Golf: Year of charity challenges off to a flying start

Cowdray Park seniors' captain Allen Sibley joined forces with vice-captain Brian Brockhurst for the first of their challenges from members of the seniors' section to raise money for charity.
Allen,Brocky,Ray & AlanAllen,Brocky,Ray & Alan
Allen,Brocky,Ray & Alan

First up this year were Alan Godfree and veteran Ray Dowse, who were successful in last year’s challenge by 5&4 and hopeful of another win this year.

At the completion of nine holes it looked like they might repeat their success of last year as they were three up. But this year’s captains’ duo are made of sterner stuff and gradually whittled away at the lead, and by the 17th had taken a one-hole lead over the challengers.

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On the 18th hole, the Godfree/Dowse pairing were both on the green in two while Sibley was out of it and Brockhurst was in a greenside bunker. The vice-captain duly ventured out of the bunker and just on to the green in three, then holed a 30ft par putt for a par which the opposition could only equal.

So it is first blood to the captains this year but they have some even stronger pairings to face this year.

The Mary How Trust is the real winner as any losing pairing have to pay £5 each.

choice of three pix - mike mike bill

n Eighty-one took part in the Cowdray Park seniors’ March Stableford with continual drizzle making conditions unpleasant.

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Following heavy overnight rain some greens had retained the water for a time and players had to move their ball to avoid surface water. Despite this the overall level of scoring was good.

Out early was big-hitting Mike Burgess, who found the damp conditions and receptive greens to his taste as he registered his best score for some time. He returned the best score of the day - 40 points - to win the competition and earn his place in the end-of-year seniors’ championship. He also posted twos on the third and 17th.

Last month’s winner, Tony Castley, finished with a burst of three pars to obtain a respectable score and enhance his Eclectic Trophy standing. Pat Harrison is making his way back from a serious operation and also recorded his best score for some time, 38 points, to come joint second in division one. Rodney Fisher followed with 37 points, a due reward for his consistency.

Shortly after came the score which brought a warm glow to the whole of the seniors’ section, Clive Strudwick with 38 points. This was his best score for more than four years and gave him second place in division two and a place in the championship. He has been bedevilled by injuries and self-doubt in recent months but a good break during the bad weather has restored his game.

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Two single-figure handicappers playing together, John Doran and Paul Owen, inspired each other to birdie the long par-five eighth hole and improve their Ecelctic scores. Doran reached the green in two and two putted, while Owen putted in from the back of the green, with the ball hitting the pin at a rate of knots and dropping in the hole.

Cardiologist Bill Brownlee, recently a member of the winning Texas Scramble team, came in with the top score in division two, 39 points, but suffered a heart-stopping moment when Geoff Partington returned the same score but with a better back nine. However it was discovered that Partington’s handicap was inactive and therefore his score was excluded from the competition. Mike King came in late in the day to claim second place in division one from Roger Poat and Pat Harrison and claim his place in the championship.

New members welcomed into the section this month were Steve Tkaczynski (re-joined), Joe Berzak, Graham Sutton and S Carter.

Forty-two Cowdray ladies played in the four-ball betterball hidden hole competition on a lovely sunny day.

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Results: Mandy Lucking & Marilyn Davis/Lil Cummins & Judy Stillwell 70pts; Frances Marjoram & Debbie Cheasley/Marni Evans & Helen Chapman 70; Ann Tyrrell & Cath Yates/Caroline Haynes & Barbara Parker 69; June Page & Glenda Luff/Terry Hughes & Pat Wallace 65; Sue Brown & Sally Williams/Susie Brockhurst & Sue Morris 64; Gaynor Dudman & Anne Laver/ynda Doney & Janice Leath 62; Janet Poat & Sue Melville/Polly Davenport & Jill Parry 62.

n The title race for the Surrey & West Sussex Winter League is hotting up.

Reigning champions Puttenham entertained Cowdray Park, the only team to have beaten them this season, 3½-½ at Cowdray, but were beaten again by the visitors by 3-1, leaving both sides still entertaining hopes of landing the title.

Cowdray’s stunning victory at Puttenham came about despite the fact the visitors had to concede shots to each of the home pairs.

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Cowdray team captain Dave Balfour and partner Phil Cummins gave their side the perfect start with a two-up victory and the lead was immediately doubled in match two by Harvey Terry and Jan de Vries who won by 3&1.

The visitors were jolted by a one-up win in match three for the home side. All hinged on the final match and Cowdray’s John Doran and Roger Poat held their nerve to win 2&1 to give their side a 3-1 win.

