First open mixed greensomes event held at Weston

EVEN after continuous rainfall the day before, the course at Weston was dry and in top condition for the first open mixed greensomes event.

Forty-five pairs took part with Weston members taking the top two slots. Trevor and Joan Jenkinson won with 36 points, with Andy and Zena Balcombe second with 35 on countback from John and Bet Gazzard, the leading visitors from Cotswold Edge.

The men’s invitation day was played in persistent rain all day with 34 pairs competing in the four-ball Stableford. Glenn Taylor and guest Stuart Taylor from Burnham & Berrow were the victors with 41 points, winning on countback from Weston vice-captain Scott McKechnie and Danny Murphy from Knowle.

The Pickeridge Bowl team took on Tall Pines in a closely-fought scratch match at Burnham & Berrow. Ian Hudson won on the last hole after a hard fought match with George Worthington winning 5&3. The overall result was a 3-2 victory for Tall Pines.

Weston ladies had a field of 68 players for their first open competition. The home team of Caroline Poole, Sue Garrett, Carol Menzies and Sue Andow took first place with 91 points. In second place were Pat Murray, Pam Hudson, Mel Rossi and Sally Brosnan with 89.

Nearest the pin visitors’ prize was won by Jackie Richards from Burnham & Berrow and Sue Andow won the members prize. Longest drive for visitors was won by Val Newall from Enmore and Jade Cope won the members prize. The cake stall and raffle raised over £200 for Children’s Hospice South West.

Despite persistent rain and strong winds, the ladies’ Alliance B team used their home advantage, winning 10-4 against Wedmore.

Joan Jenkinson won the Dickinson qualifier with a nett 75. Sue Andow was second with 77 and Jade Cope third with 78. Newcomer to the ladies’ section, Dodie Waterhouse came fourth place with an 80, qualifying for the Barlow Cup bronze competition.

Weston ladies’ open winners: Caroline Poole, Carol Menzies, ladies’ president Joan Cumming, lady captain Tessa Williams, Sue Andow and Sue Garrett.

AFTER a faltering start to the season, Worlebury’s Avalon team are back on track with an away draw at Mendip Springs, with another fine performance to register a similar result at Taunton Vale.

The pairings of Keri Allchurch and Jeff Banfield and Stuart Fawcett and Nevil Horne performed exceptionally well to record comfortable wins. This was Nevil’s second win in succession. New boy Tom Lennon and his partner played well in the pivotal match to gain a vital half for the team.

Captain Tony Westren and experienced Avalon campaigner, Robbie McMillen, were in the ascendancy for much of their game, but a strong finish by their opponents led to a win for Taunton Vale, one up.

The final match involved Mike Usher-Clark and Pete Blunden, who came up against Taunton Vale’s form players and they went down 4&3.

Although the match was drawn, being the away team, Worlebury gained eight and a half points to Taunton Vale’s six.

Worlebury Stragglers entertained Minehead in the first leg of the long-established annual salver between the two clubs.

The home side proved too strong for their guests and will take a six-point advantage to the away leg in early August. In a good all-round performance, the pairings of Andy Horsburgh and Ron Ganfield and Ron Jamieson and John Langdon were the pick of the bunch and won particularly convincingly.

The centenary match with The Mendip was a highly enjoyable day out, but not a winning one for Worlebury. This annual encounter tends to favour the home team and this year proved no exception.

Although many of the games were tight, The Mendip prevailed by seven and a half to four and a half. Both captains, in their speeches, highlighted the special relationship between the clubs, who share a 2008 centenary year and said how much they looked forward to the salver being contested for many years to come.

WEDMORE ladies played two county qualifiers within their monthly medal and Stableford competitions.

First was the Dickinson Medal with Liz Hill dipping under par with a nett 71 to win the competition and go forward as the club’s nomination for the county level. She was closely chased by bronze division player Joan Peck, whose nett 72 caused a handicap reduction.

Vice-captain Ann Adams took third place on 74, while two more silver division players, Gina Falcon and Maggie Morris took the next two places with 75 and 78 respectively.

The following week was the Barlow Stableford to find a bronze nomination for the county competition and appropriately enough a bronze player, Deidre Wheadon was overall winner with 37 points.

Linda Roberts was one point back in second place, while Maggie Morris and Gina Falcon were again in the prizes after both scored 35. Alison Dodkin took fifth place on 34.

Liz Hill and Dawn Chadwick progressed to the quarter-finals of the county scratch foursomes with a hard fought away win at Lansdown.

There was some wet and windy weather for the club medal, but some good scores were recorded, particularly in Division 2. This was won by Mark Grant with a nett 66, two better than Tony Ribi, who just beat Paul Sloman on countback.

There was a clear winner in Division 1 with 66 from Jeremy Richards, putting him six shots clear of Graham Sugg in second, with Geoff Fisher a further shot back in third.

Ray Dodkin won Division 3 with a nett 69, which was four better than both Marcello di Mascio and Stephen Young, who lost out on countback. Young Hannah Abraham had the best score of the ladies who braved the elements.

The seniors Stableford, in better conditions, saw Tony Roe win Division 1 ahead of David Bates and Bill Painter. Chris McGowan scored most points on the day, 41 to win Division 2 ahead of David Coggan and Colin Clegg. Alasdair McDonald took Division 3 on 37, from Francis Rabbitts with Dennis Howard in third.

Deidre Wheadon and Liz Hill winners of Wedmore ladies’ Barlow Stableford and Dickinson Medal.

WORLEBURY Golf Club ladies’ section held the Vets and Grannies and an alternate medal was held for those who did not qualify for either category.

Thirty-one ladies took part and the cup was won by Jill Webb (pictured with lady captain Marnie Sweet) with a nett 74. The runner-up was Pam Burnell with a 78.

GORDY Wheelaghan was the winner of the Pro Shop Stableford at Brean, as he battled through the wet weather to record 41 points.

He won by three from a trio on 38 points and the countback rules were needed to separate them. Phil Barry was the best of them on the back nine ahead of Nigel Hodges and Andy Chapple. Chapple however, collect the two’s pot for the only two of the day.

Pete Douglas is a regular winner in seniors’ events at Brean and he added another victory with the May medal heading in his direction. He handed in a nett 69 to win by a single shot from Barrie Tucker who made a welcome return to form in second place.

He edged out John Sherwood on the back nine countback for that position as Sherwood also posted a level par round of 70.

The seniors suffered a hefty away defeat when they played their counterparts from Tall Pines at the Lulsgate venue. They were soundly beaten 6-1 with the point for Brean coming from Mike Haskins and Dave Benjafield.

Steve Mason and Eamonn Wynne won the final event of Brean’s open week with their 41-point card in the four-ball betterball Stableford. They held a one-point advantage over three pairs on 40 points.

Barry Fisher and Mike Porter had the best homeward score of the trio, ahead of Steve and Alec Bateman. Fourth spot went to Gordy Wheelaghan and Nigel Hodges, who also lost out on countback.