Bentham Match Report 2024
The final round of the Parrots Golf Society 2024 season was held at Bentham Golf Club last Friday, with the prospect of perhaps the closest finish in Parrots history. Going into this final round there were no less than 7 players at the top of the table within just 2 pts of each other, with another 3 players in with a realistic shout due to their discards. It was going to be important for the chasers that the conditions suited high scoring golf and so it was. The day was dry with light winds, although with the recent prior rain it was decided that preferred lies would be in force.
Generally, the society has moved to just 18 hole events however, with it being the last game of the season, a morning 11 holes were also on offer for the nine players that made it. This was won by the much improving Matt Murphy (will I have to drop the ‘Jeckyl and Hyde’ tag soon?!) with an unbeaten 23pts. In joint second place were the other low discard chaser for the overall title, Mark Thomas and our recent newcomer to the society Ray Callaghan. Well done to them, would this be an omen for the afternoon? Let’s see how everyone got on.
For the afternoon round, we were as usual teeing off in reverse order and, because the situation was so tight, Mike had decided that there would be no gimme’s allowed (perhaps this is the way forward for all rounds in future, I can feel another poll coming on?!)
For this report I’m going to mainly concentrate on the fortunes of the challengers for the title, however there are some cameo performances to mention.
Firstly, welcome this season to Ray Callaghan, who was playing his second event with the Parrot’s today and capped it off with his first two prizes, sharing morning second place and taking the nearest the pin in three prize on the Par 5 14th hole (nobody managed to hit the other Par 5’s in three), well done Ray.
Bob Summers has only been with the society a couple of years and in those early appearances struggled to score well, but this year Bob has finished in 11th place with all five of his counting rounds coming in his last 6 games. Well done to a much improving Bob which was capped by his highest score to date of 36pts at Nelson.
A shout out also to Pete Whiteside, whose handicap has risen alarmingly over the last couple of years. But Pete put it all together at Bentham to cap his season off with a 41 pointer from one of the early tee off groups, including a birdie at the Par 4 12th. Sadly though (spoiler alert!), it would only be good enough to claim 2nd place on the day.
I couldn’t write this report without a special mention to Mel Johnson too. Mike doubts Mel’s commitment to the society but I just can’t understand why. What other member would get on a train at 7.30am at London Euston in order to play his fourth event of the season in the Parrots Society at Bentham that same afternoon? Unbelievable commitment Mel, well done! He even capped off the day by taking the first Par 3 NTP on the 6th hole ….. easy, easy!!
Finally, there is Mark Thomas. Mark has struggled for golf fitness for a few years now due to shoulder problems, but hopefully now has things more under control, and it’s showing in his golf scores. He was first at Stand with a magnificent 40pts, second at Wigan with 35pts and needed only 38pts to beat the points leader going in to Bentham. Sadly his 33pt finish fell short of the mark (no pun intended!), but it’s still been a great season for Tommo, well done!
Of the other contenders, it wasn’t to be Gareth day, finishing with just 25pts and slipping down the table instead of up. Also failing to beat their discards, in the penultimate group, were Paul (still a fine man nonetheless) and Derek, who has been suffering badly of late with leg problems and it was a miracle he was able to play at all on the day. I’m sure we all wish Derek a speedy recovery.
In the same group, Frankie was certainly a dark horse to take his second Parrots title in the afternoon, needing only 35pts to top the leaderboard, but he was 1 shot short of that target albeit with a solid 34pts. It was a different story for the final member of that group though. Winner of the morning round, Matt Murphy was also going well in the afternoon. Needing just 32pts to be leader in the clubhouse, he also notched 34pts, with an excellent 21pt back nine saving the day, setting a new 5 best score total of 182pts. If the winner was to come from the final group, discards would need to be beaten.
In that final group all were going well really, some better than others. I was back marker at half way with 16pts, Luke on 18pts, Pete Corsby on 20pts, but Andy was leading the way with an excellent 21pts, including back to back birdies on the 2nd (from off the green) and the 3rd. Pete had his own birdie on the Par 3 8th, where he had also won NTP.
But there was no stopping Andy on the back nine either. A further four birdies, one of which was just about a foot away for a two on the 10th (also claiming the NTP prize) whilst another was a chip in two on the 16th, sealed the deal for the championship. On the 18th tee, Andy was 2 under par gross and a four would have given him a score of 69, sadly a final missed putt meant it was a 70, but it was a great score resulting in a total of 44pts. A no doubter for the title.
But the minor placing needed to be sorted out. Sadly for them, Pete and Luke didn’t fare as well on the back nine resulting in them both finishing with 34pts apiece, good scores but they may have been hoping for better. Luke did claim NTP on the 17th though. Their best 5 scores improved to 180pts apiece also. But despite being back marker at half way, I also had a very good back nine of 21pts (birdie for me at the 12th), matching Matt, which became significant as that gave me 37pts and the same best 5 score of 182pts, but by virtue of the better 6th score, 2nd place was mine.
So barring the meal, beer and the presentations, the day was done and it belonged to Andy Nurse, Parrots Golf Society champion for 2024 and thoroughly deserved with his magnificent last day round, which not only won the championship, but also the best score of the day and the prize for the best individual score of the year of 44pts. Congratulations Andy!!
Second place on the day was the aforementioned Pete Whiteside, with myself claiming 3rd place in a card play-off with my namesake, Glenn Riches. Congratulations to …… er, us!!
Overall 2nd was myself with Matt taking 3rd place on the old count-back again of course. Pete Corsby claimed 4th also on count-back from Luke. Congratulations to all the prize winners on the final day.
Handicap changes from Bentham are as follows :-
Andy Nurse 7 to 5 (including 1 shot for being overall champion)
Glenn Wellard 10 to 9
Glenn Riches 12 to 11
Pete Whiteside 24 to 21
Stuart Weston 13 to 14
Steve Fineman 17 to 18
Warren Murphy 20 to 21
That’s it, there is no more for 2024. Thanks to everyone who came on a Parrots event this year, we hope you had a good day out. We can only look forward to doing it all again next year. In the meantime, work on that swing, pile on the winter layers, pack the clubs away, get on a plane to the Algarve, do whatever you do in the winter months and we’ll see you all again at the first Parrots event next Spring!!
Glenn
