Winners: Kevin LaBar at Burapha; Gerry Cooney at Mountain Shadow and Plutaluang.
PATTAYA, Thailand – Monday, August 4 – The week teed off at Burapha Golf Course on the A & B nines under “sports day” pricing of 2,050 baht—currently the most expensive of the month. With so few golfers around, some might expect keener rates, but Burapha has its own way of doing things.
We inadvertently omitted a couple of names from last week’s injury list—Rob Folland, currently sidelined with a wrist problem, and Colin Greig, in Scotland recovering from knee replacement surgery. Rob’s injury-prone history has sparked the idea of a “guess the next injury” lottery.
The course was in excellent condition, and the hot, humid weather made hydration essential. Scores were solid, with Kevin LaBar posting an impressive 38 points after a run of mediocre rounds, and ringing the bell in celebration. Dean Nelson followed just one stroke behind with his best round of this trip, and Les Cobban took third, two strokes further back.
We welcomed Evan and Wan Millar, Sam Gershon on one of his flying visits, and Hubert Stiefenhofer for a month-long stay. Good news also came from Jimmy Carr, making a strong recovery from back surgery—locals joke that Soi 6 may not recognize him now that he’s six inches taller.
1st Kevin LaBar (16) 38 points
2nd Dean Nelson (13) 37 points
3rd Les Cobban (11) 35 points
Near pins: Dean Nelson, Kevin LaBar, Alan Sullivan
Wednesday, August 9 – Hole-in-one fever seems to be sweeping golf lately—with recent LPGA and Irish club stories making headlines—but not for our group today.
Mountain Shadow Golf Course was in great condition, though greens played unusually slow. Gerry Cooney, at 84, showed age is no barrier, taking first place with 34 points from the blue tees. Sam Gershon claimed second with 32 points, while a four-way countback saw Robbie Watts and Les Cobban edge out Greg Berry and Witt Mann for the final placings.
All near pins were claimed, with Richard Baldotto taking two. A heavy, unexpected rainstorm trapped post-presentation drinkers in the bar for hours—though after such heat, few complained.
1st Gerry Cooney (20) 34 points
2nd Sam Gershon (19) 32 points
3rd Robbie Watts (14) 30 points (cb)
4th Les Cobban (11) 30 points
Near pins: Les Cobban, Robbie Watts, Richard Baldotto x 2
Friday, August 8 – The Plutaluang Navy course’s North and West nines are currently in peak condition, and will be compared next week against the East and South layouts.
Some players find any excuse to skip golf—others, like Anders Nielsen, go the opposite way. Fresh off a flight from Copenhagen in the early hours, Anders came straight to the Sports Lounge for a round.
Gerry Cooney continued his remarkable week, winning for the second time—again on countback—over Steve Downes. Alan Sullivan was third, and Gerry also took two near pins to cap his dominant performance.
Next week sees a return to Pleasant Valley on Monday, followed by Bangpra on Wednesday, and the Navy course (East & South) on Friday. Players are hoping for dry weather, as some fairways—especially at Pleasant Valley—tend to get soggy.
1st Gerry Cooney (20) 36 points (cb)
2nd Steve Downes (5) 36 points
3rd Alan Sullivan (14) 31 points
Near pins: Alan Sullivan, Steve Downes, Gerry Cooney x 2
