Match Report Clitheroe Golf Club 2017
The third outing of 2017 took the Parrots to Clitheroe Golf Club, and all the forecasts leading up to the day suggested it was going to be a hot one weather wise. And the weather didn’t disappoint, it was hot ....... too hot!!
Given the forecast there was surprisingly only 10 players for the afternoon round, and two of them (me and Peter Hoole) only arrived at lunchtime. So it was a chance for those 10 to post some good scores for the overall leaderboard at the expense of the absentees....... ha, fat chance!
The morning showed promising signs, as the winning score by that morning specialist, Trevor Middleton, was a very respectable 19 pts. That’s about as much as I can tell you about the morning, I’m afraid, as I wasn’t there. So well done to Trevor for taking the morning spoils.
The big question was whether the increasingly hot weather was going to take its toll in the afternoon 18 holes. Well here’s an indication. First out was our morning winner Trev, who had a respectable 16pts on the front nine second time around and then posted 2pts in total for the next 6 holes! If he hadn’t summoned a last effort and finished with 6pts more for the final three, Trev could have been breaking the wrong sort of records!
His two playing partners were the relatively fresh pair of myself and Pete Hoole. Having already sunk a putt from off the green on the first, Peter proceeded to do it again on the ninth to take the front nine with 19pts (a score not to be bettered by anybody in the afternoon btw) to my 16pts.
However, misplaced drives on both the 11th and 12th, brought Peters back nine to grinding halt and he was to finish the back nine only one point better than Trev and 28pts altogether. My back nine of 13pts would barely be considered to be respectable but it at least edged me 1 point ahead of Peter with 29 pts in total. Hardly likely to challenge for the win.
Then in came six other competitors with 26....... 24 (!) ....... 23 (!?) ....... 22 (!?!) ..... 20 (!?!?) ...... and finally another respectable 28pts from Jim Clayton. Could 29pts become the lowest winning score ever in the Parrots?
Well no, because Pete Whiteside saved the honour of the Parrots with a winning score of 30pts. Although, it was interesting to note that as we were stood respectively on the 17th tee, I had a three shot lead on Pete, but whereas I gained only 1pt from those last two holes, Pete parred them both for 5pts, so in the end he was a deserved winner for that great finish.
So well done Pete for taking the afternoon win with myself taking second place.
With the high number of low scores, of 10 players, six have changed handicaps! Here they are –
Pete Whiteside 12 to 11
Bill Pye 23 to 24
Trevor Middleton 19 to 20
Mike Barnes 12 to 13
Phil Matthews 18 to 19
Dave Bamber 10 to 11
The updated leaderboard has already been posted to the website by Phil.
Next up on the tour is Nelson, which was won last year with a fine 36 pts from a little ex-fireman of your acquaintance. Hopefully, normal Parrots attendance will be resumed there ‘cos as we all know ‘some societies......’ yada yada yada!!
Glenn
