Scores for Saturday 13 June 2026
Gardner Masters the Course While the Rest Master the Excuses
Another week, another gathering of golfing optimists assembled with dreams of glory, tales of miraculous practice sessions, and a variety of brand-new excuses already prepared for the clubhouse afterwards.
Fifteen players teed it up hoping for a place among the prizes, but by the end of the day there was one clear winner and plenty of stories involving unlucky bounces, missed putts, and "the best round I've played in years despite the score."
Gardner Produces a Masterclass
While the rest of the field spent the afternoon alternating between moments of brilliance and moments best described as "character building," Paul Gardner quietly went about compiling the round of the day.
His winning total of 39 Stableford points was built on consistency, smart course management, and a remarkable ability to avoid the sort of catastrophic holes that featured prominently in many of his competitors' scorecards. After a solid front nine yielding 17 points, Paul shifted through the gears on the inward half, collecting an outstanding 22 points on the back nine and effectively ending the contest before anyone else realised they were in one.
Witnesses reported that he rarely looked troubled throughout the round, although club officials are still investigating allegations that he may have known where the fairway was on several occasions.
The victory leaves Paul as the clubhouse benchmark for the week and ensures he receives the traditional reward afforded to all winners: the admiration of his fellow golfers, followed immediately by accusations that his handicap is far too high.
The Chasing Pack
In second place came Steve Reynolds with 33 points, proving that steady golf and avoiding disasters is still a winning formula, even if it isn't nearly as entertaining as searching for golf balls in the rough.
The competition for the remaining honours was closely fought. Martin Deery secured the Front Nine prize with a solid 33 points, while Peter Creighton claimed the Back Nine prize after finishing strongly with 32 points and demonstrating the value of remembering that a golf round actually consists of 18 holes.
Just outside the prizes were a tightly packed group including Dan Smith (30 points) and a quartet on 29 points: Martin Lythgoe, Richard Hyne, Coenraad Fourie, and Pete Laurence. All were close enough to the leaders to feel encouraged, yet far enough away to spend the evening wondering where those missing points disappeared.
Andy Simpkin struggled all day with his drives but managed to out drive both Paul and Peter Creighton on the 12th. Don't tell him they where both laying up!
Birdie Watch
Birdies were a rare and precious commodity during the round, with only two recorded all day.
Martin Deery and Andrew Simpkin earned the honour of the day's only birdies, with Andrew producing his on the 17th hole. Having achieved what most of the field spent four hours attempting, both players are expected to mention these birdies at every available opportunity until at least next month's competition.
The Rest of the Field
Further down the leaderboard there were flashes of brilliance mixed with moments that will undoubtedly be blamed on temporary lapses in concentration, poor bounces, slow greens, fast greens, wet rough, dry rough, faulty equipment, and in some cases, the laws of physics themselves.
As always, the post-round analysis in the clubhouse suggested that almost everyone was only one or two shots away from greatness.
Prize Winners
🏆 Overall Winner: Paul Gardner – 39 points
🥈 Runner-Up: Steve Reynolds – 33 points
🎯 Front Nine Prize: Martin Deery – 33 points
🚀 Back Nine Prize: Peter Creighton – 32 points
Statistics of the Day
- Birdies: 2 (Martin Deery and Andrew Simpkin on the 17th)
- Eagles: 0
- Golfers claiming they "played better than the score suggests": approximately 15
- Number of times the phrase "I left a few shots out there" was heard in the clubhouse: impossible to count
- Players who now wish they had played the back nine like Paul Gardner: everyone
Congratulations to all the prize winners, especially Paul Gardner for a superb winning performance. Commiserations to everyone else, who can at least take comfort in knowing there is always next week and plenty more opportunities to explain why things didn't quite go according to plan.
News from on course reporter Roger Gibbs
Best gross of the day was from Steve Reynolds with 84.
There were 0 Eagles or better today.
There were 2 birdies today.
Martin Deery with 1 on hole 3.
Andrew Simpkin with 1 on hole 17.
Our winner today with 39 points was Paul Gardner.
In second place on 33 points was Steve Reynolds.
The front 9 went to Martin Deery with 18 points.
The back 9 went to Peter Creighton with 17 points.
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