Goodwood ace tops 2015 golf rankings

Goodwood’s Marco Penge won the Scottish amateur strokeplay title, making him England Golf’s top junior golfer in the boys’ section for 2015.
Marco PengeMarco Penge
Marco Penge

Penge’s highlights of 2015 included his wins in the Peter McEvoy Trophy and the Sir Henry Cooper Junior Masters, alongside his Scottish success. He was also in the winning GB&I boys’ team which defeated the Continent of Europe in the Jacques Leglise Trophy.

The 17-year-old was delighted to win the order of merit after playing a limited junior schedule. “I only played three boys’ events this year and I won two of them and reached the semi-finals in the other, which got me over the line to win the Order of Merit,” he said.

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“Winning this means a lot to me because a lot of great players, who have done a lot as professionals, have won this trophy.”

Looking ahead to 2016 he hopes to progress to break into the top 20 in the world amateur golf rankings, to play in the US amateur, to win another title, to make the Junior Ryder Cup team – and to always be in contention.

Leading final placings

Boys’ Order of Merit

1 Marco Penge (Golf at Goodwood) 98475

2 Bradley Moore (Kedleston Park) 89623

3 Billy Spooner (Boston) 42330

4 Nathan Fell (Lindrick) 38253

5 Jordan Sundborg (Shanklin & Sandown) 31055

Junior members were given the chance to showcase their golfing prowess when they came up against Goodwood’s team of PGA professional and other members of the team in the annual staff-versus-juniors match.

The highly-anticipated match took place on the championship Park course with sunshine and fair weather conditions allowing for some impressive golf.

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The teams played four-ball better ball from three-quarters handicap.

Leading the Goodwood staff team out, Oliver Turnill and George Hannah shot a better-ball score of eight under par to win their match 4&2. Huge credit should go to the impressive junior pairing of Charlie Parsons and Joe Sykes for taking them to the 16th.

The match between staff members Lee Campany and Mark Wycherley and Peter Davies and Max Herring went down to the wire with the staff pair winning on the last.

Alfie Simpson and Johno Beadles, representing the junior team, came up against in-form pair of Jack Taylor and Matt Baker who won 6&5.

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The last junior pair of Drew Sykes & Joshua McCartain led for most of the round before a spectacular fight-back by Graham Durrell and Jeremy Beadles who took the match down the last and under pressure scored a good half with the youngest pair.

The final score was Goodwood staff 3 ½ - Goodwood Juniors ½ with everyone enjoying some good golf in the Autumn sun. Congratulations to the Goodwood staff team.

Hannah, golf events co-ordinator and PGA professional, said: “This event is a great opportunity for the Golf At Goodwood staff to get to know the junior members in a more relaxed yet competitive environment.

“It is really good match practice for the junior squad to pick up a few hints and tips on matchplay tactics from an older generation who have all been there and got the T-shirt.

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“We have a superb group of juniors here and really do try and support where we can. A huge thank-you must go to our junior organiser – Jeremy Beadles for all his help and support.”

COWDRAY PARK

Cowdray Park seniors held their annual contest between those aged 71 and under and the 72-and-overs for the Jimmy Thompson Trophy.

They played four-ball better-ball format and in order to take into account the age gap, the unders played from the white tees while the overs teed off from the yellows.

Conditions were far from ideal, being wet under foot, with a strong wind and the rain never far away.

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The over-72s won by 19 points to the unders’ total of 11. The winners’ captain Dave Hirons congratulated his side and attributed the win to experience and guile over the brash enthusiasm of youth.

Shot of the day came from Graham Thompson on the par-four 15th, when he holed his shot from the rough for a birdie. Individual prizes were awarded for nearest-the-pin drives on the four par threes – on the third, Martin Lester; the ninth, Dave Lucking; 11th, Tony Castley, whose shot pitched inches from the hole, the 17th Phil Harrison.

Results (winning pairs and margin): 71 & unders - Allen Sibley & Sam Howes (2), Ian Heustice & John Renwick (1), Brian Carpenter & Robin Phillips (3), John Sexton & Graham Thompson (3), Terry Adsett & Dave Lucking (2); 72 & overs; Mike Burgess & Pat Bonner (5), Dave Hirons & Terry Jasper (6), Pat Harrison & John Sanderson (1), Peter Hallt & Mike King (2), Martin Lester & David Tilley (1), John Durrell & Jim Booth (1), Neville Gibbons & Ralph Fanshawe (2), Frank Cheevers & Ken Young (1).

