RS XXIII, 2026 - Woodhall Spa

A few notable mentions:

• A Henderson won his third Rim Stinger, joining J Lourtie and R Aylmer in this elevated category.  His win also puts him below only J Emmerson in the RS Index (whose position is inflated by just one – highly successful – appearance). 

• For the second successive year there was a play off for the Rim Stinger, this time involving FOUR players.  Some said this was a triumph of handicapping.  Others noted the presence of both Hendersons in the play off and that all four players involved had arrived a night early to acclimatise to the intense heat this year.

• The 2026 play off missed the drama of 2025 which went to the 20th hole (well past it in the case of the OCC) with A Henderson playing exemplary golf which the others could not match.  A Large (who had limped into the play off with just one point in the last three holes) found two bunkers.  P Henderson took a 7 iron from the tee but still sliced hard right.  J Willson – this being the closest he has ever been to the RS title – also found trouble.  All of them made 6 meaning Andy had three putts from 10 feet to win it.  He needed them but duly took the title with nerveless play when it mattered.

• For J Willson, this meant an extension to 18 years of his own record of most appearances without winning the Rim Stinger.  He made up for it by taking home the money the next day.  A reward for a consistency with scores of 34, 33, 35 over the weekend (as well as snaffling the Thursday inaugural pre-Rim Stinger).

• Those 102 points for J Willson were the most scored by any player with P Henderson (who is now a golfer) registering an impressive 98.  Bringing up the rear was R Jones with total points of 61, but beautifully clustered between 19 and 22 each day.

• R Aylmer became the third player to retain the Bag o’Shite after a scrap with M Turner who made only 6 points on the front nine and looked a beaten man but rallied later.

• S Olliver provided the high round of the week – 41 (forty-one) points in the pairs that led “A couple of Slices” to the title alongside B Toner.   Their defence next year in Kiwi costumes will be eagerly awaited.  S Olliver also provided the standout highlight of the week.  Driving off the first tee on RS day his drive struck an oak tree 20 yards away at 45 degrees and his ball ricocheted back to the assembled crowd, alighting two yards behind where it had started.  The next shot found the bunker 50 yards up.  A spectacular and stressful start.