RNSG Round 5. Swaffham

 Swaffham Salver

On a murky day the RNSG tour moved on to Swaffham. Due to injury, holidays and other engagements then a small field of only 5 made it to the start line today, so plenty of prize money potential.

The randomiser was in mischiefs mood as the first 3 presses all came up with group 2, so much to her disappointment Chris had to tee off with Kevin in group 1.

Kevin seemed to have also used the randomiser to pick his tee shot. The 3 options being in the trees, along the ground or good. It came up good for his opening tee shot but for the rest of the round that choice was hardly selected again. However his putter seemed to be on fire needing to be only used 11 times in the opening 9 holes. Chris was appalled, especially when a tee shot on the 200 yrd 6th barely got 6 inches off the ground but finished 15 foot from the flag and with the putt sunk she stropped off to the next hole as Kevin somehow finished the front 9 on 17 pts.

Kevin showing off his new bright trousers (which were the only colour in his size on Amazon)

However Chris was playing proper golf hitting fairways and greens and putting well so had a good 19 pts at half way.

A tricky looking shot on the 4th which did indeed prove to be tricky as it didn't go very far

The group behind were also having a mixed bag. Vince started with an opening par and although his driving wasn't at its best still had 16 points at the turn.

Not one of Vince best drives as I think it was a practice swing

Tracey also was solid enough but had 7 6's in the first 10 holes which kept her scoring down. On the back 9 things started to fade until a birdie on the last got her up to a respectable 28 pts but no prizes.

For Bob it was very much a game of two halves us he had 3 blobs out of the first 4 holes and just 2 points. Things didn't improve much as he had just 10 points after 9. But then he remembered it was the first of July and on the RNSG summer tour that means its the start of the 3 best front and back 9's in July, August and September competition. Inspired but this he roared into action with 3 3pointers on the first 4 back 9 holes on his way to 19 back 9 points. However his total of 29 didn't get him a prize.

Bob gets his round underway with an excellent blob

Kevin continued to have problems with his drive as his next 5 drives were all topped along the ground but at least not in the trees. However this made scoring difficult as he finished on 31 points and third place. However his two birdies consolidated his lead at the top of the eclectic.

Disappointment as a good put just swerves past the hole at the last minute

It was to prove to be a two horse race for the first prize. While Chris was going along steadily Vince was on a charge as he parred both the back 9 par 5's. After 16 holes it was 34 to 33 in Chris's favour and anyone's game. But then Chris made a monumental school girl error as she examined her score card and forecasted her final total and impact on her handicap.

There was only ever going to be one outcome as she duffed her tee shot along the ground into the nearest gorse bush for her only blob of the day.

One of many tee shots that didn't go in a gorse bush

Vince got a solid two points on 17 to take the lead. However roles were reversed on the last as Chris produced a fine par while Vince got into trouble to scramble a 7 for 1 and Chris had won 37 to 36.

So another top tussle on tour but without much impact on the overall money list as the Barnards still hold a big lead. However it's off to Thorpness for the British Open in a fortnight and with a small field expected, and double prize money, things could quickly change.

RNSG round 4. The US Open at Felixstowe Ferry

 The US Open

After 2 weeks of glorious weather it decided to rain as this years RNSG tour moved to Felixstowe for the converted US Open on Thursday. A large field had entered but who would actually turn up in the forecasted conditions.

As it turned out, everyone and better still the forecasted rain and thunderstorms never materialised with only the light shower to trouble today’s competitors.

The randomiser app was once again used to select the groupings which everyone, well at least Kevin, got very excited about. The randomiser had also successfully randomised the women into separate groups meaning there would be more golf and less chatting this day.

First off were Kevin, Bob and Jo. After a long talk from the starter, offering some excellent advice about not hitting the cars on the near by road, then we were off with 3 surprisingly straight drives down the middle. However normal service was soon resumed as Bob shanked his next into the long rough on the way to an opening blob. Another blob followed before a good par on the third and this stop start scoring pattern was repeated for the day as he stuttered to 28 points.

One of many shots from the rough for Bob although this one led to a par!

However Jo and Kevin thought they were scoring well as they rattled up the points with a series of pars. Jo had 19 at halfway but then had a dodgy patch including an OOB at the 11th which she never really recovered from as she came in with 33 points. Normally we would be talking about a score like that be a contender but today it would turn out that it was way off the pace.

