adrift in third place and it was his strongest showing in a full 18 holes for a while. His steady iron play coming to the fore and a performance which maybe suggests that his form of the late 90’s is just around the corner.

The course, as Bob rightly commented was not taxing, but one that deserved every respect. The previous weeks heavy rain meant that the fairways were very lush and the rough very thick in parts. Gary’s round apart, it was a strange old day for the rest. Several good holes were followed by a run of indifferent holes, making any chance of putting pressure on Gary virtually impossible. It is a course that certainly deserves to hold another Society event and is one that could host the Premier Strokeplay if we ever encounter any problems with Ombersley.

Congratulations again to Gary. A round that will no doubt live in the memory for quite a while. Gary’s win, combined with two solid finishes in the first two events, means he has now taken the lead in the Order of Merit at the halfway point of the season. He holds a narrow 1 point lead from Dave Turner and Andy Mc. All 3 will now miss at least 1 of the next 2 events. It will take a strong finish to the season from the rest to stand any chance  of catching them and looks likely that the outcome will be in doubt right up until The Open in October. Gary has also deposed Dave Turner as Number 1 in the Society Rankings, the first time Dave has not been top since they were devised.

We now move onto Nailcote Hall for the fourth leg of the summer calendar, the Par 3 Championship. This is the first time we will be playing 36 holes in any Society tournament and will be a real war of attrition. The course looks very tough and Peter Baker suggests on their website that it is set up harder than the US Open. Hold onto your hats!!!!!!

FINAL RESULTS

Pos Player Pts Bir Par Bog DB+ 3 4 5 OOM 
1st Gary Purchase 45 1 7 10 0 11 23 11 10 
2nd Andy Paddock 35 1 5 10 2 6 21 8 8 
3rd Ian Smith 32 0 5 5 8 14 14 4 6 
t-4th Martin Rainer 31 1 5 10 2 8 15 8 3 
t-4th Steve Knight 31 1 2 9 6 5 16 10 3 
6th Bob Taylor 30 1 3 5 9 10 12 8 0 
t-7th Rob Orrock 29 0 5 6 7 12 10 7 0 
t-7th Andy McLeod 29 0 4 7 7 11 11 7 0 
9th Kevin Oldfield 27 0 2 7 9 9 15 3 0 
10th Terry Janes 26 0 0 8 10 10 11 5 0 
11th Dave Turner 25 0 3 10 5 5 16 4 0 
12th Dave Williams 23 0 2 5 11 5 12 6 0 
 Totals  5 43 92 76     

HOLE BY HOLE PROGRESSION

Player 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 
Gary Purchase 3 6 8 11 15 17 20 22 24 27 29 31 33 35 38 40 42 45 
Andy Paddock 3 5 7 8 11 12 13 15 16 19 23 26 28 29 30 31 33 35 
Ian Smith 2 4 5 8 8 10 12 15 17 18 18 19 22 25 28 31 32 32 
Martin Rainer 1 3 5 7 8 11 14 15 17 19 22 22 23 24 27 28 30 31 
Steve Knight 2 4 7 9 10 12 14 15 15 18 20 21 23 23 27 27 29 31 
Bob Taylor 1 1 3 4 6 9 11 14 16 20 22 23 26 26 27 30 30 30 
Andy McLeod 2 3 5 7 10 12 14 17 18 20 20 20 23 26 27 28 28 29 
Rob Orrock 0 0 3 6 6 9 11 14 14 16 17 19 22 24 26 27 29 29 
Kevin Oldfield 2 5 6 9 9 10 10 12 15 15 18 20 20 21 22 24 25 27 
Terry Janes 0 2 3 4 5 7 9 12 14 14 17 18 19 21 21 23 24 26 
Dave Turner 2 4 4 6 9 9 11 13 13 13 15 17 19 20 23 23 23 25 
Dave Williams 1 4 6 7 8 10 10 12 14 15 17 18 19 19 19 19 20 23 
Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 
Par 4 4 5 3 4 3 5 3 4 5 4 4 4 3 4 3 4 5 
S.I. 12 2 8 16 10 14 6 4 18 7 1 9 13 15 3 17 5 11 
Birdie 0
0
0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 
Par 2 2 3 6 3 1 2 3 2 3 1 1 3 2 3 1 0 2 
Bogey 6 5 4 3 1 7 6 6 6 3 6 4 5 6 2 5 5 6 
DBogey+ 3 4 4 2 6 2 3 2 3 5 3 6 3 3 5 5 6 3 



16TH ANNUAL PREMIER STROKEPLAY

Dave Turner produced a sparkling back 9 holes to clinch his first Premier Strokeplay title at Ombersley. In near perfect playing conditions his 6-under total, two shy of the tournament record, equalled John Kelsall’s total of last year and was sufficient to give him a two shot winning margin over May Masters winner, Andy McLeod .

