Round Norfolk Golf Tour summer comp 2017. Round 22 at Thetford

The South Norfolk Swindle at Thetford

Round Norfolk Golf Tour summer comp 2017 round 22 took place at Thetford on Tuesday. A strong field of 7 had entered on what was a nice warm late summer's day. After a couple of goes the balls eventually came down in groupings that everyone (except Bob) was happy with.

Kevin got things underway on the short par 3 first by pushing his ball out wide into the heather, a chip that hit the greenside oak meant he started with a blob. However things soon picked up and despite a lost ball on the 5th he had got to 17 pts after 9.

Kevin teeshot on second set him up for a par

Tracey started very strongly with a number of chips and long putts coming within an inch or so of birdies. Only bunker trouble on the 5th and 9th stopped her from having more than the 19 pts at half way which also saw her in a clear lead.

Tracey getting out the bunker on 9 for a point

Robert was only just returning from injury but there was no sign of any problems as he elegantly hit the first green. Sadly 3 putts later he only had the 2 points but his trouble really started on the next tee when he duffed his driving iron into the heather. Unfortunately this pattern was repeated on many holes as Robert explored the a lot of the woods and trees that Thetford has to offer. His short game however was excellent and he did well to have 12 pts at the turn.

Roberts Gallery of his tree rich round

In the group behind Bob was struggling to cope with his all female partners. Partly because of the long walk to catch them up on their tee box and partly because he would rather talk about football and his plumbing than knitting and kittens. This meant he had to focus on his golf, which he did very well racking up 18 pts. Some adjustment was needed to his card as the marker had used the ladies pars and stroke indexes but it got sorted in the end.

Bob tees off on the second

Chris also started strongly with 3 pars in the first 4 holes but she then let it slip and faded back to 17pts.

Chris putting on the 9th for a point

Jill was again playing consistently but finding too many bunkers to score well. For the 13th time this year she also failed to par the 4th hole (maybe next time). She had 14 at the turn.

Jill tees off on the third
but the extra distance compared with the mens tee meant she ended with a blob

Jo seemed to be suffering a dramatic loss of form in the least blobs competition. After only having 4 blobs in her previous 4 rounds she had 4 in her opening 8 holes. This not only put her in last place after 9, with 11 pts, but opened the door for others to catch her in the blobs comp.

Chip by Jo on the 10th after she had given herself a talking too (probably)

She clearly gave herself a talking to on the 10th tee as her form returned with a run of pars and no more blobs. Only a poor bunker shot after going through the green on 18 restricted her back 9 score as she added another 19 pts to finish on 30 and what turned out to be a share of 3rd place and 25p prize money.

Jill and Chris were also in the hunt for 3rd place as they came down the last but more bunkers and a 3 putt respectively meant they both finished on 29 and out of the prizes,.

Chris's opening putt of 3 on 18

Things improved for Robert once he got his driver back out and he had a better back 9 but his total of 26 pts left him in last place.

Robert with a par putt on 13, sadly he missed and failed to get a par all round.
He couldn't remember the last time he hadn't got a par in a round but you memory does start to go when you get older.

Bob couldn't get going on the back 9 with a run of double bogey, par, double bogey, par, double bogey stopping him from getting any momentum but his 14 back 9 points was still enough to add £1 for second place to his years winnings as he finished on 32 pts.

Bob putting on 12 for one of his 4 back 9 doubles

Tracey started the back 9 strongly with an opening par but 3 blobs in 5 holes put the brakes on. She did get a round of applause from the galleries on 18 for her bunker shot which enabled her to secure a vital point and share 3rd place with Jo. Her 25p was her first ever winnings on tour.

Tracey's 2nd on the 13th. Her 3rd found a gorse bush
 and after getting a prickle up her bum she retired from the hole with a blob.
(Warning please read this caption carefully)

With the other challengers fading away Kevin kept his nerve to cruise home on 36 pts. Sadly (for him) his birdie on 13 didn't improve his eclectic leaving Bob still in the lead but his £2.50 winning closed the gap on the money list a little meaning Bob couldn't celebrate that title yet.

