Traditional drive-in falls foul to the weather at Weston

A BUSY week at Weston Golf Club began with the inauguration of the four new captains for the new golf season.

Newly-elected club captain Scott McKechnie celebrated the start of the year with ladies’ captain Julie Ward, seniors’ captain John Morgan and junior captain George Worthington, with a Sunday carvery with over 40 members in attendance. The traditional captains’ drive-in on the first tee fell foul to the Sunday storm.

The Blackheath Trophy and Champion Cup qualifiers were played the day before in gale force winds and rain, but the course and players stood the test and produced some excellent scoring.

Division 1 winner was club treasurer Steve Corrick returning a nett 68 with runner-up Liam May on 69 and Andrew Roberts with 70 in third place.

In Division 2, Neil Watkins scored an incredible 67 with Ian Goldsworthy in second place on 68 (cb), with Steve Edwards just missing out on second place also with 68.

The ladies’ weekday monthly medal was won by Joan Jenkinson with an exemplary nett 66, a five-shot lead over runner-up Susan Osman (71). In third place was Jade Cope with 75.

Weston ladies A team squad were on top form after the winter, playing their first match of the spring season at home against The Mendip with a comfortable 11-3 win.

Four Weston ladies entered the South West Veteran Ladies Spring Field Day at Stover Golf Club. It was a cold start for the early birds and the wind persisted throughout the day making conditions tricky.

Up against a large field of players, Di Walker managed to achieve first place in Bronze Division 2, only two shots short of the overall winner.

The competition season is now well underway at Weston with qualifying events most weekends. All open club competitions and the September Weston week golf fiesta are all now available to book and enter on line at www.westonsupermaregolfclub.com with the club welcoming all visitors to the course.

Fifty-four Weston seniors turned up for the first medal competition of the spring, with the outright winner with a superb nett 65 was Maurice Miller.

He took the honours by virtue of a countback from Ron Kelley and David Rowland, who were second and third consecutively.

A FULL field took to the course at Worlebury for the club charity day.

Winning the ladies’ competition with 79 points were Janet Keight, Jan Simms, Sue Kinch and Claire Bayliss. The men’s competition was won by the team of Darrell James, Graham Griffiths, Mark Puddy and Dale Rendall with 96 points.

In second place with 93 were Keri Allchurch, Martin Green, Graham Hewlett and Paul Marsh. Third with 92 were Paul McAdams, Andy Taylor, Mikey Nicholls and Stuart Fawcett and fourth - club captain Peter Phillips, Andy Nicholls, Chris Mannings-Hill and Nick Carter with 90.

Nearest the pin prizes - 2nd: John Keight; 6th: Keri Allchurch; 12th (sponsored by club professional, Gary Marks): Dave Collard, Jamie Crandon and Amanda Cook/John Wright (joint third); 16th: Mick McManners.

Captain Peter Phillips thanked the various sponsors and everyone who contributed to make the day a huge success. £460 was raised by the raffle alone and he thanked Libby Jude for her powers of persuasion in boosting the coffers on the day.

The chosen charity is Above and Beyond, with the monies being specifically raised for an item of equipment for the Children’s Cardiac Unit. In total £1,300 has been raised already since Peter took office, only a few weeks ago.

The ladies and seniors sections, ably led by Maxine Gardiner and Mike Williams, are also collecting money for this most worthwhile cause.

This charity is meaningful to a number of club members, none more so than Mike, whose grand-daughter is receiving on-going treatment at the hospital.

The Philpott Trophy is a culmination of the winter mixed greensomes series of competitions. The winners were Louise Goodrum and Martyn Chambers with 43, just pipping Marnie Sweet and Nick Extence, who missed out by a single point.

Best ladies’ results overall: Sam Hewlett 125; Marnie Sweet 122; Janet Jamieson 121. Men’s overall: Nick Extence 130; Merv Kinch 127; Paul McAdams 124.

Best pairs overall: Marnie Sweet and Nick Extence 252; Sam and Graham Hewlett 246; Sue and Merv Kinch 241.

THE six-man team of Justin Lane (captain), Matt Houghton, Andy Fisher, Jon Pitcher, Rick Metcalfe and Adrian Deakins representing The Buckthorns Golf Society won the Brent Knoll Bowl at Burnham & Berrow Golf Club.

The annual scratch foursomes knockout event between 16 invited societies which started in 1952 and is played over one weekend is keenly contested and also includes teams from the Army, Navy and Royal Air Force, which adds to the rivalry.

The RAF have won the Bowl nine times, more than any other team, but this is the first time The Buckthorns,which took their name from the invasive shrub which grows wild on the golf course, have won the tournament.

Having beaten the Bogeymen 2-1 in the first round and the Old Millfieldians 2.5-0.5 in the second round, the team faced their toughest challenge on the second day, not just from their opponents, but also from the weather conditions which rendered the course almost unplayable with gale force winds.