The first 9 holes were a see saw affair, with no less than 8 of the 11 members at some point sharing or holding the lead outright. Rob Orrock, recovered from consecutive net bogeys on the opening two holes, to drain a lengthy putt from off the green for a net eagle at the tricky short Par 4 4th hole to join Keith Watson in the lead on 2-under par. Holes 5 through 7 all provided a stern test with only 3 gross pars being recorded. After 8 holes no less than 4 members, Rob, Keith, Andy Mc and Dave Turner were tied for the lead on net 1-under par with Bob Taylor, who had also suffered an indifferent start, just two shots further back.

Andy McLeod, at the Par 4 9th, produced one of the most remarkable gross birdies in Society history to hold the halfway lead on net 3-under par. He “duffed” his tee shot barely 100 yards from the tee, however followed this up with a tremendous 3-wood and subsequently holed a lengthy putt from off the green for his amazing net eagle!!! At the same hole Keith’s challenge came to a brisk halt after suffering a net quadruple bogey to fall back into the pack. Dave, after net birdies at the 8th and 9th, lay one shot behind in second place with Rob a further shot back in third. The trio were now the only players under par.

Strokeplay is a very dangerous beast. Every shot counts and momentum can shift at anytime. Errant shots can cost your chances in the blink of an eye. This was to be the story as the round unfolded over the back 9. Dave and Andy Mc maintained their excellent play and after 14 holes Andy Mc, courtesy of net birdies on holes 11, 12 and 14, reached 6-under par to hold a two shot lead. The tournament record of 8-under was now within his sights.

Ombersley is renowned for its generous fairways, but the 15th hole at a mere 320 yards with its strategically placed fairway bunkers and a dangerous group of trees to the right, has certainly the tightest drive on the course. This proved to be the decisive moment in the tournament. Andy Mc pushed his tee shot into the trees and suffered an unfortunate net double bogey and was now tied with Dave for the lead on 4-under with three holes to play.

Andy Mc steadied the ship with a net par at the 16th, but Dave playing in the group behind seized his chance with a net birdie to reach 5-under and gain a one shot lead. The tournament was now seemingly between the two as Martin Rainer was the only other player under par, two shots further back. Dave maintained his solid play and a net par combined with Andy Mc’s bogey at the Par 3 17th, gave him a two shot lead playing the last.

The Par 5 18th hole is a potential card wrecker with the lake ominously waiting for any nervy miss hit approach shots to the green. Andy Mc finished with a net par to hold the clubhouse lead on a commendable 3-under par. Barring a dramatic collapse, the tournaments was Dave’s. After a safe lay up to the left side of the fairway, thus avoiding the lake, he found the fringe of the green with his third shot and two putts later he was champion on a superb 6-under par.

Dave had played solidly all day. Lengthy straight drives and a fine short game, always a scary combination, were the keys to his victory. His round could remarkably have been a few shots better. He opened with a gross double bogey on the 1st and missed a couple of very short putts. It is amazing how many times a good round is achieved despite suffering a poor opening hole!!! His performance, like JK’s last year, will go down as one of the finest rounds in the tournaments history.

Andy Mc produced another fine performance, quickly following on from his excellent win at Kington in the May Masters. He has certainly become one of the Societies very dangerous competitors!!! Martin, after reaching the turn at net 2-over, produced a terrific fight back and barring a putt that agonisingly lipped out at the 17th would have played the back 9 in gross level par. Still it was enough to secure third place and he has now finished in the Top5 in all 15 Premier Strokeplay competitions he has played.

