Worlebury capture prestigious county Pickeridge Bowl

In an epic match against the holders, Enmore Park, Worlebury won the Pickeridge Bowl, the county’s most prestigious competition for the first time in the club’s history.

Conditions were perfect and the Isle of Wedmore course was in an excellent condition, the final played in a sporting fashion and was a credit to both clubs.

In the opening match, Ken Hanson jnr, a late replacement for the injured Matt Blackman, punched well above his weight in seeing off his one handicap opponent, who scored five birdies in the first 10 holes to be four up.

Ken, who celebrated a big birthday this year, used all his years of experience to chip away at the deficit and was standing on the par three 18th, all square. Things looked bleak when he tugged his tee shot left, an excellent chip left the ball on the lip and a par was enough for Ken to win his match and give Worlebury a lead.

Joe Dale bounced back from the disappointment of being in the losing side in the Somerset Bowl final last week, to play exceptionally well to beat his one handicap opponent. Joe started off strongly and was never in trouble as he cruised to a 3&2 win.

Simon Dempsey played at the back of the field and was up against an Enmore man at the top of his game. In a match with several birdies for both players, and despite being one under gross, Simon eventually succumbed 3&1 on the 17th.

Games three and four were pivotal. Alex Winn and Josh Freeman, together with their opponents, played brilliant golf and could not be separated after 18 holes.

Under the rules, each game had to be played to a conclusion, which meant sudden death. Alex was edged out by his opponent on his first extra hole and Worlebury’s hopes were pinned on Josh’s shoulders.

The first extra hole was halved, and Josh’s hours of practice and dedication paid off when he held his nerve to get up and down on the second, to win the trophy for Worlebury.

This has been a real team effort, Worlebury using 13 players in the campaign. Apart from the final team, Worlebury have been well served by Matt Blackman, Jack Butterfield, Lewys Charles, Andy Cooper, Chris Mannings-Hill, Tim Needham, Jack Partridge and Jim Walton.

It is pleasing that the final team, including Ken, albeit many years ago, are all home bred, having come through Worlebury’s junior ranks.

The Fallon Trophy is a ‘last man standing’ competition, played over a shortened course for the lower handicap players.

The competition was whittled down to the last three of Ryan Jones, Josh Freeman and Simon Dempsey. With Jones eliminated, in a repeat of the club championship, Freeman faced Dempsey in a sudden death fight for the trophy.

It was Dempsey once more, who prevailed with a 30-foot putt on the 18th for a magnificent birdie to win the day.

Many of the contestants had to shake off the after effects of a successful club away day to take to the course for the Bert Dunston Memorial Trophy. Matt Matter and Kevin Pearson combined well to post a nett 60 in a betterball format. Matter did most of the damage with six nett birdies in his round and a nett eagle on the 9th hole

Chris Mannings-Hill and Andy Nicholls, with a nett 61, came second on countback, pipping Andy Judkins and Martyn Chambers. Mannings-Hill and Nicholls’s excellent round included five gross birdies.

Jill Phillips, hosted a wonderful lady presidents day. The format for the competition was a Texas scramble. The ladies were greeted by Jill at the halfway house and refreshments were served by her family.

Jill thanked everyone afterwards and her daughter, Amanda Cook, announced the results of the competition. The winners at a canter, were Claire Bayliss, Thora Hollister and Pam Jarvis with 51. Trailing in their wake were the teams of Judith Nicol, Sue Sokol and Jane Wakerley with 57.4 and Louise Goodrum, Michelle James and Lorna Macivor with 58.7. Winners of nearest the pins were Lisa Griffiths on the second and Julie Stafford on the 12th.

Lady captain Michelle James, presented Jill with a gift from the ladies and praised her for her three years excellent service. Jill has been a wonderful servant to the club both on and off the course for many years, always having Worlebury’s best interests at heart.

The seniors’ held the Sayers Shield, a competition for the winners of the monthly medals and Stablefords in the previous 12 months.

Incessant heavy rain made low scoring difficult and a sizeable number called it a day. Bucking the trend was four handicapper Pete Gilpin, who handled the damp well to win the shield with a nett 68. Gilpin, who has enjoyed a good season, had four fine birdies in his round.

He also won Division 1 of the monthly medal with Dave Clark’s nett 70, taking second place on countback from Malcolm Summers. Adrian Heeney was a comfortable winner in Division 2 with a net 66. Patrick Balchin was runner-up with a nett 70. Martin Wilyman came third on countback edging out Tony McDonald.

The seniors had two social matches this week and while both were highly enjoyable occasions, they resulted in defeats.

Facing the club’s Stragglers for their annual trophy, the seniors came out second best. Gordon Poynter made his seniors debut and partnered with the vastly experienced, Barry Newson.

They won the last hole to gain a fighting half against the pairing of Roger Clouter and Julian Brown. Nick Ryan and Martin Ford were too strong for Phil Hawkins and Stuart Macivor and they chalked up the seniors’ only win.

