RNSG Round 3. USPGA at Thetford

 RNSG TOUR ROUND 3, MARCHES ON TO THETFORD – 20 MAY 2021

The allure of playing Thetford on a grey windy day saw an almost full turnout of regular tour members. With a field of 11 for the USPGA Major event, just Tim Sims was missing for the day. No doubt after his recent fine form he thought he’d give others a chance!

Bob Spanner was defending his 2014 course record of 37 points, and Kevin Frazer was the last course winner here back in 2018. Jo Barnard having won the first major of the year at Hunstanton was hoping to advance her Grand Slam claims and join the golfing greats.

Thetford’s course rating of 131 for the men and 134 for the ladies meant lots of extra shots for the field, but that reflected that this is the toughest course on the tour so far by some way.

3 hardy souls opted for shorts, 8 others went for an assorted attire all of which ended up hidden under various water proofs later in the round. The much sought after Best Turned Out Player Award was therefore rolled over to the next event, so the blog writer for that can risk offending the many.

Kevin’s new randomiser app determined the groups putting Tracey, Jo and Chris out first, ahead of Group 2s Kevin, Vince, Greg and Andrew, with Bob, Jill, Robert and John in Group 3. John Butler continues to break the Bawburgh dominance by flying the flag for Eaton. Being your clubs representative at a Tour Major is a big responsibility so lets see how John measured up to the challenge.

The first hole saw 2 birdie 2s for 4 points for Robert and Chris, with par 3s for 3 points for Tracey and John. John stood tall and proud for Eaton, but this proved the only 3 pointer of his round. The Eaton flag was lowered to half mast. John’s wife appreciated the wooden spoon as an additional kitchen utensil. Tracey did manage a couple more 3 pointers and a fine “ 4 for 4” on stroke index 4 but her 27 points did not trouble the winners rostrum. Given this was Tracey’s first round since lockdown it’s a decent effort on a tough course on a tough day. The tour expects more in weeks to come… 

Tracey make a welcome return to the tour

On hole 2 the first group ladies supported each other with community 7s for no points each and it was Vince sporting his 24 handicap on the RNSG tour for the first time who was the only one to claim a 3 pointer. Vince’s round would go on to include 2 x 4 pointers and 3 x 3 pointers, alas these 5 holes made up 17 points of Vince’s 27 total. Vince has made a bid for a new record – negative yardage of -82 after neatly finding the centre of a few trees in succession to reverse backwards down a hole. We will say no more. 

Vince missing a putt on the way to a 7 on the 8th

As the front 9 unwound Kevin had left his randomiser in play mode as he combined a mix of slices, tops and “mole rapers”, with some truly world class play. Of particular note was a fairway wood from 190 yards to 1 yard from the pin. Alas Kevin’s total of 29 points saw him finish in the bottom half – just.

One of the many bits of trouble ended in today

The front 9 was notable for an impressive 9 green keepers filling fairway divots, and a small monk-jack deer scurrying around helping Vince look for one of his balls in the woods. Wildlife was rather hidden today, some suggested they were in fear of a wild one from Kevin, although the first cuckoo of the year braved it out and was heard later in the day.

Kevin spent much of the round checking out the wild life

 At the top end of the points table the form players were gathering.  Jill had a very steady 20 points with just 1 x 1 pointer and no blobs.  Bob had 19 points with a nice 4 for 4 on stroke index 3. Andrew had 18 and was feeling confident of good things ahead.  Chris with 14, Jo with 15 and Robert with 13 looked to be out of it but dug deep to rise up the leaderboard on the back 9. 

Chris had a solid if not spectacular round

Meantime it was Greg who took the meaningless half way honours reeling off 6 straight pars for 21 points. Straight driving, rescue woods to the front of the greens and a chip and a putt had been Greg’s recipe for success.

 

Greg pondering after his teeshot on the first found sand. But there was much better to come

In a topsy turvy turnaround Robert won the also meaningless 2^nd half honours with an impressive 19 points. 3 x 3 pointers and no blobs was a fine effort as the wind blew harder and the rain came down. 

Robert holes an excellent putt

Jo with 18 points proved the Barnards like it wild and wet  - but that’s their own business, and Chris with 17 points of fine played spoiled by one blob made up the back 9 top 3 – for which there is no prize, just praise. 

Jo in a rare bit of trouble

Jill and Bob’s form dissolved in the rain with 11 points and 12 points respectively. Bob’s 2 points in the last 5 holes moved him from 3 under handicap with 5 to play to 5 over and is up there with the “major” collapses of Greg Norman and Jordan Speith. 

Bob stuck in the heather on the 16th as his round disintegrated

In group 2 things went rapidly off the boil. Andrew mustered 15 points with no 3 pointers and failed to cure his regular first putt woes of being 6+ feet past the pin. Jill is asked to remove one weatabix from the breakfast bowl to help his game in future.  