Gary Purchase also produced a fine comeback to gain a share of 4th place with Keith who consolidated after his disappointing 9th hole. Gary had been 4-over after 8 holes but four consecutive net birdies got him back to level par before dropping a couple of shots over the dangerous finishing holes.

Ombersley had once again provided a terrific competition and is certainly a venue that is conducive to stroke play. It strangely proved to be a tougher test than last year with only 3, compared to 6 players last year, finishing under par. Yet 3 gross birdies were achieved this year, but none in 2007. This was not the complete story. Ian devised an exciting new competition on the Par 3’s where the best gross score won three pairs of socks. Bob Taylor achieved the best gross score of 14 shots, a terrific feat (get it!!!) on a testy group of short holes, to walk away with the booty!!!

The summer bandwagon rolls onto Stratford Oaks for the Stableford Plate. However before that 10 of our members plus 4 guests will be visiting Zummersett for Golfest 08. An event that is proving very popular and may well become an annual event. This will be our first visit to Stratford Oaks, and they have only started accepting Societies on weekends this year. I played this course in the mid 90’s with Steve Bradburn. Back then it was new and very raw, but recent write ups on UK Golf Guide suggest they have done extensive work and the greens are very good. Holes to look out for are the Par 5 10th, a very dangerous hole from memory, and the short Par 4 13th a great risk reward hole that could easily be driveable for the longer hitters. I also remember with great fondness “Bradders” knocking it on in 2 shots at the Par 5 18th, a drive of over 300 yards with his old persimmon wood!!! Let’s hope the weather is kind to us this year. In both 2005 and 2007 we played in torrential rain, whilst in 2006 we played Brookfield in what felt like 100 degrees!!!

Congratulations again to Dave on his fine win. He is undoubtedly in the midst of a rich vein of form. In his last 10 summer events he has won twice and finished runner up on six occasions. The rest of us will have to bring our ‘A’ game if we are to break the dominance of Dave and Andy Mc, both have now opened a substantial lead at the top of the Order of Merit table. One consolation is that both have had their handicaps cut. Dave is off 15, whilst Andy Mc is now down to 19. I believe Stratford Oaks will potentially provide a high stableford winning score, even with the 7/8’s format, as it has generous fairways and is very similar in set up to Ombersley.

FINAL RESULTS

Pos Player Gross Net Bir Par Bog DB+ 3 4 5 OOM 
 1stDave Turner 83 66 0 8 9 1 0 -3 -3 10 
 2nd Andy McLeod 89 69 1 3 11 3 0 -2 -1 8 
 3rd Martin Rainer 79 70 1 11 4 2 0 -1 -1 6 
 t-4th Gary Purchase 94 74 0 5 5 8 0 +2 0 3 
 t-4thKeith Watson 91 74 0 5 10 3 +1 +1 0 3 
 t-6th Bob Taylor 98 76 0 4 6 8 -3 +8 -1 0 
 t-6th Rob Orrock 95 76 1 3 7 7 +1 +5 -2 0 
 t-8th Ian Smith 104 80 0 2 5 11 0 +6 +2 0 
 t-8th Richard Gorton 108 80 0 2 6 10 0
+4 +4 0 
 10th Terry Janes 109 84 0 2 4 12 +1 +6 +5 0 
 11th Andy Paddock 106 91 0 2 5 11 +6 +8 +5 0 
 Totals   3 47 72 76     