Kevin bravely playing out of a nettle patch on the 12th. It was worth it for a point

With Jo's blob slip up then there are now no clear favourites in any of the RNSG season long competitions so it's still all to play for when the tour returns in two weeks time at Woodbridge.

Round Norfolk Golf Tour summer comp 2017. Round 21 at Swaffham (USPGA)

The USPGA at Swaffham

Round Norfolk Golf Tour summer comp 2017 round 21, the USPGA took place at Swaffham on Wednesday. It was exciting times for Swaffham golf course as they had the honour of hosting this years USPGA after the wash out at Purdis Heath. It was also a record entry for an RNSG event of 9 golfers, including a tour debut for Tracey.

Sandie had requested if she could be in the opening group as she had urgent God based business (GBB) back in Norwich in only 4.5 hours time. After the balls went in the air RNSG officials, in a surprise high risk move, allowed John to join her and Mike in the opening group.

The balls also had Chris, Jill and Tracey paired together but they had to promise no giggling on the course before they were allowed out.

Jo, Kevin and Bob made up the final group.

With GBB calling Mike got things underway with an unfortunate slice but he still got his 2 points. 2 blobs on his non shot holes cost him as he finished on 14 pts after 9.

Mike about to slice his opening drive

John was next off and also sliced his tee shot in the same way before securing his 2 points. Like Mike he also followed it up with two front 9 blobs but for only12 pts.

John just after slicing his opening drive

Sandie started slowly with a pair of 7's but then got going with 3 pts on the next 2 holes and 17 at halfway.

Sandies straight drive on the first but only led to a 7 for 1.

In group 2 Kevin followed Mike and John out wide before going on to par the hole. However in a mirror of Mikes opening 9 he also blobbed his 2 non shot holes for 14 pts.

Another wide drive from Kevin but this time to the left

Jo and Bob were currently leading 3 of the 6 RNSG competitions each so there was obviously some tension with them being in the same group. As Jo got off to a flying start, with 14 pts after 7 holes Bob decided it was time for mind games telling Jo how well she was playing and the smoothness of her swing. This soon had the desired effect as she only managed 15 pts in the remaining 12 holes.

Excellent tee shot on to the green on the par 3 and 3 pts

It also gave Bob the chance to take the halfway lead as an outrageous 30 foot putt on the 9th hole gave him a par and 19 pts.

Bob planning his next set of Jedi mind tricks before playing his shot

There was clearly too much chatting and not enough golfing in the final group as it was the least successful. New girl Tracey was having a typical tour debut over the opening 9 with 3 blobs restricting her to a point a hole. But 9 pts is far from being a low 9 RNSG record.

Tracey failing to get a point on the 5th

Chris was playing solidly if not spectacularly and scored on every hole to have a good 17 pts foundation.

Chris teeshot on the second

Jill was getting used to her newly reduced handicap of 10 which makes 3 point holes much harder to come by and with none on the first half she finished on 15.

Jill teeing off on the 4th and failing for the 12th time to par a 4th hole this year

Most people had better back 9's, especially Tracey who doubled her front 9 effort to finish on 27, and John who also got 18 more points in his last round before returning to the European tour. His 30pts is his best this season.

Tracey launching herself back into contention on the 11th.

Jo never recovered from Bobs ongoing psychological warfare and finished on 29. However Bob says she still remains the bookies favourite in the most points, least blobs and highest average stableford points comps (or is this just more mind games).

Jo putting up for two points on the 11th

Two back 9 blobs for both Chris and Jill kept them out of the running as they finished on 31 and 28 pts respectively and in the chasing pack.

Jill putting up to the 12th for 1 point

That left 4 players in contention for the big USPGA prize. Mike stormed into action with back to back pars and continued in that vain having 19 back 9 pts as he stood on the 18th tee. However the tricky hole restricted him to just one point and 34 overall.

Kevin had an even better back 8 having 20 pts as he stood on the 18th tee. There had been real tension all the way round the closing holes as he had started to claw back Bob's 5 pt halfway lead and was now in with a chance. When his wildly hooked tee shot hit a tree and landed back in the middle of the fairway he though his luck was in, only to shank his next shot into the trees on the other side and fail to score a point so also finished on 34 and shared the £1 third place prize with Mike.

