Paul comes out on top in Scottish trip

SIXTEEN Weston Golf Club members took a trip up to Scotland, playing four courses including St Andrew’s Old Course.

The conditions were atrocious on that day, but the players were told that was how the course was meant to be played. Paul Griffiths scored well and was the best golfer of the week.

The Sunday club Stableford was won by junior vice-captain George Worthington with 37 points. Adam Sloan came in second place with 34.

A good field turned out for the ladies’ Coronation Foursomes. Gay Long and Terri Blackhurst scored an impressive 38 points taking them through for selection in the regional final.

Di Walker and Sue Andow were in second place with 34 and third were Diney Costeloe and Wendy Thomas, also with 34.

Weston mixed pairs welcomed a team from Minehead for a friendly match, with Weston winning on home ground.

Weston’s Jade Cope came fourth overall in the 36-hole qualifying day of the Somerset Ladies’ Championship, winning best gross in the morning round.

In the first round, she beat her opponent 9&8, the second round was won on the 19th hole. The following day, she played magnificently against Hannah Grant, who went on to win the championship, taking her to the 20th, her birdie putt lipped out and Grant sunk hers to win.

WORLEBURY Golf Club held its mixed open on a dry sunny day with a field of 124 pairs, which was up on the previous year.

Weston members Wendy and Steve Thomas won the Phillips Cup for the best gross score of 29 points. In his acceptance speech, former Worlebury member, Steve, complimented the greenstaff on the condition of the course, particularly the excellent definition of the fairways.

The nett competition was a close affair, with Worlebury members using local knowledge to their advantage to dominate. Winners of the Delhorn Cup with 43 points were Lisa and Graham Griffiths, who beat off the challenge of Claire Bayliss and Paul Lintern by two points.

The next three places were decided on countback, each pair recording 40 points. Sam and Graham Hewlett got the verdict over Michelle and Darrell James and Lynn Pope and Mike Knight. In sixth position were Emma Limer and Russell Bourton with 38.

Ninety players took to the course in the first of two legs of the Pro Trophy qualifier. The aim of the competition was to beat club pro, Gary Marks’ score in a medal round.

Gary hit a solid, if unspectacular regulation 70, which was too good for the majority of the players, with only 11 bettering their handicap to qualify for the final.

The best score of the day was a fine 66 by Phil Stone and Merv Kinch, the former finishing strongly with four straight pars to win on countback. There was no love lost in the battle for third prize between father and son, Pete and Simon Gilpin. It was the old man, Pete, who prevailed on countback, both playing well to record nett 67s.

The Royal British Legion held its 10th annual charity golf day, the last eight of which have been at Worlebury.

The highly successful day was organised by Sue Potepa, ably assisted by her band of volunteers, including Russ Nickells, who has been involved in every event since its inception.

An estimated £5,000 was raised on the day for the Poppy Appeal. Sue thanked Worlebury for hosting the day and everyone for their part they played with a special mention to Worlebury’s past seniors’ captain, Gerry Miles, who raised £1,357.57 for the appeal in his captaincy year.

Top of the class for the third year running with 87 points, was the team from Priory Community School, skippered by Rob Berry. Close behind were the Horsefeeders, captained by Nathan Talbot on 86. Countback was needed to separate Ken Hanson’s, Royal Bank of Scotland team and Ron Ganfield’s, Ganbo’s Boys who came third and fourth respectively with 85 points.

Steve and Wendy Thomas with their trophy alongside lady captain Marnie Sweet and club captain Paul Gardiner.

Our picture shows the delighted Priory team with the charity day organisers.

BREAN Golf Club has reached the quarter-finals of the Somerset Bowl following a 3-2 victory over Mendip Spring at a windswept Clevedon.

The 2011 winners will now face either Isle of Wedmore or Minehead in the last eight.

Steve Jones produced a superb round in difficult conditions to win the May medal. He was the sole player in the entire field to beat his handicap with a nett 69. Most of the better scores came from the Division 1 players as captain-elect Stuart Wills was runner-up with a 70.

A nett 75 was good enough for Neil Barker to secure the Division 2 award ahead of Ian Adams on 77. The highest winning score came from Phil Barry who recorded his second Saturday win in a row with a nett 76 in Division 3. Runner-up on 79 was Jim McLauchlan.

