Watson Plate - Welford on Avon GC - APRIL 2016

REPORT from 23rd April
We have a golf and a birthday report this time!

First the golf:

PLANT POTS score 88

Dave Plant, Mike White and Clive Ellis had too many 6's and a 7 on the 14th to trouble the winners. Dave used 4 of his tee shots to scramble a 42 on the front nine, four shots off the pace. Then a fourball with a one-legged man pushed in on the 10th, enough to further put them off their stride. But, it was Mike's 65th birthday, the 400th anniversary of Shakespeares death and St George's Day.It was a good day whatever the score.

NO ACCOUNTS score 85

Rich Marston, Jack Munro and Chris Rose. Too many 5's and 6's. Jack nearly won nearest the pin. 41 out and 44 back, just didn't sink enough putts.

THE KARLOFFS score 84

John Kullman, Tom Hingley and Kersten Jebbett. The front nine was a creditable 39 but the back nine took them out of contention. They started with a birdie but finished with a triple bogie. Again the greens caught them out and Kersten never hit the superwoman heights of last April, probably not played much golf?

WHITE TRIPES score 81

Colin Morris, Chris Langridge and Vicki Rose finished 5th on countback, but this is only 4 shots behind the winners. That's how tight things have got. A front nine of 38 their chances finally ruined by a 7 on the awkward 16th. The highlight being the Nearest the Pin success of Vicki on the 8th. Well done Vicki! A new name on the trophy is always welcome. Bigger surprise than Leicester City? Not quite.

CLARES CELL score 81

Clare Kapur, Callum Munro and Fay Wright snatch 4th on back nine countback. Solid golf, a 39 out and a 42 back. They actually had the best aggregate score on the last three holes. But again this was the story of putts left short and therefore too many 5's. Fay almost won Nearest the Pin but didn't allow for the Vicki land-route technique.

WIZZARDS OF ROZ score 80

Joint leaders after front nine, in the lead until the second shot on the 16th. The last 3 holes proved a bridge too far. Never quite got the birdie putts to fall, Gil short putting all day. Tricky greens and cambers. Gwyn was very good off the tee all day and his chip shot at the par 3 fifteenth was the highest quality. It wasn't the Out of Bounds that tripped them, it was the putts that didn't fall. But a great effort, Roz a smart and capable leader. Great day.

CUBAN HEALS score 79

Second place for Doug Heal, Chris Reardon and Nigel Phillips. Another team with 38 out. Any score under 80 is a fantastic performance. Yet again Chris Reardon won the Longest Drive, well done Chris. The Clint Eastwood of Palermo Verrico. Rides into town, wins something, rides out. Nigel almost became the 3rd person to get back-to-back wins.

ROWE OF HOUSES score 77

Dave Rowe, Kev Westwood and Peter Barnett. Dave's first win since April 2011 and Kev's first win since April 2009. Pete's first ever win, coming on as substitute for Photographer of the Day, Barry Fuller and his bad knee. But what a win! The score equals the best ever score in a competition, the 77's scored at Tenterden and Taunton Vale. It was the 39 back in that sealed it. A birdie on the 10th, and 9 pars. They actually started with an inauspicious 6 on the first, but settled down and became the most consistent. Always thought this course could produce a low score but the greens trickier than they look, so this was an excellent performance. Well done Champions!

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS

The Blue Boar was a wonderful base camp. Eccentric and entertaining staff. Great food. Good rooms. Also it was splendid for celebrating Mike's 65th, he was presented with a Brighton and Hove Albion shirt and lashings of cake. Roz had the food nailed with military precision. The presentation went with a bang because Gil dropped and smashed the prizes, having to pay for replacements and wait until the dry American cleaned up the river of Merlot.

Said American took it in his stride and quipped to the embarrassed Gil, “How did the golf go Sir, better than the wine juggling I hope”.

A mention for Roz, Jane Kullman, Vicki Rose , Fay Wright and Miranda Heal. The following morning they all swam a mile for a Cancer Charity. Roz has amazing energy, but hats off to all of them for putting themselves through a tough weekend to help others. And a big thanks to all the Society members , wives, partners etc who generously gave money and sponsored.

Finally, a word of congratulations to Janet Fuller, who should have been playing and was replaced by Chris Reardon at the last minute. Although she has a knee issue (Fuller is an anagram of dodgyknee) her hockey team, Folkestone Optimists Over-35's, won through to the National final at the Olympic Park on Saturday 30th April. Some of us roared them on in the semi-final, and though we missed her at golf this is a fitting and deserved crescendo to a fantastic sporting career. Her knee won't take too much so hockey rightly came first, but all Palermo members wish the team GOOD LUCK! Go Jan!