Matt triumphs in SW matchplay event

BURNHAM and Berrow contestants were met by the tail end of a hurricane as they tried to win the War Memorial Trophy with the best 32 players then qualifying for the knockout West of England Matchplay Championship.

Every player in the field was a category one golfer with a handicap of better than six yet nobody managed to shoot two rounds in the 70s in this 36-hole event. Scores over 90 were commonplace, so severe was the weather.

The winner with a score of 158 (16 over par) was Laurie Canter from Saltford with rounds of 80 and 78.

The next three days saw the field playing matchplay to determine the destination of the West of England Championship in progressively better weather.

David Gregory and Tim Bamber (Burnham and Berrow) eventually contested one semi-final with the other between Ben Amor (Marlborough) and Matt Kippen (Enmore Park).

Gregory and Kippen overcame their opponents and in the 36-hole final produced some excellent golf before the Enmore Park player Matt Kippen triumphed 4 and 3.

There was an exciting ending to the Burnham and Berrow Club Championship also as James Holl, the defending champion tried to defend his crown against another Matt, this time Matt Windo. Holl, the youngest Burnham and Berrow club champion in living memory, found Windo in excellent form and his dream of successive wins was dashed as Matt won 2 and 1 in the 36-hole final.

Burnham and Berrow's Channel course was opened some 30 years ago, but only now does each hole have two tees to give 18 different challenges in a round of golf.

To celebrate this, Burnham and Berrow have launched the Channel Course Cup, a competition for teams of three where one score on each hole counts. It is open to all .This is an ideal opportunity to experience links golf in a friendly competitive situation.

Tee times are available for club handicap players in the morning and for players with social or society handicaps in the afternoon. Single players are also welcome and the club will arrange teams. Prizes and even a drink in the bar afterwards are all included. The inaugural running of this event is on Sunday, October 4. A call or visit to the club is all it takes to enter.

BREAN member Pat Mullholland took the main honours at the club's Seniors Open with an excellent score of 42 points.

He did not have it all his own way, though, as he only just edged out clubmate David Jones after a count-back.

In the current climate it was refreshing to see the entry numbers showed a healthy increase from last year and the general consensus from all who played was positive towards the changes that are being made at Brean .

Almost 100 golfers from across the South West took on the challenge that was made even tougher by the customary Brean breeze and also a few heavy bursts of rain falling during the afternoon play. The course played exceptionally well throughout and looked at it's best thanks to the hard work put it by course manager Robin Williams and his team.

Mullholland was among the later starters and this fact made his score all the more impressive. He carded a steady 18 points on the front nine but it was his back nine score of 24 which ultimately gave him the top spot and the Bill Martin Trophy as Jones could not quite match his homeward run.

Jones had to settle for the Nicoll Trophy for his efforts which is awarded to the leading golfer in the 65-69 age category.

Current Brean Seniors captain Tony Roper was in the first match out on the course and posted a score of 40 points which was heading the leaderboard for some time but in the end he had to settle for third spot overall.

The other trophy up for grabs on the day was won by a visitor as Ian Freeman from Weston took home the Veteran's Trophy after his round of 38 points.

All in all everyone enjoyed the day which ran smoothly throughout thanks to the work of the Seniors Committee and various helpers led as always by Wally Pape and it is hoped that next year the entries will break the 100 barrier as more and more return to test themselves against the challenges set by the new layout.

WEDMORE Seniors have been lucky with the weather this year and so it was no surprise that it was sunny if breezy for their Captain's Day.

Ellis Nearn had added a couple of extra prizes of his own this year. However, achieving nearest the captain's drive on the first took players into the bunker, whilethe attractions of Cheryl, the target for drives on the tenth, were too distant for senior eyesight. Alan Caines was wild enough to win the first prize and Tony Roe young enough to claim the second.

In the main competition, the best efforts of the 60-odd competitors were not enough to wrest the trophy away from Philip Springfield who won the Barron Bowl for the second year running with 41 points. This was one point better than Graham Stock's commendable 40 points.

In the Over-70s category, Ray Dodkin, who had kept quiet about his birthday a few days earlier, was happy to claim the winner's prize. There was a shock runner-up in Richard Kellaway.

It must be a tribute to his captaincy that there were hardly any complaints when Ellis Nearn took the nearest the pin prize on 18th. It looked almost a hole in one which would have been both fitting and expensive.

The day is mainly about charity and this year's total of �405 for the Children's Hospice South West at Wraxall set a record for Senior Captain's Day.

Full results: Overall winner Philip Springfield (41); 2,Graham Stock (40).

Division 1: John Viney (39); Alan Caines (38); Malcolm Hatton(34). Division 2: Mike Beal (34); David Russell (33); Malcom Timmis (33). Over 70: Ray Dodkin (33); Richard Kellaway.

WORLEBURY'S enthusiastic ladies got up at 6.30am for a shotgun start in the Cockrow competition.

Results: K Lambert 42 points; M Gardiner 40; T Hollister 37.

The prizes were donated by Mrs Marian Nute and proceeds were given to the lady captain's charity.

St Dunstan's Cup, Mixed Foursomes: Barry and Cheryl Saunders 41 points;

John and Shirley Horobin 38.

Barry and Cheryl also represented Worlebury in the Bader Cup regional final held at Stover, which they won, and now go on to play in the grand final in Portugal.