From Mad Old Boyce, again – but I do love how Christopher is now a massive obesity causing bakery
18 September 2022
The penultimate competition and final major before the CJ weekend is upon us, and what has become known as the beautifully formed 8, are headed to Studley Wood Golf Club, Oxfordshire, for the Son of Pedro.
Catto and I arrive around 13:00 and Vegas and Aust are already there with Vegas tucking into sandwich and chips. Aust relays to us his comedy sketch of where he has fallen through the ceiling with his legs dangling and his better half looking up and laughing at the sight she saw.
We head for the first tee slowly waiting for Juice to quickly get changed and join us on the tee. The balls are thrown up by the Pres and the two groups decided.
Group 1 is Greggs, Bacon, Vegas and Boyce.
Group 2 is the Pres, Catto, Aust and Juice
It’s agreed we play off the silver tees and use the handicaps posted on the chart on the tee minus any penalties as there appears to be a discrepancy with these and the ones the captain has posted, and on this dry blustery day everyone needs every shot they can get.
The greens according to the Pro are the best in the county and we soon find they are fast and very undulating to say the least.
We tee off on the first and its and indifferent start and after 5 holes Boyce, Vegas & Bacon are all on 7 points and Greggs, who is playing well on his 3rd consecutive day of golf on 12 points.
However, this was not as good as the 2nd group with Juice parring the first 5 holes and clearly in the lead on 15 points, Catto on 10, Pres on 8 and Aust on 3.
The wheels then come off for Greggs who only manages 2 points on the next 4 holes including the 8th hole which, is the shark hole. A nice par 3 over water into a good headwind. Boyce goes first and is just off the green to the right. Greggs is next and tops it into the water, Vegas goes next and finds the front of the green, and proceeds to inform us that he has played in all the WHV events this year and that this is the first time he has hit the green on a shark hole. Butters goes last and he also hits the green and is closer than Vegas so has one hand on the shark.
However, this isn’t good enough as Aust, who playing his first game of the season also gets on the green and is closest to the hole and he wins the shark.
After 9 holes the scores in group1 are Boyce on 16, Greggs 14, Bacon 12 and Vegas on 11. In group 2 the scores are much closer as Juice has slowed up on his par scoring and is on 20, Cat 19, Pres 18 and Aust on 10.
The 10th is another par 5 and Boyce fails to score after putting his ball into the lake on the left twice and Juice who is coming down the 9th also lands in it after just missing Greggs. Vegas pars for 3 points with Bacon and Greggs getting 2 points.
With just two holes left to play Boyce is on 28, Greggs 27, Bacon 25 and Vegas 19. In group 2 the scores are still close with Juice 31, Pres 30, Cat 29, and Aust on 17.
The 17th appears to have a big impact in deciding the outcome of the result as Boyce hits his 3rd shot into the wind onto the green leaving a 3-4ft fast downhill putt for birdie, which he holes for 4 points. Cat and Greggs make 6 for 2 points, Pres and Bacon make 7 for 1 point with Juice, Vegas and Aust no score.
The 18th and final hole is another par 5 and the Dog hole but it is SI 18 so no shots for most either. The scores are even tighter with Boyce now on 32, Juice, Cat & the Pres 31, Greggs 29, Bacon 26, Vegas 19 and Aust 17. It’s a great view from the top of the hill and a great Dog hole however. no one in our group manages to find the fairway. It seems the group behind think the 150 marker is the mark but once confirmed that no one in our group hit the fairway it is realised that Juice has won the dog. Boyce having found his first tee shot just shy of the cabbage manages to make another 1 putt for par. The Cat and Juice also par and Greggs manages to 3 putt again for a 6 for 1 point and everyone else blobs leaving Boyce as the winner on 34 points.
The final altered standings (after some later scrutiny of the scorecards, by the markers, did not affect the winner but unfortunately it did alter 2nd and 3rd place and could have an impact on the OOM with the Cat actually finishing 2nd on countback and Juice 3rd ;
Boyce 34 (£15)
Cat 33 (14 on back 9) (£10)
Juice 33 (13 on back 9) (£5)
Pres 31
Greggs 30
Bacon 26
Vegas 19
Aust 17
The Shark Aust (£5)
The Dog Juice (£5)
Due to Millers failing to pass on the Dog as promised there was no Dog to be presented but Vegas superimposed one onto the photo.
Also, on the 18th, the societies exhibitionist was at it again, although this time he is clearly wearing pants. The young deer on the 15th
The young deer on the 15th