The Avalon League Division 6 team continued their strong start to the season by collecting an excellent away win at Taunton Vale. They won 3-2 at the Creech St Michael course and picked up 11 league points.

Pete Douglas was the leading player in the seniors’ May Stableford. He carded 39 points to win by four from two players on 35. Second place went to Dave Benjafield thanks to his better back nine.

Mike Allen stormed to a convincing win in the Wally Pape Bogey two days later. He beat the course by three and was the only player in the 15-strong field to do so. Runner up on 0 was Roger Phillips, while Ken Ponter was third on -2.

The seniors’ team were on their travels again in a very busy week as they travelled to the Windwhistle course just outside Chard. They lost 3-2 in a close game with the captain selecting Tony Grimes and Ken Rouse as his team of the day.

Brean’s director of golf Andrew March concluded his winter Gloucester and Somerset PGA season. He contested the Total Triumph Strokeplay Championship over 36 holes at a wet and windy Taunton and Pickeridge Golf Club.

He handed in rounds of 74 and 73 to finish in a respectable fifth position on the day and overall in seventh position for the season long Order of Merit. He ended six shots behind winner, Enmore Park’s David Dixon.

BREAN Golf Club’s charity fund for this year has been boosted by sponsorship from a local business.

Co-Operative Funeral Care based in Burnham stepped in to add their support the captain’s charity day which takes place tomorrow (Fri) as it is raising funds for two causes which are close to home.

The first of these is to be able to purchase a automated external defibrillator (AED) for Brean Golf Club which will be housed at the club. The second beneficiary is the Cleft Lip and Palate Association and this charity was chosen by the captain Paul Jones, following the birth of Brean’s director of golf Andrew March’s son, Logan, with both a cleft lip and palate last November.

Young Logan faces multiple operations in his childhood years and the charity day coincides with the National Cleft Awareness week.

Sarah Barton from Co-Operative Funeral Care, whose husband Pete is a member at Brean, said: “We are pleased to be able to support a local cause and wish the golf club all the best.”

Sarah Barton presenting a cheque to Brean captain Paul Jones (left) and director of golf Andrew March.

THE annual match between the Wedmore ladies and seniors turned into a fiery event, but only as players started the after-match meal.

A fire in the kitchen caused the evacuation of the clubhouse and the arrival of three fire engines who quickly had things under control.

The match itself had been a much damper affair with bursts of rain reducing play to just 12 holes. With the ladies’ lower handicappers away on Alliance League duty, the seniors had a comfortable win by 283-249.

Best pairs were Jim Sims and Roy Peck for the seniors and Esme Gulliver and Jan Jenkins for the ladies. Meanwhile, the Alliance team went down 9-5 at Bath, a satisfactory result away to tough opponents.

The seniors’ Somerset Bowl team had better luck, progressing to the quarter-finals of the county knockout event by beating Frome 3-2 at Wells. Wins from Tim Harris and Terry Clark, John Russell and Dave Clements and eventually, Tony Biggs and Graham Clifford, saw the team home by the narrow margin of 3-2.

The week started with the annual Texas scramble for the Martin Bull Trophy. This produced one of the closest finishes ever, with 0.1 of a shot covering the first three places.

In third place on 59.6 were Sue and Alan Chambers with Ian Robson and Chris Norris. In second place, losing out on countback with 59.5 were Paul Dickie, Pete Beavan and Tom and Steve Smith, leaving the slightly surprised winners as Liz and Jim Sims with Jan Jenkins and John Russell.

The week ended with invitation day and the opportunity for members to invite friends to play the course competitively.

Conditions were wet and windy on occasions, but this did not stop good scores particularly from club captain Brad Ruddick who, with guest Stuart Fawcett from Worlebury, won with 41 points.

Countback was again needed to split second and third with Derek Warn and A Kenny (Burnham and Berrow), just pipping Alan Chambers and Gary Walker from Enmore, both on 39.

Martin Bull Trophy winners Jim Sims, Liz Sims Jan Jenkins and John Russell, together with Liz Bull, captains Ange Webber and Brad Ruddick and other prize winners.