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Awali Football Club (AFC) representatives were out to show their dexterity to the fore as they took part in Awali Golf Club’s (AGC) 27th John Gunby 3-Club Golf Classic competition, played over nine holes and sponsored by the football club.
Members of the AGC were also invited to join in. Despite the focus being on fun, the rules and etiquette of golf were enforced, enhanced by the additional challenge of the 3-club restriction.
With the eye-ball co-ordination requirements being different to footie and there being a greater emphasis on golf being a non-contact sport, the event provides an opportunity for the footballers to reconfirm why they continue to prefer football.
With a morning start at 8am, as the day progressed there was some concern that portable floodlights may be needed to allow all to finish their round on the same day. Eventually players navigated their balls to the finishing hole and subsequently found their way to the AFC clubhouse, some questioning the sanity of having done what they had just done.
As there was a mix of non-handicapped and handicapped players, master of golfing mathematics Mark Hodgkinson pored over his calculator to determine the results using the Callaway scoring system.
Showing that a respectable score can still be achieved with a quiver reduced from 14 clubs to just three, in the overall winner’s place with net 36 (gross 40) was AGC’s Barry O’Tuama.
Other prizes winners were – Gents: 1st Keith Evans (net 36/gross 42), 2nd Mark Hodgkinson (37/42), 3rd Jim Pringle (38/58). Ladies: 1st Maeve O’Tuama (35/56), 2nd Kate Gibson (35/55), 3rd Dervila Fennell (41/60). Another prize was awarded for best non-handicapper outside of the main prizes to Adrian Stander (38/54), whilst Bob Geary won a golf lesson with AGC’s professional Matt Chalmers in recognition of his achievement of ‘most golf’.
