I arrived at Burnham on Monday evening. After a meal and a beer I had an early night ready for everyone arriving on Tuesday lunchtime. I fell into an exhausted sleep at 8pm, but I was wide awake at 4am. Sadly, the previous occupant of the room above me, in the Dormy House, had not turned the shower off properly and the constant drip, drip, drip into the shower tray, directly above my head, was unbearable by 5am. So I needed to get out of the room.
By 8am, I had played all 18 holes of the Championship course, showered, shaved, changed and was in the dining room for breakfast. Although this was unplanned, it gave me an ideal opportunity to examine the rough which, given the exceptional growing season, is very thick. I therefore declared a local rule, for the tournament, that the rough would be treated as a lateral hazard and a lost ball could be replaced with a new one, dropped in the semi rough, under penalty of one shot.
On Tuesday afternoon the forecast was - very windy; the gauge in the clubhouse indicated that it had actually gusted to 38 mph! So play was from the Green (forward) tees. The wind tested many, but the low handicappers still played well. The best score of 88 came from Darron Henn’s team, which had a combined handicap of 16.4. This was helped enormously by Scott Evans who butchered the par-5 8th. His drive was easily the longest and his second to the green, with a gap-wedge, lipped the hole for a near albatross!
Although 88 was the best score on Tuesday, it actually came in second place. This is because I dreamt up a wicked ruse to add the best two individual scores, from the nine holes on Wednesday morning, to Tuesday’s total and the worst two to Wednesday afternoon’s total.
The bar was full on Tuesday night as many enjoyed the wonderful food on offer and watched the Italians book a place in Sunday night’s Euro final.
Wednesday morning on the nine hole course took on a hole new significance with the scores counting to both rounds on the Championship. Mark Boswell and Alan Hope were both in the top 5 with 22 and 18 points respectively. These two scores, added to their 84 on Tuesday, took the team to first place.
The wind had abated on Wednesday. A couple of ten-minute showers blew through but did not dampen the enjoyment of the course.
Although many set off straight after golf to get home for the match, there were about thirty of us in the bar, once again enjoying the food and elated to see England in the final on Sunday.
6TH JULY. 1-16 - Best 2. 17 & 18 All 4. Plus best two from the Channel Course |
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CHAMPIONSHIP GREEN TEES |
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PLAYERS |
Score |
Best Two from Channel Course |
Total |
|
1 |
Alan Hope 8.3 Mark Boswell 19.7 Chris Wormleighton 5.3 Jerry Casper 11.4 |
84 |
40 |
124 |
2 |
Darron Henn 4.3 Mike Sandoz 5.3 Chris Turner 2.9 Scott Evans 3.9 |
88 |
30 |
118 |
3 |
Colin Barnard 15.3 Geoff Charlton 18.9 Stuart Bond 10.4 Jonathan Fraser 10.3 |
82 |
36 |
118 |
4 |
Rob Hawthorne 2.9 Chris Welsh 11.5 David Pearson 7.6 Brian Coldrick 13.4 |
83 |
32 |