Good up and down for par on the 10th kick started Kevin's back 9

Even for Bob his tree based luck (TBL) reached a new level. On the 14th hole his tee shot was bouncing out of bounds before hitting a tree and coming back into the perfect position. This was followed on the 15th with a sliced drive straight into the woods only to find it had gone all the way through many trees and made it out the other side. He had 35 pts as he stood on the 18th tee.

A tree like the one Bob bounced off on the 14th
and the many he missed when going through the woods on the 15th

Up front Sandie had started to fade as it looked like she would not make it back for her deadline. Then the slow fourball ahead let them through. With renewed energy she picked up 11 pts in the final 4 holes giving her the clubhouse lead with 36 as she leapt into Mike's fast car and hopefully got to her GBB on time.

This meant Bob only needed to Bogey the last hole to win the USPGA but for once the trees were not on his side as his well struck 2nd shot hit a stray branch and he could only muster a single point. This left him on 36pts so he shared the prize money with Sandie but RNSG rules say that you can't share the title so Sandie becomes the 2017 USPGA champion on count back (Ha).

Bob sinks his putt on the 12th for 2pts

With only 4 rounds left then Jo (assuming she plays twice more) and Bob look well placed to clean up with Bob's £6 lead on the money list looking unassailable. However the fat lady hasn't sung yet in the other competitions, so there is still much to play for at Thetford next week.

Round Norfolk Golf Tour summer comp 2017. Round 20 at Halesworth

Round Norfolk Golf Tour summer comp 2017. Round 20 at Halesworth

Hurricane at Peacock Hollow

Round Norfolk Golf Tour summer comp 2017 round 20, took place at Halesworth on Thursday. Tour rookie Greg came out for his third event of the year, which was just as well as this turned out to be the least well attended event of the year. Greg obviously saw his opportunity to move up the money list! John (Herring) and Bob made up the numbers. Sandie had been expected to play but she was snaffled by Danny in the clubhouse on Wednesday to play in a club friendly.

Bob struggling to master the art of taking a selfie. The other two seem to have got the hang of it!

Since no balls needed to be thrown in the air, the round got under way 5 minutes early. However, the smug smiles soon disappeared when it was realised that the group was following a women's invitational event made up of groups of 4 that were already starting to back up on each other.

The course looked in superb condition, especially the greens. Everyone teed off successfully. John delivered an elegant shot to the green and followed this with a two putt for a par. Bob missed the green but pitched in close to the pin and sank his putt for a par. Greg placed his second in a good position just off the green but 3 putted for a bogey.

After this Greg upped his game and parred the next two holes but after running just off the green with his tee shot on the par 3 4th, he took 4 shots to reach the hole and no points. A further two pars and 3 double bogeys meant that Greg, despite having the Tour's lowest handicap (9), ended up with 15 points at the half way stage.

Greg showing good form on the fairway.

John's first hole par turned out to be his only par of the front 9. His strategy of hitting his three wood off the tee seemed to be working as he struck some lovely drives. However, he failed to capitalise on some good positions and made the halfway stage with 14 points.

One of the famous Halesworth peacocks

Bob started well with two pars and then drove his tee shot on the 3rd out of bounds. He recovered to claim a point and went on to hit two further pars. Despite a no score on the 9th he finished the front 9 with a healthy 19 points.

Up until the 8th hole the play had been largely with the wind. However, it soon became apparent that all of the low stroke index holes were playing directly into the wind which definitely felt like a 2 to 3 club wind at times.

Greg started the back 9 strongly and over the next 5 holes gradually reduced Bob's lead. However, a no score on the 15th after a strong drive and a no score on the par 3 16th effectively ended his challenge and he finished with 30 points in total.

John continued the back 9 with mainly good drives but mixed fortune with his second shot and not many highlights (very unlike John) to finish with a total of 26 points.

John showing a clean pair of heels at the 16th

Bob started his back 9 strongly with two pars and then attempted to sabotage his round when he drove into the rough on the 12th and subsequently scored no points. However, despite a further blob later on he held his round together with some good recovery shots and putts to make a total of 36 to take first place.