The outcome of the match hinged on the encounters between Stragglers captain, Martin Morgan and his partner Graham Horroll, who played seniors’ captain Ron Stevens and Alan Woolford. Also, the match between Danny Saunderson and Paul McAdams against Carl Morteo and Roger Leaver.

In games that could have gone either way, the Stragglers won both ties one up and this led to them retaining the trophy by 3.5 to 1.5.

Wells were the visitors to Worlebury and they avenged a home defeat in the corresponding fixture by winning 4-2. Newson partnered by Bob Oram, once more played well to record a comfortable win in his match. Nick Ryan was a victor yet again. Partnering Clive Rides they were Worlebury’s other winners.

Weston ladies’ annual Ryder Cup challenge was played in the usual competitive spirit with Europe the victors.

Recording the best individual score was Glenda Latham with 38 points, with Carole Menzies the runner-up also with 38 on countback. Zena Balcombe was third and Tessa Pitt fourth. Zena achieved a hole-in-one playing for Europe.

It was finals day at Wedmore, the culmination of the summer knockout competitions.

The men’s singles for the Hathaway Trophy is played over 36 holes and therefore needed an early start. Jon Thompson took on Richard Ham and it was Ham who had the better of the morning round taking a seven-hole lead, although play had been much closer.

Thompson fought back in the afternoon, reducing the lead to four holes, but this was as close as it got with Ham running out a 6&5 winner.

The only other final avoiding the afternoon rain was the bronze division Macarthur Trophy between Jenny Thomas and Mary-Lou Denny. Thomas had reached two finals, hence the need to play early, but her first final proved disappointing with Denny’s longer hitting proving decisive as she ran out a 5&4 winner.

In the afternoon, Thomas was in the mixed greensomes in partnership with Darren Cornish against Ann Adams and Tom Smith. Things did not start too well again and Adams and Smith held a two-shot lead at the turn.

However, on the back nine, the match was turned on its head as Thomas and Cornish fought back to clinch the match 3&1.

In the Macarthur Silver, Cathy Olive found giving six shots to an in-form Shirley Turner too much to cope with and Turner won comfortably 5&4. It was the same story in the Pinks Plate with Heather Abraham holding the edge against Helen Tanswell to also win by 5&4.

The Crandon Cup greensomes between Sue Tarry and Wendy Lucas and Sue Spink and Val Webber looked as if it might be closer, but on the back nine Lucas and Tarry pulled away to win 5&4.

The seniors’ only had one final to play but it proved the tightest of the day with Ian Sentance taking on seniors’ captain Mike Tanswell and eventually prevailing in a hard-fought match by 3&1.

The tightest final had been the previous week when it took Jim and Sean Gray three extra holes to overcome Liam Cann and Dale Worthington in the men’s pairs

Stuart Wills returned the best score of the day in the Brean October monthly Stableford on the opening day of the month.

His 40-point card won by one from Dan Broom and edged Wills closer to dropping his handicap to four. Broom likewise moved closer to returning to a five handicap finishing as runner-up with Matt Shaw holding off Steve Eley for third on 38.

Eley did drop into a single figure handicap for the first time at the end of the event as some consolation.

Division 2 honours went to Martyn Cahill with 39 points from his 17 handicap, which was also reduced by one at the close of play. Victory was only assured for him though after a back nine countback with Brian Read who also posted 39. Trevor Pitt was third on 38.

Scoring in Division 3 did not match the same heights, but it did have the closest finish of the day. Thirty-five points was good enough to see Andy Chapple take the win but not before a three-way countback with Trevor Searle and Kevin Davies. Chapple won on the back nine from Searle with Davies in third.

Russell Shaw claimed the Fred Baker Trophy for the best score by Division 1 or 2 players in the October medal on Sunday.

His stunning gross 70 converted to a nett 61 and gave him a comfortable four-stroke win over Tom Broom. Tony Higgins had the second best score overall as he took out Division 2 with his nett 63.

Mike Carter edged out Tony Richards on a countback for second after they both shot 65s. Jeff Read picked up the other piece of silverware on offer as he took the Division 3 top spot with a nett 70.

This won him the Stanley Trophy for the best Division 3 player on the day. Runner-up, just as he was 24 hours earlier in the Stableford, was Trevor Searle on 71.

A 7-0 win in the second leg of the annual match with Caerleon saw the trophy stay on the English side of the Bristol Channel for another year.

The seven matches were much closer affairs than the overall scoreline suggests and every game was played in great friendly spirit. Already both sides are looking forward to the 2017 matches both home and away.

Barrie Tucker won the third round of the seniors’ eclectic with a nett 65. This was good enough for a three-stroke win on the day from Roger Phillips. Phillips is now in a strong position at the midway point of the event. Third place went to Barrie Yearsley with a nett 70.