Happily, the Players Rep has set up an exclusive WhatsApp group to monitor the development of the position across the 10 weeks or so until we get to Wales.

The President is conspicuous in his determination not to participate in this wagering, probably specifically to wind up the Tour Director. But during the lunchbreak at the Classic, with his team sitting on an enormous 6 point lead after the morning matches, he accepted a challenge from the Captain – for the winning team at the end of the day, with the loser furnishing the society with the standard Claret Jug item – a bottle of 20 year old Tawny Port.

Of course, the recovery by the Captain’s team was Medinah-esque, with only the President taking any points in the afternoon, and that was against a very bored Tour Director.

I’m sure we’re all looking forward to toasting a famous victory in October.

Ron knocks it to 7 feet on the Spittle shark hole, with just 3 men to follow. He offers a price to Ron that no one will get inside, despite Bruce and Donk taking more sharks than Ronnie, Ron names his price (doubling the Gibbons) and stakes £1.

Donk slaps a 6 iron to 6 feet – Ron takes the big note from the Gibbon (apparently used towards a top class nosebag takeaway for the Browns).

Lovely.

Here are the first salvo’s in the tit-for-tat war

The first result on Google if you put in “Betting War”

From the Sponsor

Gents

I regret to inform you that Mr Gregory has been barred from Pedro Power, for persistent text abuse of staff. As a result of this I won’t get to play with him on the day, on the assumption that at least 3 people lay bets. Most unfortunate.

Obviously those of you with at least a modicum of intelligence & the most basic of memory have no trouble with the concept that has now run for 2 years, where you draw a playing card and visit Pedro Power in order (Ace downwards). You see the odds that are available at that time and decide which, if any, bets to place. You know that as the longest established WHV bookmaker the maximum single bet at Pedro Power is a £10 lay.

A further consequence of Mr Gregory’s action will be that, without a playing card, he will not be entered into the post-event matchplay simulator, which at least means better news for Donk – one less check of the scorecards.

It is all a bit sad, but obviously PP cannot tolerate this level of abuse of staff.

(Donk, this time it is a 3-hole matchplay simulator. So we start the first draw on holes 1-3, countback applies. If a tie, hole by hole play-off. Each match starts at the hole following the one the previous match finished on.)

Cheers,
Prof

Shortly afterwards, the proprietor of GambleGibbon answered with this;

Peter is clearly being a big girl today and is very scared of me.

For the record, he instigated the text abuse (I am very aware that what I have just typed is essentially ‘he started it’ which just shows the depths which we are currently plumbing).

Here’s looking forward to him coming to his senses when I am waving multiple 10 bob bets at him tomorrow.

Peter – I still think that you are due to confirm your e/w terms to the masses old son – please advise.

The Presidents Classic is a different days golf, but by reviewing the numbers below (clicky for biggy) it looks like you wouldn’t go far wrong backing Millers to score points, but the mighty Baxter has yet to win a single point in the afternoon in the 4 events I have the details of

I think it is fair to say that a number of us were surprised to see the TD stepping into the void left by the hiatus of PedroPower, and the liquidation of BetRon,but there hewas, offering some fairly tasty prices for the 2012 curtain raiser.

I’m not sure how advanced his odds-calculation skills are, or whether he’ll be adept at laying off the high risk action that surrounds Pete, but good luck to him – he’ll probably save money by not betting a tenner on himself to win everything at every event.

Please note that this is not an official GambleGibbon logo – just a 2 minute mock up I did for this post.

Here are the prices – you know where he is until Sunday, and then he’ll be dicking about before the event.

Filing the WD emails, I noted that there were 52 emails in that one conversation, albeit that half of them were about the constitution or Jurg, or Rob is an idiot, which is standard stuff for us. Another excellent example of the WHV burning up the valuable time of our collective employers, or something.

Only one member suggested betting on any golfer who finished in the top 5, and my own suggestion of Dustin Johnson would have won us enough for a couple of rounds of cloudy cider at the CJ if we’d have gone E/W, but what can you do when people seriously wanted to back Simon Dyson or some belgian.