Scores (Cowdray names first): Dave Balfour & Phil Cummins beat David Deacon & Bob Symes 2 up; Harvey Terry & Jan de Vries beat Barry Mackay & Roy Wyeth 3&1; Paul Owen & Phil Harrison lost to Malcolm Holland & Peter Bugdale 1 dn; John Doran & Roger Poat beat Malcolm Jeffery & John Barkaway 2&1.

BOGNOR

The 2013 captain’s drive-In competition took place on a very pleasant but cold Sunday. The competition was a fourball better-ball event played off three-quarters handicap.

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In the men’s competition in third place were Mike Oates and John Lampard with 40 points. In second place were Simon

Gear and Gary Embleton with 42 and the winners were Norman Lee and Cameron Lang with 43.

The ladies’ competition was won by Bridget Samuels and Suzanne Taylor with 42 points.

The nearest the pins were won on the second hole by Tom Lea, on ther fifth (ladies only) by Penny Entecott and on the tenth by Steve Reddick. Nearest the pin in two on the third was Ian Stoneham.

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n The new season at Bognor Regis GC got well under way when 72 members took part in the seniors’ supper four-ball better-ball competition playing off three-quarters handicap.

The winners were Frank Hodder and Trevor Till with 41 points on countback from Alan Burrage and Derek Dady and third-placed Taff Coulton and Mike Oates.

David Turner and Barry Vanstone were fourth on 40. Barry Appleby and Michael White were fifth on 39 on countback from Roland Heath and Brian Wolstencroft and David Chalmers and Peter Lea were seventh.

The Bognor ladies have been very active, enjoying the better weather. Thirty-four took part in a medal competition.

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The winner of the silver division was Denise Pratt on 75, while Sue Crossen was second on 77. Chris Puddicomb was the winner in bronze A on 79 ahead of Georgina McCormack on 81.

Sally Cameron had a great result winning bronze B on 69. Her handicap has been reduced by three. Barbara Evans was second on 82, with Brigitta Paul third on 85. Anne Coupe was the winning vet on 85

On a bright warm day, 54 ladies played in a Stableford. Penny Entecott won the silver division with 34 points on countback from from Berit Smallcorn. Third was Wendy Johnson on 33.

The ladies’ captain Edwina Berisford won bronze A with 37 points. Kay Walker was second on 35 with Shiela Hendrick third on 32. Bronze B was won by Hilary Reilly with 28 on countback from Jan Ireland. Barbara Evans was third on 26. Maleta Moore was the winning vet with 29 on countback from Pauline Littlejohns. Davina Rumsby was third on 27.

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It has been a great start to the season for 11-year-old Jake Stoneham. Ten took part in the Junior Members’ Cup, a Stableford.

Stoneham, who plays off 16, was the winner with 45 points. Jack Taylor was second on 39, with Max Littleboy third on 38.

Jordan Vincent was nearest the pin on the fifth, Jack Taylor on the 15th. Jake won the Lumpy Trophy, a medal competition, with nett 65. A field of 14 took part and Megan Tinson was second on 71.

Last years club champion Jordan Vincent, who plays off two, was third on 72 and was nearest the pin on the tenth.

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Ryan Maskell was nearest at the fifth. The course was playing a little short because of the conditions so there were no handicap reductions.

GOODWOOD

Twenty of England’s most talented young amateur golfers attended a four-day training programme at Goodwood under the supervision of the club’s PGA professional Ryan Fenwick.

The England Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence squad is an educational programme for 16-19-year-olds who have the potential to achieve excellence in their chosen sport and aim to perform at the highest level as their main career goal.

Fenwick, a regional EGU England and Sussex coach, was joined by a golf fitness coach and physiotherapist who gave each player a physical screening and created a tailored training programme for each golfer.

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The players also received the expertise of a mind coach learning how to deal with nerves under pressure and adversity when a round is not going to plan.

Fenwick said: “The AASE golf programme is a two-year elite athlete development initiative designed to support young, talented, male and female athletes in achieving their maximum potential in the sport and we were delighted to host them at Golf At Goodwood.”

All players played on the award-winning championship Downs course each day, with golf coaches observing play and offering advice on course management including shot selection, how to use a yardage book effectively, mapping greens, awkward lies and how to record effective stats.

James Lelliott, who attended the coaching programme, said: “Without places like Golf At Goodwood getting high quality pre-season training would not be possible. The tuition and skills learnt were fantastic and the squad really gelled over the four-day course.”

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Golf At Goodwood’s sporting excellence continues to go from strength to strength with the recent appointment of Fenwick to the post of Sussex girls’ coach and a thriving junior membership of more than 60 golfers in the Junior Academy.

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