Cowdray captain's day is a big success - for players and a good cause

The day was organised by Dave Balfour, club captain Chris Dormer and lady captain Terry Hughes.

Their chosen charity for the year is Macmillan cancer and a fantastic total of £5,745 was raised through the generosity of the sponsors and the members.

The day started with 25 teams of four playing a Stableford.

Winners were Phil, Lil, Jamie and Chris Cummins on 124 points, runners-up were Richard Whitcomb, Mick Whitcomb, Paul Dudman and Adrian Poole on 123.

The day ended with a meal and entertainment by comedian Adjer Brown and an Abba tribute band.

Cowdray Park’s Kennington Cup attracted a field of 60 for the 18-hole medalition.

Results: 1 Eric Morrish nett 67 ocb, 2 Hamish Reid 67, 3 John Wadey 67.

With the south being battered by gale-force winds, play seemed unlikely between Cowdray Park seniors and Petersfield vets, but they deferred the start time by an hour in the hope of better conditions.

These arrived, albeit with a stiff wind affecting play. Cowdray were hoping to reverse the recent away defeat at Petersfield and they duly achieved it by winning 4½-3½.

The first match went the way of the visitors followed by a halved match.

The balance swung in favour of Cowdray, with Peter Clarke and Barry Overington blitzing their opponents 7&6 only for the visitors to equalise immediately. The result depended on the last match and Cowdray’s Roger Poat and Phillip Singer won 2&1 and clinch a narrow win for the home team.

Results (Cowdray names first): Ken Newberry & David Laver lost to Brian Phillips & Marshall Smith 2&1; Wally Mitchell & John Smith halved with John King & Terry Roach; Mike Pratt & John Doran beat Clive Barter & Charlie Martin 3&1; Robert Strick & Ron Bridgeman lost to Colin Stevenson & Ian Frost 4&3; Richard Histed & David Wickham beat John Edelsten & Ted Snelling 3&1; Peter Clarke & Barry Overington beat Ray Couzens & Guy Warner 7&6; Mike King & George Crouch lost to Ray Roberts & John Broad 3&2; Roger Poat & Phillip Singer beat Peter Ellam & Freddie French 2&1.

Cowdray seniors journeyed to Hayling Island’s testing links course, and despite strong winds and lightning-fast greens, they turned in one of their best away performances of the year in forcing a 4-4 draw.

With Hayling leading 3½-1½ it needed a Herculean effort for Cowdray to avoid defeat but fine wins from Brian Brockhurst and Barry Overington (2&1) and Brian Carpenter and Clive Strudwick (two up) levelled matters.

The final match ended all square to leave the overall result level.

Results: Paul Berry & John Newman lost to Mike Hughes-Narborough & Terry Trise 4&3; Dave Lucking & Terry Moran beat Andy Jackson & Keith O’Brien 2 up; Ian Heustice & Wally Mitchell lost to Brian le Marquer & Phil Bailey 2&1; Derek Smith & Keith Barker halved with Ray Stewart & Don Seddon; Peter Burton & Bill Hummerston lost to Barry Jones & Noel Edwards 4&3; Brian Brockhurst & Barry Overington beat John Jones & Brian Osborne 2&1; Brian Carpenter & Clive Strudwick beat David Clarke & Brian Carter 2 up; Gordon Kendall & Sam Howes halved with Edgar Houlson & Brian Edwards.

On a beautiful day, 17 teams of ladies and their professional golfers played in the tenth ladies pro am at Cowdray Park - the only event of its kind in Sussex.

The day was generously sponsored by The Spread Eagle and Budgens of Midhurst and officiated by the Sussex Professional Golfers’ Union.

Captain’s Crackers were the top team of the day with their pro Hannah Ralph and her team of Terry Hughes, Kay Nubbert and Jo Galway scoring 18 under par. Ralph and Ryan Fenwick shared the best pro score with an amazing 66.

The Birdies from Blackmoor came second with 14 under par and third with 13 under were the team from the West Sussex club. Fourth team prize went to Ryan Fenwick and his ladies from Slinfold and Cowdray with a score of 12 under. The raffle raised £236 for Macmillan Midhurst.

Other September competition winners at Cowdray Park: Bisque Par: Winner Margaret Tucker, plus 8, second Sally Williams plus 8; Smail Trophy: Winner Mandy Lucking 72 nett, second Solveig Burton 74; Rabbit Run: Winner Maureen Bailey 27, second Sandra Barber 26, third Margaret Tucker 26; MacMillan Stableford: Winner Jenny Nichols 36, second Angela Pike 35.