Andrew had his A game on the tee but D or E game on the greens

Greg meanwhile mimicked Bob with a late collapse getting just 2 points in the last 3 holes to move from 4 under handicap with 3 to play to level. A good effort on a tough course. On the last hole Greg had a 20 foot putt to tie Bobs long standing course record and left it 2 inches short. 

Greg in a rare bit of trouble on the 10th where he visited the edge of the woods (on either side of the course) three times before a chip and putt secured an unexpected par

And so it came to pass that Greg hung on for 36 points to claim his first major win and join Jo, who was 2^nd on 33 points,  on the major winners list for the year so far.  Robert and Andrew tied for 3^rd on 32 points, still a decent effort in the conditions.

Next stop for the tour is the much loved Felixtowe Ferry where with a slope index of 130 and damp conditions likely to continue another tough test lies ahead.

 

Constable Country welcomes the RNSG (Round 2 Brett Vale)

 Welcome to Constable Country

The 2021 RNSG tour caravan ventured to one of it's more remote venues this week, as players made the long trip to Brett Vale Golf Club in Suffolk's Constable Country. This was everyone's first visit and everywhere seemed, though well manicured, very flat and we started to wonder why there was a "Vale" in the club's name; this would become apparent soon enough.

With some Covid-19 restrictions in place, the field of six met on the clubhouse balcony for a tasty bacon roll and coffee before groups were chosen using the latest app on Kevin's phone - a random group generator! It deemed that Greg, Andrew and Kevin would go out first, followed by Tim, Bob & Christine; the excitement of this new method was almost uncontainable! 

Kevin gets proceedings underway on the first

Kevin started strongly, with pars at the first two holes and a bogey at the third, for an early lead on 8 points but, as we entered the more rolling countryside, the wheels were about to fall off. The picturesque fourth hole is a par-3, with water to the left, which Greg found, and water behind, which Kevin found; Andrew found the green but 3-putted! 

Andrew completing his 3rd putt on the 4th while Kevin and Greg pondered what ball to use on the next

More water on the fifth hole saw none of the group score points. However, the group steadied and, after the front none, Kevin had 15, Greg 14, while Andrew struggled to just 11! 

Greg tees off on the 5th on a way to a group blob. Kevin is keen to hit his new ball into the pond to keep the other one company

In the second group, Tim was sporting his new low handicap for the first time in RNSG history and the pressure resulted in a blob at the first. He recovered, however, with three 3-pointers on the front nine and a fantastic birdie for 4 points on the fifth - the same hole the first group had failed to score on!

Tim was soon in the groove

Christine started steady, but only managed one 3-pointer on the ninth hole. 

Chris on the way to a solid opening 9 holes

Bob, meantime, was sporting a new lockdown beard giving him that trendy "living-on-the-streets" look. His golf, however, was in good form and a fantastic tee-shot on the second led to a birdie two for 4 points. Controversy did follow this group, as they struggled to deal with the very wide ball-retrievers on the flagsticks which seemed to fill most of the holes. After a couple of bounce outs, they decided to lift the retrievers for each other before they putted. The rules committee are split on this one, but their ingenuity has to be commended. At the end of the front nine, it had obviously helped as Tim had 18 points, Bob 17 and Chris 15. 

Controversial or what!

The back nine started with a downhill 97-yard par 3 - no trouble at all, or it shouldn't have been. Andrew 3-putted for the only point in the first group, and Tim parred it, while Bob made his second birdie two of the day. The rest .... well, let's just leave it there! Andrew's form was struggling but, with 10 points on the last 4 holes (including a birdie tow on the 16th) helped him scrape 15 points on the back nine for a total of 26. 

Part of Andrews back 9 struggles

Greg was hitting the ball well but not scoring many points and was probably disappointed with his eventual 15 on the back and 29 overall. 

Greg also had a few bunker issues on the back 9

Kevin, with the help of a friendly tree and some straight drives, deservedly won the group with 17 on the back and 15 overall - time would tell whether this would be enough to take one of the major prizes available.

 

Kevin about to drive off as Andrew and Greg read a short novel waiting for him to actually hit it.

Chris struggled on the back nine, obviously saving her form for the County Championships on Friday, and her 10 points on the back left her in last place overall on 25. However, it was noticeable that her outfit had changed from matching Bob on the first tee to matching Tim on the last - it was good of her to go to such lengths to blend in with her partners!

With people now watching Chris plays an excellent bunker shot on 18.

Bob was going great guns until he blobbed the last two holes; we can only presume that living on the streets and the lack of food eventually caught up with him. His 16 points, however, did enough to secure second place, just ahead of Kevin. 

Tim trying to confuse Bob by suggesting the next hole is over the wood.

Tim's good form recently continued into the back nine and, despite a couple of mistakes, he also managed 16 points and a winning total of 34. A much enjoyed day and a golf course which, with time and work, will become a popular venue.

Thoughts soon turned to Thetford next week and the field of 11 that have entered, leaving one important question - will the random group generator cope?