Round Norfolk Summer Golf Tour. Round 4 at Gainsborough Thonock Park

RECORDS GALORE AT GLORIOUS GAINSBOROUGH FOR THE THONOCK TROPHY

As the RSNG Tour rolled into Lincolnshire at the famed Ping Fitting Centre in Gainsborough spirits were high for the first day of the RSNG Tour travels. With fine sunshine, and a bone dry Thornock Park course (the easier of 2 courses we were told) a new record (*1) attendance of 13 emerged.

Things had kicked off even before we started as Sandy played 9 holes for her 27 x 7 charity bash in the morning  (getting 17 points)  and Greg picked up a pre match playing code violation from the Dinosaur Committee for trying to stress competitors and delay their start times with incorrect traffic advice.

With groupings drawn excitement was high as Kevin being Executive Tour President, CEO, Treasurer, Founder, Captain, and good egg kicked us off.

Kevin gets the action underway with an opening par on the first

Yet more records tumbled as we had more than 50% of the group having been proper Club Captains at some stage (record *2). Alas Robert who has not yet been a Captain was to later pick up a code violation too for getting nearest the pin from the wrong hole and worrying competitors with waywardness and no shout of fore.

Robert trying to blame John for his wayward teeshot

Sandie managed to raise more money for her charity (the most raised at a RSNG Tour Event (record *3) although some had raised eyebrows when she pulled at male heartstrings mentioning prostitution as a benefactor. The days of cuddly kittens and knitting talk could not have been countered better as the ladies saw a weak spot in the mens wallets to exploit.

Sandie was in fine form as she also offered the entire field a supply of bananas (record *4), and was voted Best Turned Out Golfer for her stylish colour co-ordination and retro use of the beak type head gear. Alas Sandie started with 2 blobs and managed 5 points less than her practice round on the first 9 holes so her goose was cooked (well chicken as it proved at the meal later).

Sandie starting yet another round of golf this week

The males in the field were less optimistic with 3 bad backs, 1 healing calf and 1 sore Achilles (record *5). Andrew rubbed salt into the many wounds claiming he could never get injured as he never exercised and had a poor diet – the Golfing Gods duly noted this for future reference.

Andrew was one of the few golfers not complaining about injuries today

The first group of Kevin, Jill and Greg had an early sign of things to come as 3 x 2^nd shots into the green failed to grip the hard surface and trundled through to the back of the green. This proved to be a common challenge for the 18 holes ahead.

Gill chipping onto the second green

Their first 9 holes were made up of Jill being her normal consistent self, Kevin mixing brilliance with blobs, and Greg going off like a train with 21 points including 2 birdies.

Greg comes up short with his eagle attempt on the 6th

In Group 2 Andrew, Tim and Sandie made it a close half-way lead with Andrew (21 points) and Tim (20 points) faring well. Andrew mixed good shots with a loss of phone on the course, and despite making his yearly debut picked up a code violation for use of phone combined with being overly forgetful and disrupting 2 groups in the search.

Tim once again showing the benefit of his banana shots

Group 3 saw Bob join the mayhem with 20 points.

Bob on a Bob charge through the field

Alas Tracey and Chris managed 1 point between them in the first 2 holes (although it should be noted Chris had a fine chip in mid round and Tracey played holes 3 – 17 to her handicap on her way to 31 points). Indeed Chris recovered and finished with 19 points on the front 9 to be in on the fringe of contending.

Tracey playing out of a bunker

The final cluster of enthusiasts saw Robert, Jo, Mike and John coming in with a close but not good enough points score of 15, 14, 17 and 14 respectively. Robert bravely walked with a healing leg as did John (RSNG Tours first England International record *6) with his Achilles.

John gets his round going

The big talking point in this group was the Barnard families tactical approach to wearing shorts with impending rain ahead. Dinosaur Committee made it a PC correct tie in the best looking legs award section.

Jo is one of the few players choosing shorts today

So onto the 2^nd 9 holes where suddenly super quick greens became inconsistent and woolly, 3 short but heavy rain showers intervened and with 4 people on 20 points or better (record *7) it was all to play for.

Alas Kevin had selected the wrong ball. His K2 cataloguing code had worked well on the hilly front 9 but was not fit for flat holes although K2 had remarkably survived the entire round ready to take on the Lakes Course the next day. Kevin’s back 9 of 16 points gave him 33 points overall and a mid table finish.  

Kevin putting from off the green and surprisingly coming up close

Jill maintained her steady-eddie approach with 16 points 2 for a mid table 31 points.

Jill gets safely over the water

Greg meantime was still in Winter Tour mode where he thought 1 x 9 hole score was enough. A run of 5 single pointers saw him with only 15 points on the back 9 and out of the top prize chase on a creditable 36 points.

Gregs back 9 was a bit wilder

Tim in Group 2 fared little better than Greg, his back 9 total of 16 points giving him a 36 point haul as well.

Tim surprisingly sends his teeshot off to the right

Sandie meantime got a little tired and faded after her early morning exertions and the onset of banana binging lethargy. The injury free Andrew kept it going nicely though. With adrenalin running through his veins at forthcoming retirement he found yet another birdie (3 in total) for 19 points and an impressive 41 points total. That proved to be enough to win. Not bad for a debutant who was reminded another win tomorrow would get him a code violation too – just because new boys can’t win twice!

Back in Group 3 Tracey and Chris kept plugging away with their points scores. Tracey made it into a crowded mid table and Chris had 17 points for yet another 36 point finisher.

Chris going along nicely.

Tracey in par 3 action

Bob meantime maintained his calm demeanour and added another 20 points including one Bob-Blob to get to 40 overall. 

Bob drove well all day

The excitement was not yet over as in the last group the Barnard’s waned in the rain with wet and cold legs debatedly having an impact. Both John and Mike scored 19 points on the back 9 which gave Mike a 36 point total creating a log jam of 4 players tied for 3^rd place (record *8). The winnings of 12.5 pence for a 4 way 3^rd place tie may be an all time low prize money record, and a first 4 way tie,  our researchers are still working on that detail.

Mike was one of the four players in a 4 way tie for third place and 12p

The record fest was not over – Andrew had a course record (*9) and Bob and Andrew made it onto the all time high points RSNG leaderboard (*10). 5 players - Chris, Greg, Andrew, Tim and Mike all recorded no blobs (record *11) in an unprecedented show of consistency for the Tour.

So a successful Day 1 all round. Onto Day 2 – a different proposition with water galore, potential rain and lots of players in good form feeling optimistic of a decent finish. Buoyed by full English breakfasts joints will be well lubricated with grease to help those injured bodies be on top form.