Haywards Heath Golf Club
Tuesday 12th March 2024
Senior Section Sign Up - Mon 11 March
First the bad news (unless your surname is Shaw): Mike won Monday’s Senior Section Sign Up.
Now for even worse news. Mike’s latest success - his 35 Stableford points seeing off Steve Young (34) and Andrew Cross (33) - actually saw his handicap go up!
Oh, and there’s more - Mike, who has now won four of the first five individual Sign Ups completed this year and is no longer accepting interview requests, fully intends to play in next week’s competition as well…
Mike, who began the year on 14.7 and will now play off 14.8, recorded 8 pars in another excellent wet-conditions performance. His length off the tee proved pivotal again, especially over the longer back 9.
For his nearest rivals, it was a case of ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’.
18th-hole Nemesis
With one hole left Steve, playing off 28, led the field with 34 points, one ahead of Andrew and two ahead of Mike.
”Unfortunately my drive went right,” said Steve. “The ball was semi-plugged but I thought I could get it out without asking for a ruling. I was wrong. My next shot went about an inch.”
His final-hole blob was matched by Andrew, who found the right-hand trees and, later, the front bunker - “that 18th is my nemesis” - while Mike concluded his round in style with 3 points (it was almost 4 but his chip stayed out after hitting the pin).
Special mention goes to Chris Denman, who along with Dave Gough and Ed Brooks missed out on third place on countback.
Chris, playing off 10, was 2 over par after a superb front 9, including a birdie on the 7th, “but it all went wrong after that”.
His challenge also blew up on the 18th. Faced with a 6ft birdie chance to match Mike’s point total, he saw his effort slide by and he then missed the return putt.Monday 4th March 2024
Senior Section Sign Up - Mon 4 March
Last-minute stand-in Roger Lawrence took part in his first competition of the year and saw off all comers in Monday’s Seniors Section Sign Up.
His total of 39 points was one too many for second-placed Bruce Munro and Tony Jones in third.
Roger, receiving 16 shots and drafted into the field as an injury replacement just a couple of hours before the start, scored 20 on the way out and 19 on the way back, with no blobs and just one double bogey.
A lesson with James and a visit to Belinda’s Seniors clinic proved pivotal, he said: “She told me my shoulders were too open at address. That fix made a huge difference straight away, and she also got me to remain in posture and stay down over the ball.
“Using a chipper, which I bought last year, also really worked for me on the temporary greens.”
Key 4-Point Par
Bruce, with 32 shots, secured his best result since winning a Sign Up last June with an excellent 4-point par on the 18th.
”I was certainly helped by the course being considerably shorter today, and I had a few fortunate putts,” he said. “My best shot was probably on the 7th, when I gave myself a birdie chance but my putt lipped out.”
Tony, meanwhile, receiving 23 shots and in the final group alongside Roger, recorded his third near-miss of the season, having secured two second places in January.
Meanwhile Mike Shaw, winner of the last three consecutive Sign Ups, proved to be a mortal after all as he scored 37 points to finish 4th in a 21-strong field.
Tuesday 20th February 2024
Senior Section Sign Up - Mon 19 Feb
Mike Shaw became the first player to win three individual Senior Section Sign Ups in a row on Monday.
He won the four-clubs-and-a-putter event on countback after finishing on 35 points alongside Tony Jones. David Port was third with 32 points, again on countback after edging out Doug Fisher.
“Nobody has ever won three consecutive Sign Ups before, no question,” said Tony. “He’s playing extremely well - it just felt good to keep close to his score.
“The course was still pretty wet after the recent rain but Mike hits it a long way. He was regularly out-driving me by 40 or 50 yards.”
Winning Streak
Mike, playing off 14.7, recorded a birdie and six pars, including two in the last three holes, on Monday. Tony, with 21 points, led by one at halfway but Mike’s 15 on the back secured the hat-trick.
Mike started his winter-conditions winning streak on January 29, claiming that four-clubs-and-a-putter Sign Up with 33 points, then scored 37 points in a standard Sign Up on February 12.
The phrase “you wait ages for a bus and then three come along at once” springs to mind. His previous win in the competition came over two years ago, in November 2021.
Monday’s ‘Best Sport’ prize, meanwhile, went to Vic Hartley. He recorded 6 No Results and 4 points (“I thought it was 5!”) on the way out on Monday but said: “I never considered walking in - I wanted my money’s worth.”
He was rewarded with two 3-pointers and 11 points on his back 9: “I was playing with a wood I don’t use much. But I finally worked it out - if we had played 36 holes on Monday, my second round would have been fantastic!”
*Intelligentgolf shows the first completed Sign Up, replacing the previous Roll Ups, was staged in March 2017, when Graham Abbott - a very creditable 5th on Monday - prevailed ahead of Nick Garbutt and Andrew Lodge. Graham, asked to confirm that he had won that unforgettable inaugural event, replied: “Oh, did I? I don’t remember…”
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