Venue: Portugal – Vale De Lobo
Winner: Mick Baldwin
Moose: Ady Clough
Final Leaderboard
| Ps. | Name | Handicap | Points |
| 1 | Mick Baldwin | 17 | 69 |
| 2 | Steve Tattersfield | 11 | 68 |
| 3 | Paul Ephremsen | 15 | 67 |
| 4 | Steve Hardwick | 16 | 67 |
| 5 | Robbe Fleming | 7 | 67 |
| 6 | Peter Forster | 9 | 67 |
| 7 | Al Sumner | 13 | 66 |
| 8 | Andy Fearnsides | 12 | 66 |
| 9 | Peter Burke | 5 | 63 |
| 10 | Gavin Whitworth | 14 | 61 |
| 11 | Simon Woolridge | 8 | 61 |
| 12 | Alan Doig | 16 | 59 |
| 13 | Ben Moyle | 18 | 59 |
| 14 | Garry Burrows | 18 | 59 |
| 15 | Paul Cawtheray | 24 | 59 |
| 16 | Keith Loughran | 26 | 58 |
| 17 | Chris Ramm | 18 | 58 |
| 18 | Mark Wallis (N) | 23 | 56 |
| 19 | Martin Crossfield | 22 | 56 |
| 20 | Kev Ulla | 13 | 56 |
| 21 | Stephen Callaghan | 28 | 55 |
| 22 | Craig Lightowler | 18 | 55 |
| 23 | Andy Kaye | 18 | 55 |
| 24 | Craig Whelan | 20 | 53 |
| 25 | Paul Rich | 20 | 51 |
| 26 | Mark Wallis (S) | 18 | 50 |
| 27 | Andrew Yates | 15 | 50 |
| 28 | Phil Cawtheray | 20 | 49 |
| 29 | Adam Davison | 20 | 49 |
| 30 | David Bell | 28 | 49 |
| 31 | John Clements | 18 | 48 |
| 32 | Jim Holliday | 14 | 46 |
| 33 | Damien Thorngate | 12 | 44 |
| 34 | Phil Lister | 15 | 43 |
| 35 | Jimmy Curley | 18 | 40 |
| 36 | Ady Clough | 24 | 38 |
The Write Up
Calco Cup 2017
The 17th Calco Cup saw the Calco fraternity return to Vilamoura for another crack at the magnificent but challenging Royal and Ocean courses of Vale do Lobo.
Last played in 2015 when Pete Burke stormed to a 3rd Calco triumph on the back of an opening day 42, the betting with Bell’s Bookies reflected those keen to back course and distance allied to form. Most notable among these was Hardwick whose Calco-best 5th in 2015 and stunning form in the build up saw plenty of money for the man cruelly rumoured to be sponsored by Halls Extra Menthol such has been his ability to choke at the event he does so much to brilliantly organise.
However with no clear favourite at either end of the book and no one carrying injuries it was said to be the most open Calco ever with 15 who could win it, 15 who could moose it and half a dozen who could do either – most notably 2016 hero Jimmy Holliday!
Day one saw the Royal course tackled, with the cliff top 16th hole providing the photo opportunities, as well as the opportunity to spray the beach-going sunbathers below with balls – Curley and Lister proving particularly adept in this respect.
With the Calco Cup Committee investing in the £5,000 Hole in One Challenge at Hole 9 with smaller prizes at the other par 3s excitement grew at every short hole. At 7, a 130 yard hit over water, former champion Steve Tattersfield launched a wedge over the flag. The ball pitched perfectly, bit and span back towards the hole. Rolling perfectly, it dropped!! The Calco had its first ever Hole-in-THE-one and a more fitting player could not have achieved this rarest of feats. No one practices harder than Tatts and as the legendary Gary Player once said when accused of being lucky, “It’s funny, the harder I practice, the luckier I get”.
Tatts had also eagled Hole 1 but some wayward driving would see him tied for the lead after day 1 on 35 points alongside much fancied southerner Whitworth and big Robbe Fleming, with the Calco’s most consistent player Forster on 34 making up the following days Golden Goose group.
However, those further down the field would hold day two chances with amazingly just 6 points separating the leaders from 21st placed Ulla on 29. Hardwick was in the mix, as well as much backed Ephremsen, both on 33.
At the Moose end Clough would suffer a nightmare round which yielded just 14 points but to the surprise of everyone he would find himself just 2 points behind Thorngate who was fancied to go well at the top end but was evidently finding all his clubs to be a ‘Thorn in his side’. Also in the Moose droppings were Curley, in retirement mode a week early, and 2016 champ Holliday. Also well backed to Moose, by those closest to him notably, was Lister, who didn’t disappoint with a woeful 22 which only saw him avoid the Moose group on countback. However multiple mooses Bell and Callaghan, both rumoured to have spent hours at the driving range in the build up, would find themselves well clear of the stench of said Moose excrement with excellent 27s.
Arguably the greatest day in the 17 year history of the Calco was brought to a fitting close with 36 pints lined up on the bar and a chorus of ‘Stevie, Stevie Tatts’ from all 36 golfers, with the man himself on piano.
Day 2 and whilst the Moose regalia looked to be a straight fight out between Clough and Thorngate the big prize was as wide open as ever seen in Calco history.
Although at one point drawing level with Thorngate and putting up a brave fight, Clough would succumb eventually and gain his second consecutive set of Antlers having moosed on his last outing in Benidorm in 2014. He’d be joined in the moose enclosure by former champion Jimmy Curley who would Moosette for the first time. Lister would make it a northern 1-2-3 on the Moose front, whilst southern representation was from Thorngate and Holliday who completed the last 5 places.
Leader Whitworth had blasted his way into the places with an awesome final round 12 months previously but would fall away with a disappointing 26. Fleming, who achieved the notable feat of not blobbing a single hole of the 36 off his challenging 7 handicap, Tattersfield, Ephremsen, Forster and Hardwick would all hold strong chances going down the stretch.
Up ahead, although starting from 10th place 3 points off the lead, Baldwin had catapulted himself into contention with a stunning opening 9 which reaped 22 points. When needing a touch of luck he got it on the downhill par 3, 8th when clattering the flag pole and holing the resulting birdie putt.
Knowing full well he was now right in the shake up for a first Calco title the pressure began to tell on Mickey B and pars became rare despite still accumulating points on each hole. At 17 he failed to escape from a green side trap but showed great composure to par the last and set a clubhouse target of 69 leaving the 8 golfers behind playing catch up.
Hardwick would disastrously 3-putt 17 whilst only gaining 2 points at the short par 5, 18th. and it would come down to the hole in one man himself Tattersfield to putt for glory. An 8 footer would bring him his second title but it wasn’t to be, the putt came up short and Mickey Baldwin was crowned Calco Campion for the first time. For another who has dedicated himself to practice having taken up the game late in life this was a richly deserved prize. With Tattersfield coming up short by a point the next 4 players ended on 67 points and could only be split on countback with Ephremsen grabbing 3rd, Hardwick 4th , Fleming 5th and an unlucky Forster just slipping out of the places in 6th.
The curtain would come down on one of, if not the most memorable Calco with the presentation. Clough received the antlers, followed by the news that Leeds had lost, followed by a nasty cut to the foot whilst trying to negotiate his way to the beach bar. Not his day!
The whole event was fittingly rounded off by a magnificent winners speech from Mickey B which reminded all present that the Calco is indeed the greatest golf society in the world.
Read the build up to the 2017 event.