BOGNOR

Derek Dady, captain at Bognor GC, held a charity day on which a bogey-ball team competition attracted more than 100 members.

Results: 1 Norman Lee, Gez White, Chris Walsh & Martin Phillmore 132pts, 2 Wendy Johnson, Lyn Watson, Mark Watson & Craig Johnson 126, 3 Alistair Murray, Don McCloud, Mick Hornby & Trevor Ridges 125, 4 Andy Weir, Dan Keats, Leon Peace & Liam Maskell 124. Nearest the pins: 2nd hole – Rob Kissell; 5th – Frances Paine, 10th – Sheila Sargeant, 15th – Alistair Murray.

After the golf, Bognor Archery Club gave tuition to those interested and ran a competition. The Rotary Club, darts and a coconut shy also raised funds. The sum of £2,400 was raised for Chestnut Tree House children’s hospice.

The following day, the men’s invitation-to-ladies competition took place. Thirty-two couples took part in a game that consisted of six holes greensomes, six foursomes and six four-ball better-ball.

Results: 1 Val Robertson & Roy Payne 40pts, 2 Debbie Fenton & Chris Johnson 39, 3 Denise Duquemin & Alistair Murray 38 ocb. Best 4BBB: Georgina McCormack & Derek Dady 14pts; Best foursomes: Jane Russell & Ian Paine 13 ocb; Best greensomes: Jenny Bartlett & Mark Watson 16.

All of the knockout competitions have now been completed, with Jordan Vincent and Olly Longlands beating JJ Stephenson and Ian Paine, last year’s winners, in the Erleigh Foursomes, and Mike Oates and John Lampard winning against John Riseborough and Charles Mackendrick in the Winter Fourball competition.

Fifty-two veterans and ladies took part in a Texas Scramble. The winners were David Lewis-Bowen, Trevor Smallcorn, Marilyn Boyce and Muriel Linforth with 58¼. Ken Catt, Ken Soane, Dora Vaughan and Kim Mercer were second on 59¾. Third were John Adams, Albert Linforth, Eileen Morris and Joan Partridge on 60¾.

Sixteen juniors took part in the Jasmine Cup. The winner was Ryan Breach on 40 points, with Matt Wood second on 37 on countback from Jake Stoneham and Jordan Vincent.

The winner of the over-28s was Fraser Gamblin with 35 points. Nearest the pin winners were Mitchell Cane, George Bingham, Louis Harrison and Jake Stoneham.

Jordan Vincent and Tom Stoneham have been selected for the county under-16 squad, while Jake Stoneham’s assessment for the County under-12s is due in early October.

Bognor GC actively encourage boys and girls of all abilities into their membership scheme. Coaching and tuition take place throughout the year with regular competitions for those keen to take part. For further details, contact junior organiser Ian Stoneham on 01243 841241.

Seventy ladies competed in the autumn meeting medal for the Milbourne Cup. The Milbourne Cup was won by Jacqui Humphreys.

Results: Silver: Denise Pratt 71 nett, Dora Vaughan 72, Lynn Miller 73 ocb. Front nine: Angela Chandler 33, back nine: Bridget Samuels 34.5. Bronze A: Jacqui Humphreys 69; Lara Johnson 74,

Georgina McCormack 75 ocb. Front nine: Davina Rumsby 36.5, back nine: Erica Ellicott 35. Bronze B: Dianna Crook 74 ocb, Vanessa Cole 74, Sara Stoneham 77. Front nine: Barbara Evans 36, back nine: Cynthia Hall 37. Nearest the pin, 2nd: Sheila Sargeant; 5th: Jan Ostrom.

Aggregate Cup (best two gross scores from spring & autumn medals): Caroline Pilbeam 167.

AVISFORD PARK

The midweek Stableford was won by Tony Stansfield with 40 points, while the weekend Stableford was won by Bob West with the same score.

In the senior Stableford, division-one winner was Richard Strickland with 40 points and in division two, honours went to John Carter with 31.

On a charity day to end the outgoing captain’s reign, the winner was Victor Fowler with 44 points and in second place on countback was Nicholas Finneran with 44 points.

The total raised during the year was £1,228.67 which will go to St Barnabas Hospice.

The split sixes competition was won with 84 points by Carl Corbin, Nicholas Nolan and Paul Napier-Raikes. Second on countback were Kevin Lewis, Simon Small and Mark Stafford.