Jo in a rare bit of trouble on the way to a tidy 33 points

Kevin, on the other hand, had two birdies in 3 holes and as he stood on the 12th tea was 5 under handicap. I’m no mind reader but he was probably thinking the US Open was in the bag. Only two things could stop him now. First if he fell apart and second if there were people scoring even better in the groups behind. As it turned out both were true as two blobs in the next 3 holes quickly had all those shots gone. Only a good par on the last got him to an under handicap score of 37.

Bob looks on in admiration of Kevin's excellent drive, at least I think that's what's happening

In the group behind Greg got off to a flyer with 4 pars in the first 6 holes. But then for some reason on the seventh, with water a plenty, he zig zagged down the fairway like a boat tacking on the nearby river. This slip up, and another blob on the short 11th, cost him dearly as he racked up 36 points and the extra points lost on those two holes could have at least got him on the podium.

A smooth looking swing from Greg on the 6th but his little slip up on the next

Chris was doing fine tee to green but having putting problems. A couple of times short putts pinged back off the flagstick instead of going in the hole, damn you covid 19. She did however birdie the 5th hole with its temporary green and hole the size of a bucket. If all the holes had been that big she probably would have won rather than finish on 31 points.

Robert had a strange old round. Have to carry an enormous handicap of 20 around the course he appeared to be struggling with his driver. In fact it was more like a session down the driving range with provisionals being hit on most holes. However incredibly most drives were found as much to his partners surprise he got to 18 at halfway as his iron play had been excellent..

All the extra practice seemed to pay dividends as he stormed the back 9 with 5 pars, no drop shots and 24 points giving him a massive 42 points. But on such a high scoring day would it be enough.

One of Roberts straighter drives which once again was incredibly found.

Jill, Andrew and Vince all put themselves in with a chance. With Jill and Andrew both opening up with excellent scores of 19.

Due to lack of photos and feedback it is a bit of a mystery to know exactly what occurred. Photos from the tour library have been used to help you imagine it. Jill had a solid back 9 to have 36 points.

Jill in action on a previous wet and windy round at Felixstowe Ferry.

Andrew finished strongly with 10 pts on last 4 holes and 39 points on the board. Normally enough for a course record and major title but still 3 points behind Roberts total. Maybe he should get himself a bigger handicap.

Andrew playing in completely different conditions a couple of years ago so doesn't really help us knowing what his round felt like today.

This just left Vince with a record braking handicap of 30 to cope with. He used it wisely on the front 9 to rack up an incredible 24 points. As he stood on the 13th tea he was 6 under handicap. Only two things could stop him now. First if he fell apart and second if there were people scoring even better in the groups ahead. Once again both proved true as he slipped to 37 points and a share of 3rd place with Kevin.

Vince hitting out of the rough during a pervious visit although I suspect there was also plenty of hitting out the rough action today to

Robert gained his 3rd career major title and joined Jo at the top of the Money list as the Barnard’s  continue to hoover up the prize money. Fortunately they are not available for the next two rounds in order to generously give some others the chance to catch up but will also deny Robert becoming the first player to complete the career grand slam as he will miss the Open.

With this years proposed fixture list now bearing no resemblance to where the tour is actually going then the next round is at Swaffham on Thursday 1st July.

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?

RNSG The Masters at Heacham Manor

The Masters at Heacham Manor

With the weather forecast predicting temperatures near freezing and gale force winds it was obviously the start of the 2021 Round Norfolk Summer Golf tour. As tradition dictates the tour always starts at the same time as the Masters in Augusta. The main differences between the two tournaments is that they don’t have half the field pull out the day before, as it might be a bit cold and windy, plus the potential quality of the golf. As it happened the RNSG Masters was played under sunny clear blue skies, although it was rather windy and the golf was once again probably not up to Augusta standards..

Turned out to be a lovely day at Heacham Manor

With the field cut to 5 everyone was in with a good chance of a prize and the opportunity to make early progress up the money list. Especially as a major offers double prize money, which has been increased from previous summer tours. There was also the chance to make it onto the virtual honours board as a major winner.