Forty ladies enjoyed playing a Texas scramble at Cowdray. This is a four-ball team game scored as a Stableford and played off a tenth of the team’s combined handicap allowance. Each player must have three tee shots selected.

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The winners were Tessa Stockwell, Sally Williams, Jenny Nichols and Chris Sommerville with an amazing score of 42 points.

Second were Solveig Burton, Joyce Fanshawe, Georgie Miller and Linda Doney on 37; third, Wendy Street, Brenda Rees, Marnie Evans and Helen Chapman on 36.

Cowdray Park held their monthly medal in foggy conditions, with visibility down to about 100 yards. For the big hitters it was difficult to follow the path of the ball when it disappeared from sight into the mist.

As if to prove the problems of the day, the standard scratch score increased to 71.

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Winner of division one, with a score of 68 on countback, was next year’s vice-captain Mark Jasper, beating Scott Evans, who has had a tremendous year incurring yet another handicap reduction to eight.

Tied for third on 69 were Martin Milward and Todd White, while last month’s winner John Doran and Matt Hill followed on 70.

The same scenario was repeated in division two, with Richard Whitcomb winning with 68 on countback from Justin Thorpe. William Yates was third on 69 and Dave Hayward fourth on 70, all players earning handicap reductions.

Division three had the overall winner, Chris Jenkins returning the day’s lowest score of 67, earning the usual handicap reduction and a further one-shot penalty for exceptional performance. Second place went to Ben Leah with 68 from Steve Hathaway on 70. Octogenarian Denis Stillwell continued to roll back the years with a score of 74 and sixth spot.

CHICHESTER

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The forecast rain didn’t arrive and it turned out to be a beautiful day for new Chichester veterans’ captain Jim Robertson’s drive-in.

It was a masterclass of shots as a searing pitching wedge went further than the seven-iron while the driver just managed to be the longest of his three shots.

Jim gave explanations to the gathered throng of how he managed to play each shot and all were suitably unimpressed. But it was all for a good cause and with the help of a raffle, more than £300 was raised for Jim’s charity .

The competition also proved a masterclass from Brian Melbourn – this after dipping his clubs, bag and trolley into the rife on the first hole.

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The bag wash obviously worked and after drying himself down he continued his fine round to score 39 points and beat Don Hagell on countback.

Also just behind was Phil Couchman who recorded his first hole in one for five points on the sixth hole. All congratulated Phil and thanked him for their drinks.

Skipper Jim thanked everyone for their support.

Result - overall winner Brian Melbourn 39pts; Div 1 - 2nd Phil Couchman 38; 3rd Ken Jackson 37; 4th Don Pattison 37; 5th John Styles 36; Div 2 Winner Don Hagell 39; 2nd Bill Dunstone 38; 3rd Paul Hills 35; 4th Nigel Wood 34; 5th David Cousins 32.

BOGNOR

Movember golfing events are new to the club and they are raising money for Prostate Cancer UK. Organisers were delighted 100 players took to the course to support the event.

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Club captain Simon Watts invited a few teams from neighbouring clubs and had unwittingly invited the winners as a team from Lee-on-the-Solent took the honours with a remarkable nett medal score of 56.8.

The moustachioed Hair Suit team finished on 57.4 and Leo’s Lions ended on 57.5. Watts’ own team were well in contention until they all failed to hole from 12ft on holes 16 and 17 and finished on 58.9. A magnificent £640 is in the bag already, even before the second event at the end of the month. Additional shots are on offer for fine growth on the top lip. The second event is to be played on November 28 and there is room for more teams.

Bognor Seniors held their last major of the year. It is a double competition where all individuals enter the Poppy Day competition and members who were in one of the armed forces play for that team.

On a very wet and windy day more than 30 players took part. The winning service team was The Army, with Peter McCormack taking the trophy on behalf of the team. Chris Hickling, seniors’ vice-captain, presented the prizes. A huge thank-you went to Frank Hodder who has organised this event for past three years.

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Results: Highest Royal Navy scorer Malcolm Dodds 39pts; Highest Army scorer Brian Wolstencroft 36, Highest RAF scorer Ken Catt 33.

In the Poppy Day competition, Malcolm Dodds won with 39 ahead of Brian Wolstencroft with 36 and third was Keith Simpson on 35. Fourth on countback was David Turner. There were also closest-the-pins prizes for Mike Oates, Steve King and Hugh Diaper.

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