RS XII - Slaley Hall, Northumberland

Champion: VINCE HOLMES (31 points)

Runner up: Andy Henderson

Competitors: 10

Challenge Winner: Stu Ervine (28 points)

Bag o'shite awarded to: James Stewart (19 points)

Pairs winners: Andy Henderson & Charles Holmden

In 2015 the Rim Stinger went back to where it had all begun back in 2004. Much had changed in the intervening years. Two changes of prime minister, England winning the ashes, probably some other significant geo-political events too. Amongst the Rim Stinger fraternity there had been marriages, births, career moves and a general qualitative decline in ability. Bucking this trend was R Jones, who had carded a gross score of 150 in his first appearance at Slaley Hall. Now he was returning as the only two time champion and looking to defend the second of those titles (a battle lost before it began as the Handicap Committee went to work).

This year was finally to be Vince Holmes’ year. After so many near misses and more practice and dedication than the rest of the group put together he finally managed to absorb the pressure of expectation and deservedly secured the trophy, four points clear of runner up Andy Henderson. It’s always tough to win from the top (bottom?) of the handicaps, but Vince managed it this time.

The bag o’ shite went for the second time to the OCC. As when he won it in 2012 he made the mistake of putting in his only decent round in the pairs event on day 1, resulting in an overnight handicap cut which in the end proved decisive. He didn’t even have the consolation of winning the pairs since his partner, R Jones, took sandbagging to new levels and carded a scarcely believable 13 points.

Stu Ervine’s preparation for the money day was textbook Rim Stinger. Arriving with seconds to spare on the first tee and still hopelessly drunk from the night before, he adopted a strategy of aiming for the middle of the three fuzzy golf balls he could see in front of him and this proved effective enough to win the money FOR THE SECOND TIME RUNNING. A rare oversight from the handicap committee…