With the WHS now in operation and without either of the tours handicap experts available no one was really sure what handicaps people should play off but using a combination of shoe size, age and day of the week we came up with numbers acceptable to all.

So it was all to play for as the groupings were sorted out, using a covid secure balls in the air government approved method, before Robert got the tour underway.

Robert gets the 2021 season underway

Robert was playing with Jo and Kevin. The Barnards have played here on many occasions so were offering Kevin dubious course advice leading to the lose of his ball on the second hole as he stumbled to 5 points in the first 5 holes. From there his game picked up with 14 at the turn.

Kevin was mighty relieved to clear the water on his way to his first par of the day

Robert was going along nicely showing his skill at keeping the ball under the wind, at least that's why he said he kept hitting it along the ground. Three early pars had him on 18 at the turn. 

Jo and Robert couldn't be separated, score wise, throughout the day and even hit the wrong fairways together

However he was surprised that Jo was beating him with 19 points after a very impressive opening 9 with the only blemish of a blob on the 4th.

Jo on the way to her only blob of the day after going in the pond at the 4th

In the group behind it was an erratic affair with blobs and pars flying in in equal measures. Vince, however stole a march on Chris with a 4 for 4 on the 9th to have 16 points to Chris’s 12 after 9.

Chris in action during an up and down day

The back 9 followed a similar pattern as Chris secured another 13 to Vince’s 11. This left the pair in 4th and 5th overall with the action for the prizes in the group ahead. They did report that they had explored many of the less visited parts of the course so felt they had had their money's worth.

Vince with one of his better lies today

Despite being only a week out of lockdown the course was empty with no other golfers spotted so the players could relax and focus on the Barnards going head to head.

Kevin started the back 9 strongly with 3 opening pars but as soon as Robert used mind games  and pointed out he was back in contention he knew his race was run as he blobbed the next two holes. He recovered to finish strongly but his final total of 31 points was never going to be enough.

Kevin is relived his approach shot didn't go in the pond at the 12th

With a par on 14 Robert had pulled into a one point lead over Jo who didn’t get shots on two of the last 4 holes. The Masters was his to lose and he would have to have a complete meltdown not to win. And what a meltdown it was as he spent the last 4 holes in long rough, water or recovering from poor drives. He managed only two points to finish on 32.

Despite Jo trying to put Robert off he sunk his putt as he built up towards his meltdown

Jo only needed 4 points over the last 4 holes to win but she too started to run out of steam as she finally started to struggle in the tricky conditions. A scrambled 7 on the last put her one point ahead of Robert and victory was secured when his long putt lipped out the hole for a closing blob.

Jo was crowned this years Masters winner

So Jo was the 2021 Masters champion, yet another new winner of the title and early leader on the money list.

The next RNSG fixture isn’t now until early May when hopefully it will be a bit warmer but before then the postponed last round of the 2019-20 winter tour will be taking place at Mundesley where it is still all to play for if you can remember that far back.

 Autumn Tour Round 5 at Hunstanton

The end of the RNSG Autumn Tour is nearing its climax and, with different winners from the first four events, the much-coveted title of 2020 Champion is there for almost all the tour members.

However, despite this, only a field of seven had entered the usually popular Hunstanton event, This was reduced on the morning to just six when Kevin had to withdraw due to ongoing effects from long-tail Covid; as we know with Kevin, this was not an easy decision but certainly the right one.

And so, on a reasonably mild, sunny but breezy day, two 3-balls were left to fight for the available 5 daily prizes, asking who would be the one left penniless? The players would find the course in brilliant condition but, with the wind, fast greens, numerous bunkers and some thick rough, it proved to be a challenge for everyone. With the incoming WHS rules coming in before the final event at Sheringham, this would be the last time that the FSS would need to be calculated, and the men were relieved that the ladies would only receive one additional shot.

Relieved men that they wouldn't have to worry about FSS again

The ladies went out first, with Jill, Jo and Chris all appreciating the proximity of the sea by wearing their lifejackets again, just in case! Each of them hit impressive opening drives and Jo made the early running with two opening pars, immediately improving her leading eclectic score on both.

Jo's excellent opening drive

 All three were steady through the front nine, with only two blobs between them, but points were hard to come by and the only 3-pointers came at the 2^nd hole for Jill and Jo. It was Chris, however, who proved to be the steadier, finding the speed of the greens sooner than anyone else, and lead the group with 16 points at the turn thanks to seven 2’s and just two 1’s, with Jo and Jill back on 13 and 12 respectively.

