A.T. Shines in 5 Star Showing

A reduced field due to the Test Match and KCC cup action saw the circus roll into a steamy Springwater. Lots were drawn, Hepburn, Daft and Hoenigmann were due to open up although the start time passed without Hoenigmann anywhere to be seen. Allegedly cruising round Calverton with the soft top down?!?

Horsburgh Snr was elevated into the lead group. 3 drives were dispatched, moments later laughter as Hepburn’s trolley was one wheel short of its compliment. An ominous omen and very, very early for the wheels to come off! Things didn’t improve with the G&T being cracked open after hole 5. Horsburgh tried a spot of baseball after a precariously placed tee shot teetered on the edge of a bunker, leaving him with ball chest high as he entered the sand. A finely executed curve ball unfortunately found more sand and even more entertainment as the ball exited the new hazard with such velocity that it registered at East Midlands Airport. Horsburgh led by 3 at the turn. Daft defied all mathematical possibility, firing a drive at an improbable 100° angle left on hole 10, possibly ‘megging’ himself and no doubt eager to join in the excitement. Playing partners thought Daft had seen enough on 12, but he had instead decided to make his own way to the next tee and was spotted returning via thick undergrowth bamboozled. Horsburgh had already upended his trolley twice and made it a superb third time lucky by spectacularly hitting the trolley handle on the backswing which snagged the club and left it ‘out of Bob’s hands’. Unperturbed Horsburgh topped the group and hit the bar.

Tuckwell Jnr, Hefter, Hall and Hoenigmann set off despite barracking from Horsey to be let through without having played a shot. Hefter was on fire, in a fetching salmon pink, and littered his front 9 with numerous 3 & 4 pointers. Hall decided not to trouble the scorers on the first two, instead saving the lead in his pencil for hole 3 and a magnificent 3 for 1 for 5! Overshadowing a, poor in comparison, 4 for 2 for 4 from Hoenigmann! The group resisted to the temptation of moving the 5th tee markers to an unused mat on hole 5 for the arrival of Horsey. Hefter held a mighty 6 shot lead at halfway, aware that there was some players on fire in the group behind. Tuckwell began unleashing some monsters but inexplicably yipped everything around the green earning the ‘heads a shed award’. Meltdown completed when his reload on the last was discarded into the water to be re-united with the original after not troubling the scorecard. Tuckwell possibly ruing a rash comment that the water doesn’t really come into play. Hefter stumbled home for handicap protection as Hall and Hoenigmann finished off with scores that didn’t reflect how they had played.

Come on down: Tuckwell Snr, Horsburgh Jnr, Meadows and Jenkinson. Tuckwell intent on keeping the group ahead on their toes peppered one greenside on the tricky par 5 first. Hefter remarked that it was ok because it was just low enough to jump over! Tuckwell unfazed duly sunk the pitch for a second of the day 5 pointer. 3 for 2 for 5, nice! Surely only one way from there . . . onwards and upwards. Jenkinson decided to save energy and ring the bell with his approach shot. Horsburgh maintained composure over a short one on 6, as Tuckwell Jnr was asking God how his ball could possibly be heading towards an unplayable patch of rough from the 7th tee. Horsburgh and Tuckwell were tied, poised and threatening, at the turn. Meadows, in contention after 9, was frequently seen scouring the long stuff after some long yet errant hitting although he seemed quite content in gathering a new collection of equally errant balls. Horsey, clinging to the coat tails of Tuckwell, tried all the tricks in the book, you’re playing well. . .you’ve got a good score going. . . you could win this. . . 40 points for you here… nearly got his comeuppance almost being decapitated for the second week running, this time by Jenkinson. Tuckwell remained thick skinned despite one point on the closing 2 holes. Meadows was pleased to find his tee shot resting on the practise putting green off the last tee, as it was spotted heading full ball towards a Bentley.

Another enjoyable and highly entertaining TGS episode saw Tuckwell Snr (39) with his second impressive win of the year and off a very low mark for the foreseeable. Hefter (36) grabbed second but was disappointed not to have made a reduction in his handicap. J. Horsburgh (34) snatched third but knew there was more in the tank after failing to score on 1, 17 and 18. R. Horsburgh (33) compiled another impressive total, also with 3 blanks.