Rim Stinger IV, 2007 - Forest of Arden, Warwickshire

Champion: CHARLES HOLMDEN (31 points)

Runner up: Richard Aylmer

Competitors: 15

Challenge Winner: Richard Aylmer

Bag o'shite awarded to: Dean Lake (8 points)

Pairs winners: Charles Holmden & Stuart Ervine

Debuts: Chris Ellerker, Charles Holmden (note the controversy), Paul Draper, Stuart Ervine

The biggest group so far, 15 in all, reconvened in Warwickshire for Rim Stinger IV in 2007. Having been blessed with not one drop of rain in the first three years, this year it rained heavily from start to finish. From the dubious safety of the middle of the lake, even the ducks were heckling the Organising Committee Chairman, or perhaps they were scared? You would expect only a truly exceptional player to score well and win the tournament in such conditions. Imagine our surprise then, when Charles Holmden picked up the trophy. A new joiner to the Rim Stinger group, and playing off a handicap variously described as 'extraordinary' and 'deep in bandit territory', Charles won by five points. Ultimately no one could argue with a win that size (although they did of course, furiously), but the question was, would the Handicap Committee learn and award sensible handicaps all round, or continue the past policy of punishing any past decent shots (at all) with savage cuts.

A bag o' shite award was introduced this year with the runaway winner being Dean Lake with eight hard-earned points. The Rim Stinger Gaming Committee was also established, chaired by David Zarmalwal, with a dual remit of organising the Rim Stinger poker (i.e. bringing the chips) and running a book on the main event. This has added a whole new facet to the tournament (as well as a new income stream for the Chairman of the Gaming Committee) as favourite after favourite has succumbed to the pressure of expectancy as well as the conflict of having betted heavily on someone else.

The OCC heads out on a 90 degree bearing from the fairway having shanked his drive again