115 |
5 |
Robert Morgan 10.0, Roger Crisp 7.3 Adrian Spencer 12.6 Peter Williams 7.0. |
80 |
33 |
113 |
6 |
Dean Pointon 10.1 Chris Emms 10.8 Andy Phillips 7.7 Chris Hobbs 11.9 |
77 |
34 |
111 |
7= |
Steve Champion 11.6 Spencer Shaw 16.4 Sam Pearce 7.2 Derrick Birch 7.9 |
77 |
33 |
110 |
7= |
Dean Napper 10.4 Stuart Band 2.5 Mark Hamer 12.5 Gary Whitby 7.3 |
79 |
31 |
110 |
9= |
David Robinson 19.6 Richard Jefferies 10.4 Roger Howarth 11.1 John Golder 18.3 |
79 |
30 |
109 |
9= |
Dave Brierley 7.8 Steve Lewis 7.9 Roy Everett 9.0 Glyn Everett 17.8 |
75 |
34 |
109 |
9= |
David Hagger 8.2 Richard Harrison 7.3 Robert Smalley 7.6 Mike Orchiston 2.5 |
77 |
32 |
109 |
9= |
John O'Callaghan 12.2 Mark O'Shea 10.7 Dave Walker 16.4 Rob Harper 18.1 |
78 |
31 |
109 |
13 |
Andy Krakiewicz 5.0 Martin Chattin 4.3 Andy Dodd 10.9 Andy Brown 10.4 |
76 |
30 |
106 |
14 |
Alan Milburn 14.6 George Fraser 22.0 Chris Connorton 13.3 Adam Grundy 9.1 |
63 |
41 |
104 |
15 |
Ian Cairns 17.1 Allan McCulloch 14.7 Rob McCulloch 10.1 Nigel Wensley 6.6 |
70 |
33 |
103 |
16 |
Dennis Palmer 12.4 Kebbie Uppal 8.6 Ben Banaras 17.7 Stephen O’Reilly 14.9 |
81 |
0 |
81 |
Richard Jefferies |
Nearest pin 12 |
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Dean Napper. |
Nearest pin 17 |
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Scott Evans |
Longest drive 8 |
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Two’s |
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Stuart Bond; Richard Jefferies; Alan Hope; Dean Napper; Stuart Band; Chris Emms; Dave Brierley; Guy Everett; Rob Hawthorne; Scott Evans. |
7TH JULY. 1-16 - Best 2. 17 & 18 All 4. Plus worst two from the Channel Course |
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CHAMPIONSHIP PURPLE TEES |
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PLAYERS |
Score |
Worst Two from Channel Course |
Total |
|
1 |
Ian Cairns 17.1 Allan McCulloch 14.7 Rob McCulloch 10.1 Nigel Wensley 6.6 |
85 |
23 |
108 |
2 |
John O'Callaghan 12.2 Mark O'Shea 10.7 Dave Walker 16.4 Rob Harper 18.1 |
81 |
26 |
107 |
3 |
Rob Hawthorne 2.9 Chris Welsh 11.5 David Pearson 7.6 Brian Coldrick 13.4 |
78 |
29 |
107 |
4 |
Alan Hope 8.3 Mark Boswell 19.7 Chris Wormleighton 5.3 Jerry Casper 11.4 |
79 |
27 |
106 |
5 |
Dean Pointon 10.1 Chris Emms 10.8 Andy Phillips 7.7 Chris Hobbs 11.9 |
81 |
23 |
104 |
6 |
Darron Henn 4.3 Mike Sandoz 5.3 Chris Turner 2.9 Scott Evans 3.9 |
81 |
23 |
104 |
7 |
Robert Morgan 10.0, Roger Crisp 7.3 Adrian Spencer 12.6 Peter Williams 7.0. |
74 |
27 |
101 |
8 |
Steve Champion 11.6 Spencer Shaw 16.4 Sam Pearce 7.2 Derrick Birch 7.9 |
78 |
22 |
100 |
9= |
Colin Barnard 15.3 Geoff Charlton 18.9 Stuart Bond 10.4 Jonathan Fraser 10.3 |
80 |
18 |
98 |
9= |
Dave Brierley 7.8 Steve Lewis 7.9 Roy Everett 9.0 Glyn Everett 17.8 |
71 |
23 |
94 |
11 |
David Hagger 8.2 Richard Harrison 7.3 Robert Smalley 7.6 Mike Orchiston 2.5 |
72 |
22 |
94 |
12 |
Andy Krakiewicz 5.0 Martin Chattin 4.3 Andy Dodd 10.9 Andy Brown 10.4 |
70 |
19 |
89 |
13 |
David Robinson 19.6 Richard Jefferies 10.4 Roger Howarth 11.1 John Golder 18.3 |
63 |
23 |
86 |
14 |