Chris was had a blob free front 9

The men followed and as is often the case, were more erratic. Robert and Andrew found bunkers on the first, though Robert did recover for a bogey and 2 points. Andrew failed to score and Vince, from the middle of the fairway, pulled his ball left and never saw it again. Robert played well, not surprising on the course at which he is a member and, despite some off-the-tee issues, scored a respectable 14 points.

Robert gets underway

Vince had a slow start but, in classic style, got on a run from the 6^th hole. An excellent putt for a 2-point double bogey, a brilliant tee shot on the par-3 7^th for a 3-point par, and a textbook 4-point par on the 8^th helped him to 12 points at the turn. 

Vince on way to opening blob

Andrew was inconsistent on and around the greens but had the three par-5’s to thank, with 3-point pars on each, helping to 15 points and 2^nd place overall.

Andrew also on the way to an opening blob

All players were pleased by the appearance of Kevin who, despite knowing all the scores at the turn, ignored the temptation to share. His observation of how players were struggling with the conditions only helped to confirm his decision to not play was the right one. The ladies, by now, were well into the back nine appearing (from afar) not to be struggling as much as the men and opening up quite a distance between the two groups - yardage wise that is, not points! In truth, they were also struggling to build on reasonable starts. On the 10^th hole, Jo failed to score. With less than a foot to putt out for 2-points, she failed to read the break and then did the same for the 1-pointer coming back! Only the difficult 200-plus yards par-3 14^th hole gave the ladies some 3-point opportunities, Jo taking hers with a par and Jill getting the field’s only birdie of the day. Jo struggled and, with two more blobs, could only score 9 points on the homeward nine for a total of 22.

Jo only managed a point a hole on the way in

Jill kept any more blobs off her card until the last, but with six 1-pointers, scored just 11 and 23 in total. Chris fought on valiantly but could not find a 3-pointer all day. Unfortunately, she could only score 12 coming in, but the overall score of 28 was going to prove a difficult challenge to the men who were still some way behind.

Jill getting one of her 11 1 pointers today

Despite channelling his inner Gary Player by dressing in all black, Robert was still being frustrated by his tee-shots. However, some great recoveries and excellent putting kept him in the hunt. Two perfect 4-woods got him to the back of the 13^th green and, two putts later, he had his second and last 3-pointer of the day.

Robert gets out the bunker on the 10th for a point

Vince also made a 3-point bogey on the same hole but, sadly, this was to be his only success on the back-nine. The headwind and a sore back were taking its toll and, with only 2 points in the last four holes, he finished with 11 points and 23 overall. 

Vince sensibly duffed his approach to 10 to leave him in a good position to secure his 2pts

Andrew was driving well but the rest of the game needed improvement. His only highlight on the back nine came on the par-3 14^th hole but, alas, the birdie putt just slid past, as many had for him in this round, and a disappointing 11 points left him on 26 for the day. 

Andrew putting on 10th but sadly not on the traditional green area saved for these shots

Robert was unfortunate to lose his ball on the par-5 15^th hole, but a strong finish on the last three holes helped him to another 14 points, and he was the only player to not score less on the back nine, finishing on 28 overall.

All of this meant that, on a low-scoring day, Chris and Robert (new winners again) shared first place.

Chris on her way to her first win of the season albeit a joint one

With Andrew in third and extending his lead in the overall championship. Jill and Vince tied for fourth, sadly leaving Jo without any reward for a hard day’s work. The results meant that Kevin, currently in second place overall, had lost little ground and was still in the hunt for the title. Following a review of the speed of play, it was clear that the men finished about a hole and a half behind the ladies, equating to about 400 yards. However, bearing in mind that the ladies’ course was some 367 yards shorter than the men’s, this was only to be expected.

The Tour moves on to the final event at Sheringham next month where, it is rumoured, 11 players have entered. The new WHS rules will be in place, so everyone will be curious to see what unfair handicap they have been allocated and what inflated one everyone else has been given! The championship trophy is almost in Andrew’s hands but, with big-money prizes available at the last event, several are lining up behind to trample over him should he stumble.