Round Norfolk Golf Tour summer comp 2016. Round 11at Eaton

Yesterday saw Round Norfolk Golf Tour summer comp 2016 round 11 take place at Eaton. After last years debacle when the scheduled Round Norfolk Golf Tour summer comp 2015 event at Eaton had to be moved on the day, due to a double booking with ladies captains day, Eaton had pulled out all the stops to keep their place on this years course list by offering free golf. It also attracted a large field of 6 to the event.

Groupings were selected in traditional style meaning Andrew, Mike and, hot favourite on his home course, Phil were first to set off. Phil quickly lived up to his billing by parring the first three holes. Only a blob on the par 3 9th slowed down progress with a tidy 18 on the front 9.

Hot favourite Phil on way to first of 3 pars

Mike also started well with a birdie par opening before a blob on the tricky par 4 third. However he continued to play well to share the halfway lead on 18 pts.

Mike's opening teeshot and a birdie

Andrew didn't start so well as his partners with only 1 point scored in the first two holes but 4 pars over the next 7 holes got him back in contention on 16 pts.

Andrew gets the days proceedings started

Meanwhile the group behind were getting underway. As Ian had not played the course Kevin advised Ian to keep left on the first and to demonstrate the point hooked the ball into a big tree leading to an opening blob. With another blob on the 3rd he only had 2 pts from 3 holes and in last place however he parred both the par 3s to have a more respectable 15 pts on the way out.

Kevin missing par putt on 6th

Chris had not been happy to find her ball alongside Kevin's in the selection process claiming that having had to watch his latest endurance event was bad enough and she didn't see why she had to play golf with him as well. Sadly this seemed to impact her game as some untidy play round the greens left her in last place on 12 pts.

Chris scrambling a point on the 7th

Thanks mainly to Kevin's excellent course advice Ian started well with two opening pars, before blobs on 3 and 6 reeled him back and he finished on 16.

Ians approach to 4th green

So with only 3 pts separating five players it was all to play for on back 9 where any little advantage could prove critical. Chris started to get her game together and sunk a couple of monster putts to put in a much better finish. However her total of 28 pts still left her in last place.

Chris tee shot on 2nd

Andrews mixed form continued on the back 9. One minute an excellent par but followed up with too many double bogeys and his 30 pts left him out of the prizes.

Ian was still in the mix but after hitting his ball into the tree just in front of him on the 10th, which led to a lost ball, and no points. He then cleverly decided to change tac tics and fearing Phil was his main threat decided to aim for him rather than the green on the 12th. Little did he know that his approach was misplaced as Phil had just come off back to back blobs and would only score 13 more points to finish on 31.

Chris chipping to 12th green as Ian discovers his plan had failed as he had just missed Phil 

Mike, the other halfway leader, also fell away. He claimed it was due to having to share most of his jelly babies although his partners claimed they only got one each so it was probably more because of getting only 2 points over the last 3 holes. He also had 31 pts at the end to share the 50p 3rd place purse with Phil.

After a double bogey on the 10th Kevin looked out of the running until he found the remains of the Banana chips that Sandie had given him during last weeks round when he had a funny turn. He quickly finished them off and his game was transformed playing the last 8 holes under handicap to finish on 33 pts.

Kevin teeshot to 13th and a Par thanks to the power of Banana chips

Only Ian could now catch him and after parring 16 and 17 held a one shot lead coming down the last. Sadly a poor teeshot was followed by a mishit and Ian found himself in the woods. Kevin sensibly kept himself out of range and Ian was unable to hit him or the green so failed to score finishing on 32 pts and second place.

Ian teeing off on 15

The result further increased Kevin's lead on the money list and eclectic (although some players unfairly pointed out this is because he has played in the most rounds). However the average stableford points comp is looking very close with a number of players in contention.

Golf Pig congratulates Kevin on his win and hands over the large (£2.50) cash prize

Next week it's off to Thorpeness where the official start of this years best front and back nine in July, August and September will be launched. Later in the month there are back to back majors so the excitement is certainly being ratcheted up.