Facing a scratch team from Worcestershire called the Wigorns, all three matches went to the last hole, but the Buckthorns pulled through with a 2.5-0.5 victory to set up a final clash against multiple winners the Warwickshire Bears.

Lane and Houghton won comfortably in the second match before Fisher and Pitcher in the top match won at the 19th to secure the victory, just ahead of Metcalfe and Deakins, who made it a clean sweep giving the local team a 3-0 victory and adding the Buckthorns name to the trophy for the first time in the tournaments’ 63-year history.

AT LAST Friday’s annual presentation night, 2014, club captain Paul Jones handed over a cheque for just under £5,000 to his designated captain’s charity for the year, CLAPA (Cleft Lip and Palate Association) and the South West Cleft team.

CLAPA chairperson Michelle Bower and the Cleft team’s lead nurse Cathy Marsh received the award which will be split equally between the two organisations. The decision to support this cause was made by Jones, following the Brean’s director of golf Andrew March’s son Logan being born with the condition in late 2013.

In addition, the kind hearted members also raised just over another £1,000 to fund the purchase of an AED defibrillator for the golf clubhouse which was purchased last June and now sits in the clubhouse.

The presentation night was held in the Tavern and was well attended with almost 100 people enjoying the evening.

The most improved golfer was Simon Baunton, who collected no less than nine awards on the night. Golfer of the year went to current club captain Stuart Wills. He won five events.

Clubperson of the year was Matt Haskins who was a massive support to captain Paul Jones throughout his year and on his captain’s day last year, Matt kept everyone entertained in the clubhouse well into the early hours.

The final presentation of the evening went to club champion Steve Bateman, who was receiving the trophy for the sixth time, but the first since 2010.

Barrie Tucker recorded the leading score in the March Medal with a superb nett 66. He took the Division 2 honours from Nigel Hodges who had a 68. Top spot in Division 1 went to Pete Barton, but only after a back nine countback with Steve Eley. Alan Marshal won Division 3 with a nett 71, ahead of Mo Sanders who had a 73.

The Gordon Phippen Trophy was played over a shortened 15-hole course for the Texas scramble. The winners were led home by birthday boy Steve Payne, along with Roy Fletcher, Jerry Brueford and John Brewer as they had a nett score of 48.1.

Stuart Wills, Martyn Cahill, Andy Thomas and Paul McLanaghan could only finish second despite producing a six birdie round of 53. Another formidable foursome in the shape of Steve Eley, Simon Baunton, Dave Porter and Phil Hodgson took third on 49.5.

Tony Higgins will represent Brean Golf Club alongside professional Andrew March in the regional final of the National PGA Pro Am. He won the club qualifying round with a 39-point score.

The pair will now move forward to Burnham and Berrow Golf Club in June where they will look to progress to the national final at Gleneagles in September. Runner-up was Gordy Wheelaghan with 38 points, ahead of a trio headed by Jason Kidley on 37.

March was in good form himself this week as he collected his second win of the winter season in the Gloucester and Somerset PGA medals. He produced a bogey free round of 66 at Tall Pines to consolidate his top six position in the Total Triumph Order of Merit, as the season moves into its final month.

THE ladies and seniors combined at Wedmore in the annual competition in support of the Childline charity.

The competition, organised as ever by Sue Tarry, attracted a large field which meant the main purpose of the day, raising money was achieved to the extent of £1,000.

There was some good golf played too, none better than from Mary-Lou and Trevor Denny, who beat their handicap by 12 shots. Margaret and Phil Rogers were unlucky to score 46 points and still only come second, with Gina Falcon and Tom Bennett scoring 45 points to come third.

The ladies were out again playing a three-player bowmaker. The windy conditions made scoring difficult, but the team of Jan Jenkins, Sue Tarry and Deidre Wheadon overcame the wind to win on 66 points.

This put them three clear of runners-up Liz Hill, Gill Jones and Audrey Cowlin. Third team were Alison Dodkin, Shirley Gooding and Carol Jackso, who scored 62 points.

The postponed February medal saw the lowest nett score of the day come from Pete Beavan, who won Division 3 with a 64. This put him three ahead of both Perry Snelgrove and George Smith, with Snelgrove taking second place on countback.

There was a tight finish in Division 2 with a par on the final hole just enough to give Jim Gray first place on countback from Robert Cornish, after both scored 65 points. John Vowles was two shots back in third.

The lower handicappers struggled more in Division 1 with Steve Lockley the only player below his handicap winning on 68. Second place went to Bill Lander, beating Tony Glover on countback after both scored 71.

Despite a small field, the ladies also produced good scores and a tight finish with Chris Simpson winning on 71, two better than Claire Biggs, who took second place on countback from Saybria Sims.