Dennis Palmer 12.4 Kebbie Uppal 8.6 Ben Banaras 17.7 Stephen O’Reilly 14.9 |
76 |
0 |
76 |
15 |
Alan Milburn 14.6 George Fraser 22.0 Chris Connorton 13.3 Adam Grundy 9.1 |
0 |
25 |
25 |
16 |
Dean Napper 10.4 Stuart Band 2.5 Mark Hamer 12.5 Gary Whitby 7.3 |
0 |
22 |
22 |
Dave Walker |
Nearest pin 5 |
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Alan Hope |
Nearest pin 9 |
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Mike Sandoz |
Longest drive 16 |
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Two’s |
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Stuart Bond; Steve Champion; Alan Hope; Andy Dodd; Dean Pointon; Darren Henn; |
7TH JULY INDIVIDUAL STABLEFORD |
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CHANNEL COURSE HOLES 1-9 |
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PLAYERS |
SCORES |
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|
Colin Barnard 15.3 Geoff Charlton 18.9 Stuart Bond 10.4 Jonathan Fraser 10.3 |
6 |
16 |
20 |
12 |
|
Alan Milburn 14.6 George Fraser 22.0 Chris Connorton 13.3 Adam Grundy 9.1 |
12 |
14 |
17 |
13 |
|
Ian Cairns 17.1 Allan McCulloch 14.7 Rob McCulloch 10.1 Nigel Wensley 6.6 |
11 |
12 |
18 |
15 |
|
Steve Champion 11.6 Spencer Shaw 16.4 Sam Pearce 7.2 Derrick Birch 7.9 |
18 |
15 |
10 |
12 |
|
Alan Hope 8.3 Mark Boswell 19.7 Chris Wormleighton 5.3 Jerry Casper 11.4 |
18 |
22 |
13 |
14 |
|
Rob Hawthorne 2.9 Chris Welsh 11.5 David Pearson 7.6 Brian Coldrick 13.4 |
17 |
15 |
15 |
14 |
|
David Robinson 19.6 Richard Jefferies 10.4 Roger Howarth 11.1 John Golder 18.3 |
15 |
15 |
11 |
12 |
|
Andy Krakiewicz 5.0 Martin Chattin 4.3 Andy Dodd 10.9 Andy Brown 10.4 |
14 |
8 |
16 |
11 |
|
Robert Morgan 10.0, Roger Crisp 7.3 Adrian Spencer 12.6 Peter Williams 7.0. |
13 |
14 |
15 |
18 |
|
Dean Napper 10.4 Stuart Band 2.5 Mark Hamer 12.5 Gary Whitby 7.3 |
15 |
10 |
12 |
16 |
|
Dean Pointon 10.1 Chris Emms 10.8 Andy Phillips 7.7 Chris Hobbs 11.9 |
17 |
17 |
9 |
14 |
|
Dave Brierley 7.8 Steve Lewis 7.9 Roy Everett 9.0 Glyn Everett 17.8 |
9 |
14 |
17 |
17 |
|
Darron Henn 4.3 Mike Sandoz 5.3 Chris Turner 2.9 Scott Evans 3.9 |
13 |
16 |
10 |
14 |
David Hagger 8.2 Richard Harrison 7.3 Robert Smalley 7.6 Mike Orchiston 2.5 |
15 |
11 |
10 |
17 |
|
Dennis Palmer 12.4 Kebbie Uppal 8.6 Ben Banaras 17.7 Stephen O’Reilly 14.9 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
John O'Callaghan 12.2 Mark O'Shea 10.7 Dave Walker 16.4 Rob Harper 18.1 |
12 |
15 |
14 |
17 |
|
TOP 6 SCORES |
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1 |
MARK BOSWELL |
22 |
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2 |
STUART BOND |
20 |
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3 |
NIGEL WENSLEY |
18 |
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4 |
STEPHEN CHAMPION |
18 |
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5 |
ALAN HOPE. |
18 |
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6 |
PETER WILLIAMS |
18 |
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Two’s |
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Dean Pointon; Chris Emms; Dave Brierley; Darron Henn; Peter Williams; |