Round Norfolk Golf Tour summer comp 2016. Round 14, US PGA, at Purdis Heath.

Yesterday saw Round Norfolk Golf Tour summer comp 2016, Round 14, US PGA, take place at Purdis Heath. This was the final major of the year and the £5 first prize could go a long way in deciding who would be at the top of the money list as we enter the climax on the road to Sheringham.

Purdis Heath was making its first appeance on the tour and only one of today's field had ever played here before so as a result the bookies had installed John as a firm favourite for the title and his first major win. However as events got underway this looked like a mistake as John found bunkers, and there were a lot of them, on the first 3 holes to record only 2 pts. He then played some great golf and some not so great golf as pars and blobs were the order of the day and he finished the front 9 on 11 pts, and in last place, with the bookies feeling mighty relieved.

John failing to get out of one of many bunkers

Following the success in winning his second major, the Open, at Gorleston last week Ian was the form player and he continued this into the start of this round with 3 pars in the opening 4 holes. He then opened up a big 4 point lead by securing a birdie on the short par 4 9th with an audacious downhill putt from off the green. He had 21 pts at half way  (which when added to his 20 back 9 pts from last week gives him a big lead in the best front and back 9 in July, August and September competition). 

Ian teeing off on first and an opening par

Kevin was having a solid front 9 and even stayed calm when a good drive on the 7th took a huge kick off the fairway into deep rough leading to a blob. Despite moaning about it for some time his playing partners showed little sympathy as they got on with their own games. He finished the 9 strongly with 2 pars and second place on 17 pts.

Kevin attempting a long par putt which he didn't make

It was good to see Bob back on tour after a months absence and with his plumbing back in working order. He played a very consistent front 9 and was only player to score on each hole. However a few wayward shots restricted him to 16 pts.

Bob playing out of the rough, again

Johns back 9 continued much as the front with a mix of pars and blobs. As the only player who knew where most of the bunkers were he used this knowledge well to go in a number of them. He did slightly better on this 9 but finished on 24 pts and no prize.

John securing a par on the 10th

Bob was staying in the hunt until his luck ran out and he blobbed the middle 3 holes restricting him to 12 further points and 28 overall for 3rd place.

Bob somehow found his ball and rescued 2 points on this hole

Ian started to slip away as he too found a lot of sand making it difficult to record lots of points. He managed 14 for a total of 35 but would it be enough?

A good tee shot from Ian on 12

Kevin was on a charge with 13 pts (including a birdie on the 10th) in 5 holes but just as it looked like the title was his he duffed his next tee shot into a pond and allowed Ian back into the lead. However a solid finish snuck him back into the lead to secure his 4th major by 1 point with the big prize putting him clear at top of the money list.

Kevin hitting poor tee shot on 11 but scrambling 2 pts

With just two months to go there is still much to play for with no obvious clear leaders in any competition as the tour moves on to Bury St Edmunds for the start of August's action. 

Round Norfolk Golf Tour summer comp 2016. Round 13, The British Open, at Gorleston

On Tuesday the  Round Norfolk Golf Tour summer comp 2016 Open took place at Gorleston Golf club. Due to a clash with the rather less prestigious Dereham ladies open then only 5 players turns up for the start.

First off were Ian and John H. Founder member John had so far only managed 10 holes on the tour this year and had been away in Spain recovering from the experience so was hoping to get all the way round this time. Things couldn't have started better as he set off with a 3 point par befor slipping back into old habits with a blob on the next. This inconsistency continued over the front 9 as he reached 14 points so he was surprise when told that he was clear in 3rd place at half way.

Johns opening drive

Ian was playing a bit more consistently although a blob on the long par 4 6th restricted him to 17 pts but it was still good enough for the lead.

Ian gets his round under way

In the group behind Mike was the standout player as the whole group struggled over the front 9. By the 8th hole they had had 8 blobs and lost 6 balls between them. However Mike still managed 16 pts and second place at the turn.

Mike showing his bunker skills on the 4th which weren't good enough to avoid a blob

Kevin had a woeful start despite hitting some good drives. His putting was particularly poor which he blamed on the greens not being as fast as his putting green at home as he scrapped just 10 pts and last place.

Kevin sinking one of his longest successful putts of the day

In a carbon copy of the masters held at Hunstanton earlier this year Andrew went off like a train with a birdie par start accounting for over half his front 9 points. Then like at Hunstanton he had a blob fest with five of the little devils over the next 7 holes and only 11 points after 9.

Andrew chipping up to par the 2nd

The back 9 continued much as the front with Ian and Mike both scoring on every hole. Ian even managed to get his ball down a rabbit hole in the bunker on the 16th to demonstrate his accuracy. He finished on 37 pts as the clear winner and this years golfer of the year in winning the  Open. It was also a course record so not bad as he claimed to have never played the course before.

Ian retrieving his ball from a rabbits house on 16th

Mike's back 9 highlight was sinking a down hill birdie putt on the short 17th contributing to his 33 pt second place. It also further increased his lead in the average stableford competition. The only downside was when his hat was caught up in post Brexit immigration issues as it was clearly not British and he didn't have the necessary paperwork.

