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“2021 Golf Challenge Cup Report”

For several years, The MAD and near neighbours Isis CC had muted the possibility of an annual team golf tournament at the close of the regular cricket season, it eventually came to pass after a season blighted by a pandemic in 2020. It is hoped the contest runs for many years until kneecaps break and hips need replacing.

‘I. Van de Veld’

Part I – Course, Format and Particulars

Particulars

Hosts	Far from the MCC
Course	Waterstock Golf Club, East Oxfordshire. 6,500 yards, Par 72 parkland course.
Date	Saturday 9 October (first tee @ 09:50).
Weather	Foggy start to reveal a gloriously sunny day.
Tournament Format	The inaugural tournament will consist of 4 pairs matches (front 9) and 8 singles matches (back 9) – the best of 12 points will decide the outright winner. An extra tee time booked for any “extra” players.
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 the 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).

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	Far from the MCC (Hosts)
Allan East (28) Brad Harden (26) Ravi Kella (30) Dave Penhallurick (26) Keith Ponsford (28) Felix Roper (26) Damian Todd (28) Joe Walter (28) Keith Whiter (24) (c) Nick Wyatt (30)	James Bateman (24) John Harris (24) Paddy Mellor (28) Chris Roberts (26) Gary Timms (28) Russ Turner (28) Corne Vermaak (30) Chris Williams (28) (c)

Assembling in the early morning fog – various participants….

Right and far right – Isis and FFTMCC captains Whiter and Williams.

Part III – Captain’s Report

With Geoff Carter’s late withdrawal from the day, Mr Timms was shunted into the pairs and singles action as a replacement (from the extra tee time and friendly game playing outside the main tourney itself). Was it divine intervention?

With the early morning fog disappearing to reveal a gorgeous autumnal day, the pairing and singles set out and the following results were thus:

PAIRS

09:40 - FRIENDLY - Damian Todd (28) and Joe Walter (28)

09:50 - Nick Wyatt (30) and Ravi Kella (30) play Russ Turner (28) and Gary Timms (28) – so Nick and Ravi both get one extra shot on hole 9 (stroke index 1) … Timms & Turner W 4 & 3

10:00 - Felix Roper (28) and Allan East (28) play Chris Williams (28) and Corne Vermaak (30) – so Corne gets one shot on hole 9 (S.I. 1) … Williams & Vermaak W at last

10:10 - Dave Penhallurick (26) and Keith Ponsford (28) play John Harris (24) and Patrick Mellor  (28) – so Keith and Paddy get a shot on holes 5 (S.I. 3) and Keith, Dave and Paddy get a shot on hole 9 (S.I. 1) … Halved

10:20 - Keith Whiter (24) and Brad Harden (26) play James Bateman (24) and Chris Roberts (26) – so Brad and Chris both get one extra shot on hole 9 (S.I. 1) … Bateman & Roberts L at last

SINGLES

FRIENDLY – Nick Wyatt (30), Ravi Kella (30)

Damian Todd (28) plays Russ Turner (28) … Turner L 2 & 1

Joe Walter (28) plays  Gary Timms (28) … Timms W 4 & 3

Felix Roper (28) plays Chris Williams (28) … Williams W 2 & 1

Allan East (28) plays Corne Vermaak (30) – so Corne gets a shot on hole 12 (S.I.2) … Vermaak W ?

Keith Ponsford (28) plays Paddy Mellor (28) … Mellor W 4 & 3

Dave Penhallurick (26) plays John Harris (24) – so Dave gets a shot on hole 12 (S.I.2) … Harris L 2 & 1

Brad Harden (26) plays Chris Roberts (26) … Roberts L 5 & 4

Keith Whiter (24) plays James Bateman (24) … Halved

…choice texts throughout the day are captured below (including subsequent loss of Pin Trophy!)

Scores on the doors at the end were FFTMCC 7 to Isis CC’s 5. MAD won!

K Ponsford and D Penhallurick congratulate Paddy on drinking 24 cans of Stella….

Corne can drive a ball… but the rest is….

Part IV – Final Results

Winners	Far from the MCC 7 v 5 Isis CC
Nearest to the Pin	Gary Timms (Far from the MCC)
Longest Drive	Corne Vermaak (Far from the MCC)

A very smug Captain Chris Williams holding the Isis CC FFTMCC Challenge Trophy.

Gary Timms (Pin) and Ringer Vermaak (Drive) winners of respective trophies.

Part V – Summation

An extremely enjoyable day out and good time had by all, with guest star Gary Timms surprising all (including himself). The weather was of course a winner, as was Vermaak who got away with a handicap of 30 despite playing off scratch most weeks.

To 2022!