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“2020 Golf Challenge Cup Report

 

 

 

For several years, The MAD and near neighbours Isis CC have muted the possibility of a team golf tournament at the close of a regular cricket season, but nothing ever game to fruition. Fast forward to a season blighted by a pandemic and an utterly irregular cricket season, things came to pass.

 

The competition will hopefully now become an annual affair with the teams taking it in turns to organise the event and nominate a course. It is also hoped we have a cure for Covid-19 by the end of next year so we can get smashed in the bar afterwards

 

 

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‘I. Van de Veld’

 

 

 

 

 

Part I – Course, Format and Particulars

 

 

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Particulars

 

 

Hosts

&

Charity

 

 

Isis CC 

 

Designated charity for surplus cash is The Maple Tree – a young children and family centre.

 

 

Course

 

Waterstock Golf Club, East Oxfordshire. 6,500 yard, Par 72 parkland course.

 

 

Date

 

Saturday 10 October (first tee @ 10:30)

 

 

Weather

 

 

Varied, mostly dry with a light wind (brief deluge)

 

Tournament Format

 

The inaugural tournament will consist of 5 pairs matches (front 9) and 10 singles matches (back 9) – the best of 15 points will decide the outright winner.

 

 

Pairs Format (front 9)

 

The Better Ball format – just take the best score from either player. If MAD player #1 scores a 5 on a par 4 and playing partner MAD player #2 scores a 6, then MAD player #1’s score will count.  The MAD score of 5 is compared to the Isis pair’s best and the winner of the hole (1 point) is determined (or the hole is halved). 

 

 

 

 

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Two charity cases who walked in off the street….

 

 

 

 

Part II – The Day

 

With players from both teams dropping in and out of the eventual line-ups, teams were settled on the day as thus, with the unregulated handicaps in brackets. Mr Whiter then introduced a few rulings on certain holes to benefit the more handicapped to make them less of a handicap, or something like that….

 

 

The Protagonists

 

 

Isis CC  (Hosts)

 

Far from the MCC

 

 

Allan East (28)

Damian Todd (28)

Dave Penhallurick (26)

Felix Roper (26)

Joe Walter (28)

Jon Ponsford (23)

Julian Francis (26)

Keith Ponsford (28)

Keith Whiter (25)  (c)

Nick Hardy (28)

Ravi Kella (36)

Dave Lawrence (28)

 

 

 

Chris Roberts (26)

John Harris (26)

Paddy Mellor (26)

Russ Turner (26)

Ian Howarth (26)  (c)

Thornton Smith (26)

David Emerson (28)

Geoff Carter (28)

Chris Williams (28)

Corne Vermaak (30)

 

 

 

 

 

Isis CC – Team Photo

 

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Left to right some nice chaps in decent attire.

(Dave Penhallurick was late unfortunately, but very much there in soul….)

 

 

 

Far from the MCC – Team Photo

 

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Left to right some scruffy buggers who appear to have slept in a skip overnight.

(Chris Williams is out of shot having a piss somewhere….)

 

 

 

 

Part III – Captain’s Report

 

Isis eventually settled on twelve combatants for the day, with Damian Todd and Joe Walter deputising in the singles for Ravi Kella and Nick Hardy (pairs). Essentially this method catered for everyone who was enthusiastic to play… and who hadn’t fallen out with their respective Captains due to their selected opposition or partner.

 

Following a cheeky clubhouse can or two for the pub team, the pairs get underway to rich applause when Captain Whiter hit his opening drive onto the wrong fairway. He improved markedly after that, as did most of his Isis comrades, with Mr Reeves posting live Leaderboard feeds online after being bombarded with WhatsApp text updates as the lads went round the course….

 

 

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With a light wind and no little sunshine, The MAD were relatively competitive during these early pairings, with Mellor & Williams winning by 4&3 (v Francis & Roper) and Carter & Howarth winning by 2&1 (v East & K Ponsford). Less successful were the other 3 pairings that weren’t very successful and would go on to score nil pois….

 

 

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Scores on the doors at the halfway point were Isis 3 v MAD 2 and all to play for in the singles events, unless of course, you were crap or had a really shit round, which to be fair, was most of The MAD team in general. Shining lights amidst this wayward dross were again Paddy Mellor (2&1), Corne Vermaak (on the last) and… erm, well Chris Williams, who managed to halve his round despite throwing an almost unassailable 4-shot lead away….

 

 

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Easty holing for a spirited resurgence in the singles….

 

 

 

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Ian van de Veld attempts the… just shit really.

 

 

 

 

Part IV – Final Results

 

 

 

Winners

 

Isis CC  10.5  v  4.5  FFTMCC

 

 

Nearest to the Pin

 

John Ponsford  (Isis CC)

 

 

Longest Drive

 

 

Damian Todd  (Isis CC)

 

 

 

 

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A very smug Captain Keith Whiter holding the Isis CC FFTMCC Challenge Trophy.

 

 

 

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J Ponsford (Pin) and D Todd (Drive) receive their trophies.

 

 

 

 

Part V – Summation

 

An extremely enjoyable day out and good time had by all, and at times you forgot there was a pandemic going on. It’s obviously a real shame our neighbours came back strongly down the back 9, but the best team definitely won out on the day (probably), and of course thanks to the two Keith’s for doing the lion’s share of organising things.

 

We look forward to hosting next year’s event with a completely different result, particularly if there is bar open to settle those driving irons.

 

 

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To 2021!