Mike about to drive off on 13th

The real interest was in who would win the £1.00 third place prize. It looked to safely be in Johns wallet as he was 5 points clear after 14 but then a serious of trips to the gorse bushes, long rough and bunkers (sometimes on every hole) meant he racked up 4 successive blobs and finished on 24 points. 

Johns second attempt to keep ball in play on 16th

Kevin and Andrew were still seeing who could cock up the most holes with a string of double and triple bogeys. After Andrew failed to score on 16 it was all square with two to play.

Andrew having bunker problems on 10th leading to 5th blob in 7 holes

Kevin made sure of not taking the lead with another 3 putt on 17 before both players scrambled 2 pts on the last so were both on 24 pts as well so the Pound prize was split 3 ways. In the end golf pig would only give each player 30p as no one had change for a ten pence.

Kevin hitting good tee shot on 13 before cocking it up with his next shot

Sadly it was probably Andrews last round on tour this year as he is off to do something called a job. Hopefully he will be back this time next year when this job thing finishes. Golf pig has especially enjoyed his contributions as there is no chance of him taking any end of season prize money from him.

After this round Mike has further consolidated his lead in the average stableford points, with Chris's choice of playing the Dereham open and Bib staying at home to get his plumbing fixed Kevin was the big loser dropping from 2nd to 5th place. Once again thanks to Andrew from keeping him falling to last. 

The other main change was Ian taking the lead in the best front and back nine in July, August and September competioin although his 37 point total is sure to be beaten.

Next week the tour has its last major of the year with the US PGA at Purdis Heath. Ian could find himself at the top of the money list if he could do the double so it's all hotting up on the race to Sheringham.

Round Norfolk Golf Tour summer comp 2016. Round 12 at Thorpeness

It was another exciting day of golf as Round Norfolk Golf Tour summer comp 2016 round 12 took place at Thorpeness today. It was also the start of this years best front and back nine in July, August and September comp, so it was a surprise that the field was reduced to just 4 players on the first tee.

All four players got off to a fast start with 5 pars between them on the first two holes. Then Kevin made an early bid for the 'who can hit the ball furthest into the woods' when he hooked his drive on the third deep undercover. This was followed by duffing an easy pitch into a bunker on the 4th from which the ball never reemerged meaning a second blob and after leaving his short game in the car he restricted his front 9 to just 11points.

Kevin putting for optimistic par from off the green on 5th. He missed

After his good start Ian then proceeded to combine some good shots with some rather bad ones visiting the woods and long rough on several occasions. This unfortunately led to a run of one point in the final four front 9  holes and he found himself trailing on 10 pts.

Ian making a good recovery from the side of a gorse bush on the 4th

Mike had got off to the slowest start but then picked things up getting the measure of the fast greens better than anyone else. The 9th was a particular highlight when his rather feeble attempt to win 'who can hit the ball furthest into the woods', with a duck hooked teeshot, left him a gap through the trees to get the ball back in play before completing his par to finish on 16 pts at halfway.

A rather stiff approach chip to the 1st from Mike but he soon warmed up after this

Chris started particularly strongly with 4 pars in the opening 5 holes. A good drive on the third unfortunately caught a bunker which stopped her doing even better. She fell away over the next few holes but still had the lead on 17 pts.

Chris on the way to a blob on the 3rd after a bunker and lost ball.
Shame no photos of the 4 pars either side of this hole

Ian started the back 9 strongly with 10 pts from the first 4 holes. This run only came to an end when he hit the winning shot in the 'who can hit the ball furthest into the woods' competition with a second shot that went from one side of the fairway deep into the trees on the other side. One of the furthest into the woods seen on tour this year so a worthy winner. 

Kevin agreeing with Ian that he had just taken the lead on the
 'who can hit the ball furthest into the woods' comp earlier on the hole

Unfortunately this was followed up with another blob on the next before a par on 16 and good birdie on 17 put him in contention from the 50 p third place prize on 29 pts.

Ians Tee shot on the 13th

Kevin also started the back 9 well single putting the first 3 holes including a birdie on 11. It was solid if not spectacular after that and his 19 back nine points kept him one ahead of Ian to add 50p to his seasons winnings.

Kevin looking in disbelief that he had hit another poor drive this time on 15

By now Mike had the course tamed with his approach shots and putting of the highest order. He recorded 5 more pars and got 20 pts to have an excellent 36 at the end. But would it be enough for the win.

Mike putting for birdie on 10. He missed

Chris started the back 9 with bunker problems. First taking two to get out of one on 11 before creating a beach by the one on 12 as most of the sand was whacked out of the bunker before, many attempts later, the ball finally appeared.

The start of Chris's bunker problems on 11

Disappointingly instead of putting in an entry for 'who can hit the ball furthest into the woods' as she couldn't hit it far enough off line, she put in a very strong finish parring the last 3 holes. However it was not quite enough as it left her on 35 pts.

As Mike played his third round it qualified him for several competitions and he took the lead in both the average stableford points per round and least average blobs per round. The other tour players will be hoping he will be playing many more rounds so he can cock a few up like all the other players do.

All 4 players will be pleased with their back 9 scores they posted today in the best front and back 9 in July, August and September and hoping for better front 9s when the tour moves to Gorleston in two weeks time for the British open.