Jenny wins her fifth title in as many years, as Charlie celebrates his first

CHARLIE Huggins and Jenny Vaughan won the 2012 men’s and women’s Club Championships at Brean.

For Vaughan it was her fifth successive success in the Ladies Championship, but for Huggins it was a win at his first attempt.

The first day of the championship saw the two defending champions take comfortable advantages into the second day, with the men’s lead being held by Roy Baker who handed in a best-of-the-championship 74 on the opening morning.

The main challenge was expected to come from three-time champion Steve Bateman, but he could only manage a 79 after a disastrous start. Baker’s closest challenger emerged as junior Huggins, who handed in an excellent gross 77 off his 15 handicap.

The second morning dawned with the sun shining and a light breeze which increased dramatically throughout the day and this would eventually have a huge bearing on the outcome of the competition. Baker had a steady start but Huggins played some superb shots to stay in touch. Coming to the penultimate hole, Baker held a slender lead but found trouble behind the par three and racked up a double bogey to Huggins’ par, so it was all square with one to go. Baker again overshot the green into the strong wind and went out of bounds for another double bogey and, with a safe bogey five, Huggins took the title and celebrated his 16th birthday in style.

Jenny Vaughan had a slightly easier time of it in the ladies event and produced a splendid closing nine holes to win the event in style.

The nett event would have also been claimed by Huggins but, as each player can only take one prize, the award went to Mike Chaloner. He showed that practice makes perfect as he followed his opening nett 71 with a best-of-the-day 64 on day two. This gave him a two stroke win over another Championship debutant, Phil Hodgson.

* Brean Seniors have moved emphatically into the semi-finals of the Seniors Somerset Bowl.

After defeating the 2011 winners in the last round they did the same to the 2010 winners in the quarter-finals.

Playing at Cannington, they whitewashed the team from Vivary Park 5-0 to move into the semi-finals for the first time ever, where they will face either Saltford or Clevedon.

* Barrie Tucker has certainly shown his liking for the new layout at Brean as he claimed yet another victory last week. His 38 point total won him the Seniors Stableford and also won him the Over 65s Shield. Pete Douglas was the runner-up on 36pts.

ISLE of Wedmore Seniors held their Championship over 36 holes last Monday and Wednesday, with the first round on Monday also being the monthly medal.

There was some excellent scoring in this, particularly in division 1, which was won by David Coggan with a net 65, ahead of Geoff Brooks and Mike Munns, who both scored 67. Vice captain Paul Burkhill took division 2 with 66, two better than John Cutter, with Brian Kidd a further shot back in third. Peter Rutter led division 3 with 68 with Malcolm Timmis second on 69 and Clive Williams a further shot back in third.

Tony Glover led the way in the Championship with a gross 77, pursued by two time winner John Russell, and John Sanderson, both on 78. They were well ahead of the field with Mike Munns four shots back in fourth and John Hurdman a further shot back in fifth.

On day two, both Russell and Sanderson birdied the first while a bogey from Glover lost him the lead. After the front nine he had fallen six shots back, with the other two still tied.

Over the next three holes Russell edged two ahead but the real swing came on the par fives with Sanderson

double bogeying the first two to fall five shots back.

Russell finished on 154 for the two rounds, a comfortable seven shots clear of Sanderson with Glover a further three shots back. Peter Rutter took the net prize and Tony Biggs took the prize for best gross on the day. The equivalent net prize went to Peter Rowntree with a net 71.

* The 20th Anniversary Open Week started on Sunday, with prizes including cars and holidays on offer. Winners of the 4BBB were Steve Miller and Russell James with an unbelievable 47 points. Dave Clements and Danny Guyatt were second on 43 with Frank Denniston and Mike Munns third with 42.

* ON A DAY when most golf courses locally were closed due to waterlogging, Weston hosted the Men’s 4BBB Open with over 160 participants from all over the South West and beyond.

Weather conditions caused a high degree of difficulty for the players, some of whom had never experienced links golf before. All but one pair in the winner’s table, not surprisingly, were home members. Congratulations to regular playing partners Howard Calcutt and Andrew Smith, who returned a credible score of 43pts.

* On a dry but very windy day, a Weston octogenarian took all the plaudits with a classy display in the Weston Seniors Open.

A former one handicap and still playing off single figures, Trevor Knott regularly shoots less than his age. In conditions the rest of the field from many different clubs found difficult to impossible, Trevor won with 39 points.

* Weston Juniors secured two more impressive wins and remain unbeaten and at the top of the league with only two games remaining.

Against Long Sutton, the team secured a 3-1 win. Jack Roberts won his individual game and the tough pairing of Alex Fry and Harry Turner easily won their game. The other two games were much closer and on the 18th green neither could be separated so the matches were halved.

Wells were the next visitors to Weston and their young players found it difficult to cope with both the blustery

conditions and the rampant Weston Juniors. Sam Fernley and Jack Roberts cruised to singles successes and the remaining pairs of Alex Fry and Harry Turner and Tommy Holiday and Toby Booth cemented easy wins. The result was a 4-0 win for the home team.

WORLEBURY Golf Club’s biggest social event of the year, The Charity Summer Ball, was held on Saturday and attracted over 300 guests who assembled in a marquee put up next to the clubhouse especially for the event.

Entertainment was provided by The Kings of Wessex Academy Brass Band and the 14-piece Bristol band Bring Down The House. During the excellent three-course meal the advertised ‘mystery act’ was suddenly revealed - out of nowhere came the singing waiters and waitresses,

including the club’s very own Pete Phillips and Amanda Cook, who broke into song while mingling with the guests.

The night included an auction draw and over �1,600 was raised for Weston Hospicecare.

* Worlebury’s first team maintained their good form on Sunday at Tall Pines, recording a close 3-2 victory. This included a good win from Ross Coyne and Lewys Charles, who won after being two down on the 16th.

The result means Worlebury retain their top-of-the-table position, with some difficult fixtures coming up and only two points separating first to fifth in the league.

BURNHAM & Berrow’s Avalon League team took on local rivals Mendip Spring in an away match on Saturday.

The result was a very valuable half, giving Burnham another 8.5 points to strengthen the club’s second position in division three. The team is now only four points behind Orchardleigh with a game in hand. The next match is away to Windwhistle on Sunday.

* Burnham’s Matt Pearson won the SWC Boys Championship at Tehidy Golf Club in Cornwall. Two rounds of sub-par 68 and 71 put Matt five shots clear of his nearest challenger, Harrison Greenberry, who won the British Boys Championship at Burnham last year.