Mini Morgie was at it again this week. Drafted in to help his captain, Bob Howse, he bemused the opposition. This week it was Brian Keen and Peter Harries who blinked twice as they witnessed Brian Morgan bent double over his short-handled putter to weave his magic. Brian's wail of 'Oh no!!' on the 12th turned to a gasp of delight as he watched his ball arc round and drop in the hole, much to Peter's dismay since he thought he had won it.
Bob made the most of the opposition's surprise as he and Brian complemented each other in their round, grossing 38 between them over the first nine holes. Peter complained that they were like a couple of haemorrhoids (a pain in the ----) as he sunk a birdie three on the fifth. Although the match was over he did win the 17th.
Another pair to share the honours was that of Richard Davies and Nigel Rimell. They established an early lead and, although this was pegged back to one hole, they re-established their dominance by winning the 14th and 15th holes. Roy John and Tony Davey were unable to overcome the combined expertise of Richard and Nigel, despite a 13-shot allowance.
Just in front of them there was an almighty struggle as Des Stone and Jim Martin had to use all their resources to match Owain Picton and Ken Edwards. The visitors opened up a two-hole lead after four holes and it took a birdie on the fifth just to stem the flow with a half. This was one occasion when Des was delighted to support Jim with his shot allowance.
With a touch of good fortune and a few wayward strokes from Owain, Des and Jim opened up a two-hole lead after nine. Jim's wife dropped by as they crossed the path just to make sure he was doing well and to make sure that he wasn't driving the buggy! Ken's steady play kept the visitors in touch and they rallied around 12 and 13. Owain's long drive put him in pole position on the 14th -within striking distance of the green. However, he opened the face of his club and watched his ball disappear into the thick rough on the right of the green. The lead was reduced to one on the 17th, but the locals managed to halve the 18h in four.
Buggy Monsters, Dave Morgan and Owen Monaghan, had been paired against Gareth Rees and John Hicks. For a 24 handicapper John played well to birdie the fifth and sixth holes and just miss one 17th. In between, however, he did spray the ball around in his excitement. Dave and Owen donated a few holes early on to go one down after two and also one down after nine. They won the 10th, 11th, 14th and 15th to establish their own lead and even Gareth couldn't catch them on the run in.
Bob Howse was pleased - four played and four won, things were looking good. Derek Bath reckoned that his opposite number, Ian Fairburn, had special glasses - ones with dots and crosses on the lens to enable him to maintain his accuracy with the putter. As a result, he and Richard Chapman fell adrift by three holes. They rallied and brought it back to one, but this match was decided on the 18th hole, with Ian and Chris Pettit taking the honours.
Newman Vincent, played alongside Brian Waters this week, and he described their match as a game of two halves. Dave Christopher won the first and John Sanderson won the second. The Tenby pair must have had an off day since both have been playing well lately.
Clifton John may have played Cardigan with one ball, but not so Tenby. Contrary to popular belief, he did not store his lucky ball amongst his treasures, but decided to try his luck with it again. Fortunately, he confined his driver to the bag after two holes, but even so the ball now lies somewhere over the railway line on the 15th. This week he was on the course to assist Martin Neilan as they tried to overcome the challenge of Billy Hier and Gerald Charles. Gerald has only been playing for three years and this was his first visit to Tenby links.
It became a 'baptism of wind' (as opposed to fire!) as he proceeded to visit parts of the course that he could not have imagined existed. Despite all this, the Tenby pair was all-square after seven and then two up after nine. A run of good fortune put them ahead and they arrived at the clubhouse smiling profusely.
It was Milford's Bill West who did a Roy Morgan this week. He reported to his captain on arrival listing his dress items - jacket, tie, shoes etc. all in the car - in Milford! I suppose he was lucky he remembered his clubs. That must have been on his mind as he and Dom Giannuzzi tried to subdue Allen Watts and Roy Gundry.
In his inimitable style, Roy reckoned that he played with the Jolly Green Giant today. Reminiscent of the two Ronnies, he said: "I looked up to him and he looked down on me and we both looked down at the opposition!" Was there any golf played? There was, the home pair opened up a four-hole lead after nine, but Bill responded with two pars -on the 10th and 11th - to redress the balance. It was not enough, however, and the indomitable Roy, with the help of Big Al, chalked up another victory.
Les Sweeney kept Geoff Aston and Tony Morgan amused as they fought out a dour battle on this fine afternoon. He even suggested that they hold a minute's silence when he lost his ball. He and his partner, Mike Brooks, found themselves three down after three holes, but pulled back to all-square before establishing their own lead of two. It was a late surge that re-established a Tenby lead as Tony Morgan birdied both the 14th and 16th to put them in front. The match was concluded on the 17th.
Peter Hart took the honours on the 16th in his and Peter Williams's encounter with Dick Wooding and Jacky Jenkins, two high handicappers capable of scoring well as they proved in the middle of the course. From the ninth to the 14th they scored five pars (one a net par) and a birdie to draw level and cancel out a three-hole deficit. Both Peters had to call on reserves and were pleased to see the Hart magic on the 16th to seal the result with a five net four.
Results: B. Howse and B. Morgan beat B. Keen and P. Harries 7 and 6; D. Stone and J. Martin beat O. Picton and K. Edwards 1 up; R. Davies and N. Rimell beat R. John and T. Davey 4 and 2; O. Monoghan and D. Morgan beat G. Rees and J. Hicks 2 and 1; R. Chapman and D. Bath lost to I. Fairburn and C. Pettit 2 down; M. Neilan and C. John beat B. Hier and G. Charles 5 and 4; N. Vincent and B. Waters lost to J. Sanderson and D. Christopher 5 and 4; G. Aston and T. Morgan beat L. Sweeney and M. Brooks 3 and 1; A. Watts and R. Gundry beat B. West and D. Giannuzzi 4 and 3; P. Williams and P. Hart beat D. Wooding and J. Jenkins 3 and 2.