Monday July 20th
Crystal Bay
1st les Cobban (11) 41 points
2nd Rob Folland (16) 41 points
3rd Frazer Davy (11) 41 points
4th Michael Brett (17) 40 points
Near pins. Les Cobban, Michael Brett, & Frazer Davy X 2.
An unseasonably hot day for the first game of the week at Crystal Bay. The course remains in surprisingly good shape with fairways well grassed, and greens that were ok, as always the bunkers were substandard.
With virtually nobody else on the course we had a very quick round with the first group back in the clubhouse within three hours, no hanging about there. One might reasonably pose the question, did Ryan Fox, winner of the Open show the way forward in relation to slow play. Here was a player, one of the fastest in the game, not wasting time in endless discussion with his caddie, indulging in endless range finding, checking the wind endlessly , but just getting on with the game and still winning one of the most prestigious games in golf, food for thought.
Competition was keen with three forty-ones and a forty in the top four places and two of them within three hours. Les Cobban took first place with twenty-two on the back nine finishing in style with a birdie on the last. Rob Folland took second with twenty-one back and Frazer Davy was the other one on forty-one with nineteen back. Frazer dominated the near pins taking two with one each to les Cobban and Michael Brett.
Wednesday, July 22nd.
Eastern Star
1st Uwe Jurgensen (29) 38 points
2nd Alan Sullivan (17) 34 points
3rd Michael Brett (16) 33 points
Near pins Uwe Jurgensen & Frank Dartford.
What a difference a day makes or in this case two days, we went from a three hour round on Monday to a five hour grind today. We got stuck behind one of the slowest fourballs ever and the marshal was either unwilling or incapable of rectifying the problem. Despite the higher than expected low season all-in price of nineteen hundred and fifty baht the course was surprisingly busy. Once again a strong wind was blowing, usually the case at this course.
After a three week layoff with a shoulder problem Uwe Jurgensen returned today and showed no ill effects from either his shoulder injury or the three weeks off to shoot a very fine score of thirty-eight points at this course. Alan Sullivan was cruising at one stage but fell away on the closing holes, still thirty-four was good enough to take second place one ahead of Michael Brett in third. Only two of the four near pins were taken as listed.
Friday July 24th
Hermes
1st Uwe Jurgensen (28) 34 points
2nd Rob Folland (26) 34 points
3rd Alan Sullivan (17) 31 points
Near pins Rob Folland, & Michael Brett X 3.
A tough day at Hermes today where a strong wind made scoring difficult, so none of the very high scores we had become accustomed to at this course where forty plus is the norm. As always the course was in great nick and the pace of play was good.
Continuing on from where he left off on Wednesday Uwe Jurgensen took the honours again today this time on countback from Rob Folland both with thirty-four points. Another late fade out on the closing holes from Alan Sullivan saw him relegated to the third place. Rob Folland took the first near pin with Michael Brett taking the remaining three.
Winner at Crystal Bay les Cobban
Winner at Eastern Star & Hermes, Uwe Jurgensen.