Oh and remember kids – Strat Forward!

Honest Ron says:

Dear Members

The Punters Favourite – email him at betron@whvgolf.com

ORDER of MERIT

SPITTLE SHIELD

Mainly down to generosity of Pedropower and the innovative format devised by the Prof, the masters sees more money changing hands than would please Jesus.

Unfortunately, this year’s event saw Ron take a resounding win and quite a few quid for his backers.

I managed to clear £40 from an inspired gamble based on the unique format of the day. My only question was which of the members would buckle the most under the pressure of specific challenges not to miss a putt or not go in the water. The overall results will follow but suffice to say that getting the pres at 8/1 was too good a price to miss.

Sure enough, 4 shots into the drink on the last covered my costs for the day. Thanks Doug.

From the Captain:

• No on line course guide so no opportunity to decide fine holes yet, or draw a dodgy beard. 4rse.
• Pedro Power will award £5 for each nearest the pin within the final fourball. This is £25. Prizes roll over if no player on the green.
• The final fourball is contested by Pedro and the three persons who have bet the most with Pedro Power on the day. These bets will be private and no person will have a view of how much other people have bet, although no doubt they will be able to determine where the bets have gone by the odds board. Betting period will be time-bound
• Pedro Power will further award £20 to the bogeyman (or split between the bogeymen). These are the people with the most net bogeys (1 pointers) on their card (hence the bogey column on the totals sheet).
•  TD – Roll up standard prize money for second & first place all to winner, but if this totals more than £40 cap it at £40 and split the rest between nearest the pin & longest drive.
• Pedro Power will donate cash on the day, this is not to be included in earnings totals for the year (Donk). All other money, including fines, to be collected by TD for Payment at AGM. Should hopefully give us a bit of shrapnel for splitting the cash at the AGM.

Our esteemed TD chipped in with  “Remind people to bring pound coins”.

Following this prompt from Rob/Idiot –

Have I missed any communications on the PEDRO Masters? I am so keen to attend, but am a bit nervous after not playing in a Society event for a while. Ideally I’d like some refresher lessons from your good self beforehand. I do want to play better golf – I do, I do, I do.

Will it still be full stapleforth, (no multliball)? I also heard you were thinking of applying obverse mulligans – is this true?

Please, Please, Please can you let me know before I wet myself in anticipation.
 
Yours frenetically,
Idiot   

The Captain has now released the eagerly awaited details of the 3rd Major of the tour.

Dear WHVGS.
 
As you all know, when the much-anticipated Players’ Rep’s Skins tournament finishes this Saturday, it will very much be a case of looking forward to the the PEDRO Masters. 
 
May I remind you that the PEDRO Masters is:

 THE money event of the tour; with it’s unique, patented, fines-for-second-place formula. Plus the donation by Pedro Power to fund the par 3 competition for the ‘final fourball’: those who have bet the most money on the event on Saturday having a chance to win £5 per par 3 on the course. And this year, incredibly, Pedro Power are funding the entire event by a further £20 – as they did the Captains; and twice the amount they funded the Brizzle. What a great sponsor Pedro Power are.
The LAST Major of the 2010 tour before the WHV Open. Absolutely ESSENTIAL to earn those ranking points in order that there is no mountain to climb in order to lift the Claret Jug.

So I need to know your availability in order to book tee-times. This year the event will be:

• Held in or near Cambridge on Saturday 11th September
• with tee times starting after midday to enable travel time
• Course fees in the region of £30 for 18 holes of championship golf.
• £10 entrance fees, plus a fines liability which will be a guaranteed maximum of £5 for those playing really badly.
• Optional night out in Cambridge

 Please reply ASAP to tell me if you are

• Up for the PEDRO Masters
• Up for a night out with stay-over

Cheers, Captain
 
p.s. Rob – obverse mulligans will not be applied at the PEDRO Masters. Sorry.