HOLE-BY-HOLE PROGRESSION

Player 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 
Dave Turner 1 0 -1 -1 0 0 0 -1 -2 -3 -3 -4 -4 -4 -4 -5 -5 -6 
Andy McLeod 0 0 0 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -3 -3 -4 -5 -5 -6 -4 -4 -3 -3 
Martin Rainer 0 -1 0 0 0 0 1 2 2 2 1 -1 -2 -3 -3 -2 -2 -2 
Keith Watson -1 -1 -1 -2 -1 -1 -1 -1 3 3 4 3 3 3 3 2 1 2 
Gary Purchase 2 3 3 4 4 4 3 4 3 2 1 0 1 1 2 1 1 2 
Rob Orrock 1 2 0 -2 -2 -2 -1 -1 -1 0 2 3 3 3 6 6 5 4 
Bob Taylor 1 3
3
2
2
2
2
1
2
5
3
1
2
1
3
3
3
4
Ian Smith -1 0 1 1 1 1 2 2 3 4 6 6 6 5 6 9 7 8 
Richard Gorton 1 0 -1 -1 2 6 8 7 6 5 4 5 7 7 8 9 8 8 
Terry Janes -1 1 1 2 3 7 7 7 9 9 8 8 11 11 11
10 11 12 
Andy Paddock 0 1 2 2 4 4 7 8 7 10 12 15 15 15 15 17 18 19 
Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 
Par 4 4 5 4 3 5 4 3 4 4 3 5 4 4 4 4 3 5 
SI 9 7 1 17 18 13 15 5 11 16 4 2 8 3 12 14 6 10 
Birdie 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Par 3 2 2 5 1 1 1 2 5 4 4 3 1 2 1 4 3 3 
Bogey 3 3 2 3 7 8 6 4 1 3 3 2 6 7 4 4 5 1 
DBogey+ 5 6 7 2 3 2 4 5 4 4 4 5 4 2 6 3 3 7 



MAY MASTERS

 Andy McLeod produced a courageous front running performance, fending off a back 9 charge from Dave Turner and Gary Purchase, to claim his maiden Society victory in the inaugural May Masters.

The 2008 summer calendar commenced with a return to the impressive Kington Golf Club and 11 members entered this new competition, an encouraging number for our first event of the year. Members were greeted with bright but cool playing conditions and a strong breeze allied to the slick greens were to provide a stern overall test. The event provided Ian Smith with his 50th summer competition, joining Martin Rainer and Bob Taylor as the only Society members to reach this number. A fitting venue if there ever was one to accomplish this feat.   

Andy Paddock struck the first shot of the 08 season, splitting the fairway to set up a net birdie. Terry Janes also started well, and joined Andy in an early tie for the lead with a net birdie on this tricky opening hole. Martin, after a fine tee shot to 10 feet at the Par 3 3rd,  holed for a gross birdie to gain a narrow lead. However subsequent three putts at the 4th and 5th holes resulted in successive double bogeys  and after 5 holes he was tied for the lead on 11 points with Andy McLeod. After a steady start Andy Mc kicked started his round with consecutive net birdies at the 4th and 5th holes. 

Andy Mc grew in confidence and further net birdies at the Par 5 7th and the glorious Par 3 9th holes gave him an impressive outward 9 holes of 20 points and a 2 point lead over Terry, who had briefly joined him in a tie for the lead after a net birdie at the Par 4 8th. Consecutive net pars on the opening three holes of the back 9 now gave Andy Mc a 5 point lead over a trio of Gary Purchase, Andy P and Terry on 21 points.

Andy Mc was seemingly turning the tournament into a procession and a superb net eagle at the testy Par 4 13th gave him a potentially unassailable 6 point lead over Gary with 5 holes to play. A further net par at the Par 5 14th maintained his six point advantage, however the race for the runner up spot was proving an intriguing affair with now Gary, Martin and Dave now all tied on 26pts.

A fine recovery from beside the Par 3 15th green produced a further net birdie and Andy Mc followed this up with a solid net par at the Par 4 16th. Standing on the 17th tee he had already amassed 37 points and held a commanding 5 point advantage over his closest pursuer Dave Turner. Dave, runner up here back in October, had produced a terrific run of 6 consecutive gross pars from holes 11 through 16 to get back into the contest after an inconsistent opening 9.

A scoreless hole at the Par 4 17th, his first of the round, meant that playing the last hole Andy Mc’s lead was down to 3 points after Dave had secured a net par. Dave playing in the group ahead now needed a birdie or better to have any chance of catching Andy Mc. After almost driving the green, Dave narrowly failed to hole the birdie putt. Andy Mc could now afford the luxury of a second consecutive scoreless hole but his 37 points were sufficient to narrowly claim his maiden Society victory.

Dave finished a gallant second, the 8th time he has finished runner up and remarkably he has secured a win and 6 runner up spots in his last 9 summer events. He had achieved a scintillating 22 points on the back 9 to shade a fast finishing Gary for the runners up spot. Gary had secured net birdies on the final three holes to finish on a commendable 35 points. He had also produced the only other birdie of the day with a superb tee shot to 5 feet at the Par 3 12th hole. His new Ping armoury are starting to pay dividends and he produced some scarily lengthy tee shots over the back 9.

