Holiday Cup 4th. August 2019

Holiday Cup 4th. August 2019 

Holiday Cup contenders

Tashan Dunbar (95/28/67)  cuts an impressive figure on the tee standing taller than Anthony Joshua , talented enough at football to hold down a junior place at  Arsenal FC and later to fleetingly resurface in this part of the world in the semipro world of football at Witton Albion . Golf-wise his willowy stature helps him to be the possessor of a loooong swing that is capable of powering the ball enormous distances but not always in the direction where he aims it which explains his 28 handicap . Today was only the second competition round of his season and only his third since October 2018 . His previous round this season in late June saw him complete the course in 118 strokes including only 2 pars and lots of (high) purple numbers , two of which were in double figures . Today he started slowly with a couple of purple numbers which saw him drop a shot to hcp on both to seemingly set him on a path to his June torment at +2 . But this version of Tashan did not go down that route of pain and he began to stabilise his front 9 with the highlights a net eagle 4 on 4 with net birdies on 5 and 7 resulting in him getting to the turn at -2 and just 3 shots off the lead . He was to make a poor start to his back 9 losing 2 strokes courtesy of a 7 on 10 but that was to be the last reverse of his round as he regrouped with him playing the next 4 holes to handicap . As the end neared he found himself 5 behind after 12 and stood on the 15th tee still 4 behind now at level par for his handicap and still down the field . Whilst others faltered Tash went into overdrive with a second net eagle 5 on the long 15th to get to -2 and now just 2 behind and in third place . He stood on the final tee still 2 behind despite gaining a further stroke to handicap on 17 but with the final hole proving a tough obstacle a crucial net birdie 5 took him to -4 to snatch the trophy on countback for a remarkable victory given the agonies of his previous round to break the golfing hearts of at least two of his rivals .
 

Sash Neersoo (76/9/67) has seamlessly fitted back into Alty GC life after a 3 year sabbatical at Sale GC . This affable individual is a gifted ball striker and his all round play has got him to his enviable low mark of a single figure handicap . Today he started steadily and remained level after 3 holes before sensationally getting into early contention with a net birdie on 4 with a magnificent net eagle 3 on 5 ...a further gain on 7 was slightly tempered by a reverse on 8 and thus reaching the turn at -3 with his gross 36 his finest ever white tee front  9. He started his back 9 well with a birdie 3 on 11 but crucially stalled his momentum with a net double bogey 8 on 12 to put him 3 behind . A further reverse on 14 seemed initially to be a fatal blow to his hopes but a superb net eagle 3 on 17 meant that he stood on the final hole 2 shots down . Another tremendous  gain on the last got him to the winning score of -4 but he cruelly lost out on countback to finish runner-up . 

Yan Taylor (85/18/67) followed the pattern of the other leading contenders of this Board competition in that he was another recent addition to our membership . He was playing in his first major comp today and playing only his second competitive round of his Alty career . He started superbly , finding himself -3 after his opening two holes courtesy of a net birdie on 1 and a magnificent net eagle on 2 ... momentum was halted abruptly on 4 where a net triple bogey 8 put him back to level but he regrouped sensationally with net birdies on 4 of the 5 holes to the turn to get there at -4 and just one off the lead . An immediate dropped shot on 10 was countered by three consecutive net birdies which meant that he stood on the 14th tee on -6  with a 3 shot lead with just 5 holes to go . With the comp at his mercy he dropped two shots due to a sloppy 7 on 14 ... he regrouped again and consolidated his round playing to hcp apart from a seemingly crucial gain on 16  and found himself on -5 and still 2 shots clear with just 18 to play . Once again realistically needing just to play a net par 5 to claim a memorable victory he inexplicably took 6 shots to finish in third place on countback . Only Yan will know how much of his crucial lapses were due to the immeasurable but irresistible mental side of our wonderful sport but he will surely learn from this should he get in a similar position in the future .

Danny Miller (75/7/68)  is regularly mentioned on these reports by virtue of his remarkable consistency in challenging for Board Competitions for over two decades . Today he has finished in a ‘never nearer’ fourth place courtesy of a superb gross 36 front 9 highlighted by a net eagle 3 on the difficult 2nd to find him 3 shots back at -2 at the turn and a back 9 which included a second net eagle on 17 but which was curiously his only gain coming home meaning a -3 finish ... given the high standards the great man sets of himself he will surely rue inexplicable reverses on 8 and 14 that effectively lost him the competition .

Special mentions ...

Ian Wood (79/11/68) is another returning member to the Alty fold and today he started in the best way possible with a net eagle on 1 . He was the third player to record a magnificent gross 36 highlighted by further gains on 2,5 and 14 ( birdie ) which left him handily placed on -4 just one off the lead . His back 9 saw gains on 14,15 and 18 but crucially a net triple bogey on 12 and a careless drop on the benign 16th left him in fifth place on -3 . Another player with much angst to dwell on but a fine effort nevertheless.

George Sainthouse (89/20/69) continues to challenge for major honours even though pasture may be calling ... this patriotic veterans appetite for glory remains as strong as ever and today he gave us a blemish-free front 9 masterclass to lead the field on -5 . He had achieved this score courtesy of gains on 1,5 ,6, 8 and 9 . Sadly he could not maintain the magic and although he had further gains to hcp on 11 and 16 they were outweighed by a net double bogey 9 on 12 as well as other reverses on 10,13 and 17 which left him with a ninth place finish .

Best Gross Score(s) ... Danny Miller & Glen Rothwell 75

Glen Rothwell may have finished in 11th place but his joint ‘best in show’ 75 included ‘proper’ birdies on a par 3 , par 4 and par 5 . 

Defending Champion watch ...

Ken Dixon’s victory last year with a dominant 4 shot victory courtesy of a quite magnificent net 63 was a fantastic effort for this most popular Alty veteran ... today he simply could never get going and succumbed to a NR after just 8 holes ... he carried on to finish his round with his solitary gains on 5 and 11 . A 48th place finish for the great man but his 2018 victory will surely rank as one of the most memorable victories of recent memory . 

Highest Score on one hole ... Wayne Miller (128/29/99)  is a new member but he resolutely refused to give way to a course that was giving him a nightmare day . He stood on the 17th tee already +19 for his handicap but unbowed he ploughed on and registered a card-busting 16 ... much respect to him as he regrouped and actually finished his round with a net birdie 5 after such an unforgettable trauma finishing in 41st. place , one better than myself  who disgracefully had a rare NR ! Bravo to Wayne’s persistence but this observer is thankful that he wasn’t playing with or behind him today !