ONLY HALFWAY

THE TOUR

HAS

STILL GOT A LONG WAY TO GO

As we start the second half of this years Tour who are the players that are looking good for this years Tour Champion title and who are looking like falling into that end of the season 4 ball battle to avoid the Tour Donkey award.

The answer is that anyone can still win the Tour yet as there is 5 rounds left to go if weather remains kind to us. So even the players sitting right at the bottom can in theory drop all their poor rounds and maybe get 5 good ones.

Nevertheless it is good to get some solid points in before the Christmas break and Ian Fox is currently the player sitting at the top of the leader board with 165 points which is an average of 33 points each round. Defending Champion Paul James is on the Foxes tail just 4 points behind.

A couple of players with just 4 scores posted are ready to leap up the table this weekend if they shoot some decent scores. Andrew Alexander is currently sitting on 137 points and 29 points on Sunday would see him leap frog Foxy if Ian doesn't better his worst score of 27 points. This is where it pays to get in your 5 rounds and start dumping the poor ones. I am sure Ian will be dumping his 27 somewhere between Scotscraig and Ladybank.

Another player on 4 rounds that has been very solid is our 2 time Summer Champion Mick Drummond and he is on 133 points.

Sitting away back with just 3 rounds posted is Ian Baird one of the Crow Wood Mafia and the only Hacker to have won 4 Hacker events but Bairdy also is the proud winner of 2 Spoons during his Hackers career.

Ian has 107 points for just 3 rounds which is a average of 35 points per round.

Ian Hutchinson has 68 points for only 2 rounds and Hutchy is usually one of our more consistent players and I expect him to move up if the gets the rounds in.

At the other end of the table who is slipping into the Donkey 4 ball ?

After 5 rounds and with 2 Spoons already this Tour is Gerry Cullen on 120 points which is only 24 points per round. He  is 11 points behind the current Spooner Alex Smart who is on 131. Just ahead of Alex by 7 and 8 points are his fellow Big Breakfast buddies George Leadbitter and Davie Revie.

Will this be the Donkey 4 Ball ?

I don't think so and I expect Gerry to shoot up the table now as he will be able to dump his 12 pointer this weekend.

There are a few players that have played 4 rounds that are showing signs of not so great form. Jim Cullen with 100 points for 4 rounds could find his brother jumping ahead of him if Gerry betters his Hackers record of 12 points !!

Simon Jessney this summers Spoon Boy is slowly slipping down also and is currently on 113 points. Tour Champion from a few years ago Neil Keir and Brian Newall are on 115 points for 4 rounds and they also will be hoping to get their 5 rounds in and start dumping their poorer ones in the last 4 rounds.

Sitting with 117 and 118 points are players like  Sinky , Steven Gibson and John Wynn. They all have to show some improvement in their games this season in order to move into contention.

Further back on 3 rounds  is 2 more Crow Wood boys with 83 points is John Byrne and with only 77 points Brian Murphy which is only 25 points per round. Brian has been flirting this season with the Spoon and maybe he is ready to show some form as we all know he can score some decent points. Or maybe it will be .......?

After the weekends round the leader board will change as another 12 players get their 5th round in.

So after 5 rounds who is in looking good and who is looking in trouble ?

Top 5 with at least 3 rounds played.

Ian Fox
Mick Drummond
Paul James
Andrew Alexander
Ian Baird

Bottom 5 with at least 3 rounds in.

Gerry Cullen
Brian Murphy
Simon Jessney
Jim Cullen
John Byrne

Will Foxy stay ahead ?

Will Vera dump one of his 28 pointers ?

Will Smarty get another 46 points (see previous post) ?

Or will he defend the Spoon title and end up sleeping in the shed for another 2 weeks ?

Will Gerry dump his 12 points score ?

If he doesn't then I am sure he will become our 5 time Spoon winner.

Will Tommy get the shanks or will he win again this season  ?

Will Stevie Paul ever win the Spoon ?

Maybe Simon J will beat Craig Weir at least once this season or the good neighbours might part ?

Will John Byrne become the second Crow Wood player to win the Spoon ?

Will Brian Murphy win his first Spoon or will it be a Tour win ?

Does Andrew Alexander have the bottle to go to the top of the Tour ?

Will the Tours lowest handicap player win the Spoon - again ?

Can Scott Kennedy win on his first appearance this season ?

Will Del Boy share his secrets on which carpets are best to practising putting on ?

Can Graham Dickie win 4 Spoons to take a share of Geraldo's crown ?

Is Richard Aitken going to score 36 points or 16 points this weekend ?

Will The White Chimney Boys go on a New Year diet ?

WHO WILL BE THE FIRST SPOON BOY OF 2013 ?

All will be revealed this Sunday at Scotscraig Golf Links.