Next week is the final major of the year, the US PGA, which has been rearranged at Swaffham on Wednesday 23rd Aug, with a bumper entry of 10.

Round Norfolk Golf Tour summer comp 2017. Round 19 at Bury St Edmunds

The Sandcastle Invitational

Round Norfolk Golf Tour summer comp 2017 round 19 took place at Bury St Edmunds on Thursday. Tour rookie, Greg, came out for his second event of the year and was joined by 9 hole specialist, John, who was making a reappearance now his favourite 'best three front nines and best three back nines in July, August and September (BTFNABTBNIJAAS)' competition was underway. As the current holder of the winter tour nine hole courses championship he has a proven record in this type of event.

Balls were up in the air but due to recent controversy it was recorded and scrutinised by RNSG tour officials to make sure the groupings had been fairly selected.

Balls in the air being correctly performed for once

Once the players had received the thumbs up from the officials and had their balls returned then everyone set off for the first tee.

Bob and Chris went first and Bob was soon up to his old tricks with his all or nothing golf resulting in 4 pars and 2 blobs on the front 9 where he finished with an impressive 19 pts.

Bob teeing off on the 4th and a blob followed

Chris was more consistent but with too much tree and bunker action restricted her to 15 pts. After binning her old putter after her last round on Monday she got to try her new one for the very first time on the opening hole which seemed a very confident approach to her short game. Apparently 'It's just a putter, what difference can it make?' As it turned out, not a lot.

With a strong wind blowing the buzz around the media tent was that 30 points would be a good score today and as the wind got up the second group off certainly thought this would be the case. But surprisingly they all got off to a good start and each had 7 points after 4 holes.

Sadly John was first to start to suffer as 5 successive 1 point holes held him back to 12 points at the turn. However it was good to hear the return of muttering and effing and jeffing round the fairways and greens again, something the RNSG fans have been missing as John has been playing in Europe for much of the year.

John missing a birdie chance before giving himself a good (but unprintable) talking too

Greg was playing well tee to green but couldn't hole out any of those testing 4 foot putts that get your round going and he slipped down the leaderboard with 13 pts.

Greg exiting the bunker on the 6th fairway

Kevin had started the round duffing his ball 3 times down the first fairway so it was a surprise to everyone (especially himself) when he suddenly got going being helped by his putter that sunk several good ones. He shared the lead at halfway with Bob on 19 pts.

Kevin can't believe what a hash he made of this birdie putt on the second.

Chris started the back 9 slowly but then got going with 4 pars in 5 holes to get her score to 31 pts. At the start of the day this looked like being a good score but it would take Kevin and Bob to blow up for her to win, although history tells us this could easily happen.

Chris tees off on 18 but could only manage a single point

Meanwhile Greg was on a charge with 4 pars to start the back 9. By the time he got to the 18th tee he had 30 pts and a par would overtake Chris's score. Unfortunately his tee shot found the fairway bunker and after taking two to get out his chances were over as he finished on 30 points.

2 putts from Greg leads to a par on the 11th

John had a very similar back 9 to his front not making the most of his chances. He did get very excited on the 16th when he announced he had finally hit a straight drive, although it didn't last to the final two holes. However his attempt to win the BTFNABTBNIJAAS competition had not start well as he finished in last place on 26pts.

Bunker action from John on the 10th

In the front group Bob was playing solidly but then putted in from off the green for a birdie on the 14th. Everyone, especially Kevin, were very upset to find out later that it was a hole he had already birdied this year so didn't improve his eclectic (shame). However it was the hole that made all the difference as Kevin found the trees with his second on the same hole and could only get a single point.

Bobs second on 18 when after his ball had bounced out off a tree (yet again)

Bob went on to get 37 pts and Kevin 35 to finish first and second but the big £2.50 first prize sent Bob back to the top of the money list.

Final group stoking the putts that none of them made on the last hole

It's looking particularly close in all of the RNSG competitions and with just 8 rounds left to play there is no clear favourite in any of them.

Next week is the final major of the year the US PGA at Purdis Heath where it is rumoured that there could be a record entry! Golf Pig can't wait.