The first event of the year had produced yet another close finish and different members have now won a remarkable 11 of the last 12 summer competitions. Kington had provided a terrific venue. Not overly long, it had at times the feel of a true links golf course requiring accuracy from the tee, imagination in shot selection and execution but ultimately an excellent short game as the tricky greens provided as sterner test as members had faced in any Society competition.

Despite the difficult conditions members still produced some amazing shots. Dave Williams provided the shot of the day with his tee shot at the demanding Par 3 15th playing directly into the prevailing wind, finishing a mere 5 feet from the hole. Bob Taylor also produced one of the most remarkable par saves in Society history. After his approach shot at the Par 4 13th hole had overshot the green, he was faced with a daunting pitch shot up and over one of the many steep banks that protected the greens. He executed this in fine fashion but still faced a 15 footer for par, which he nonchalantly holed!!!

Congratulations again to Andy Mc on his excellent performance in securing his first Society victory. In no way was it a shock though. He had a quiet 2007 but had produced a sensational 44 points on a blustery day at Perton prior to joining to demonstrate his potential. On this form a further win could be just around the corner. He now holds the lead in the Order of Merit as we head towards our “premier” competition of the year, the Strokeplay, at Ombersley. This will be our second visit to the course for this event and it is one that looks a wide open affair. Something tells me it could produce another thrilling finish, as it did last year when John Kelsall bravely fought off a late charge from Martin, to secure a one shot victory.


FINAL RESULTS

Pos Player Pts Bir Par Bog DB+ 3
4 5 OOM 
1stAndy McLeod 37 0 5 9 4 13
177 10 
 2nd Dave Turner 36 0 9 3 6 13
14 9 8 
 3rd Gary Purchase 35 1 4 6 7 10
21 4 6 
 4th Martin Rainer 30 1 6 6 5  5
17 8 4 
 5th Andy Paddock 29 0 3 10 5  9
14 6 2 
 t-6th Terry Janes 28 0 0 7 11  8 15 5  
 t-6th Dave Williams 28 0 3 6 9  9 15 4  
 t-8th Kevin Oldfield 27 0 2 5 11  6 18 3  
 t-8th Ian Smith 27 0 2 5 11  5
17 5  
 t-8th Bob Taylor 27 0 3 5 10  4
17 6  
 11th Richard Gorton 25 0 1 4 13  9
11 5  
 Totals  2 38 66 92     

HOLE BY HOLE PROGRESSION

Player 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 
Andy McLeod 2 3 5 8 11 13 16 17 20 22 24 26 30 32 35 37 37 37 
Dave Turner 0 1 3 4 6 7 10 11 14 14 17 20 23 26 29 32 34 36 
Gary Purchase 1 2 4 6 7 7 9 12 15 17 17 21 24 26 26 29 32 35 
Martin Rainer 2 4 7 8 8 10 12 14 16 17 20 20 23 26 26 29 30 30 
Andy Paddock 3 3 4 6 7 8 10 13 15 16 18 21 21 23 25 27 29 29 
Terry Janes 3 3 5 7 9 12 14 17 18 18 20 21 22 23 25 26 27 28 
Dave Williams 1 2 4 4 6 7 7 10 12 12 15 15 18 19 22 25 26 28 
Kevin Oldfield 2 2 3 3 5 7 9 12 13 15 15 16 20 21 22 25 26 27 
Ian Smith 2 3 5 6 6 8 9 11 11 13 13 15 16 20 21 24 25 27 
Bob Taylor 1 3 3 4 7 9 12 15 15 15 17 17 21 22 23 25 27 27 
Richard Gorton 0 0 2 2 3 5 6 7 9 10 12 14 17 19 20 22 23 25 
Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 
Par 4 4 3 4 3 4 5 4 3 4 5 3 4 5 3 4 4 4 
SI 7 9 11 1 17 5 3 15 13 16 4 12 2 6 10 8 14 18 
Birdie 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 
Par 1 0 0 0 2 0 4 1 5 0 3 2 5 3 3 6 1 2 
Bogey 5 2 7 2 5 4 4 6 2