Why golf is in very safe gloves at Bognor

A team of four – junior vice-captain Dan Hoare, Jordan Vincent, Tom Stoneham and Ryan Maskell – took part in the Team Tournament at West Sussex Golf Club, a Stableford.

Nine teams took part and West Sussex were the winners with 106 points. Bognor were second with 104.

Maskell’s three older brothers progressed through the juniors and are now playing off single-figure handicaps at Bognor. It would appear he is destined to emulate his brothers.

Ten-year-old Jake Stoneham played in the Sussex under-13 open and performed well enough to be offered a place in the county under-12 team next year.

Ian Stoneham, junior organiser at Bognor, arranged for a group of 16 to be taken to the Open at Sandwich. Despite the torrential rain and strong winds a great time was held by all.

Twelve juniors took part in their most recent competition, the Citeog Trophy, a three-clubs-and-putter Stableford.

The winner was 12-year-old George Bingham, playing off 27, with 44 points. His twin brother Scott was second. He also plays off 27 and scored 43.

Third was Jake Stoneham, handicap 28, with 39 points. Nearest the pin on the fifth was Ryan Breach and on the tenth was Mathew Kissell.

Meanwhile, the Wee Wonders championships have been well established as a major event in the junior golfing calendar for 15 years.

Two of Bognor’s ten-year-olds, Jake Stoneham and Megan Tinson (pictured on the back page with Fraser Gamblin), attended the regional qualifying event of the competition.

Megan won her category and is due to play in the Grand Final at St Andrews at the end of August, and from a field of 32 in the nine-ten age group, Jake came fifth.

He also attended the Lee Westwood Academy at Ascot for a three-day course with tuition, competition and assessment.

He won his age group and received a special golf bag. Westwood could not attend, but the juniors were treated to an hour’s exhibition by one of the world’s leading trick shot specialists Jeremy Dale.

Ten-year-old Fraser Gamblin, who joined Bognor recently from Littlehampton, progressed through the Saturday Academy and is now a member of the club’s juniors.

He has already attended the Lee Westwood Academy residential course at Oxford, where he won his age group category. Fraser attends Bishop Tufnell C of E Junior School in Felpham and lives in Felpham.

COWDRAY PARK

After rain washed out a trip to Hill Barn in Worthing, Cowdray Park seniors were pleased to return to competitive action at home to Pyecombe.

Following their recent away win on the downs at Pyecombe, Cowdray were keen to complete another home/away double.

The results of the first two matches provided a blow to the home side with the decisions going to Pyecombe and giving them a quick 2-0 lead.

But Cowdray seniors soon got back into the winning habit, securing wins in five of the last six matches and halving the other to secure another home victory. This was their 20th win from 21 home matches this season.

Outstanding win of the day came from David Heard and Sam Howes, who won 5&4.

Results (Cowdray names first): Roy Penrose & Allen Sibley lost to Ted Whitbourn & Martin Sutcliffe 4&3; John Smith & Chris Hoare lost to Aubrey Watson & Rex Perham 1 dn; John Doran & Alan Godfree beat Chris Muschamp & Tom Oliver 1 up; Bill Hummerston & John Friend halved with Richard Silander & Maurice Woolgar; Derek Smith & Wally Mitchell beat Martin Avis & Phil Copper 2&1; Peter Burton & Dave Tilley beat Sandy Saunders & Ray Abraham 3&2; David Heard & Sam Howes beat Stan Green & Ken Tompsett 5&4; Paul Berry & Trevor Edwards beat David Brown & Alf Bickham 4&3.

Cowdray seniors completed their fourth double of the season when they defeated a resilient Old Thorns side 3½-2½.

Match manager Brian Carpenter and Mike Hancock, both in form, eked out a win by one up, with Hancock scoring two birdies and a par around the turn to complete a comeback from two down.

Results: Brian Carpenter & Mike Hancock beat Peter Elsdon & Chris Grimes 1 up; Derek Smith & Mike King lost to Ian Joyner & Paul Baldwin 2&1; Graham Evans & Ken Newberry halved with Tony Davies & David Gerrard; John Doran & John Friend beat Martyn Boyce & Rob Minns 2 up; Dave Finn & Dave Imlach lost to Gordon McKay & Reg Mortimer 4&3; Ian Goodall & Alan Robinson beat Graham Heath & Bill Bunn 3&2.

Playing their much delayed Barham Salver final, Phil Harrison and Mike Hancock beat Trevor Edwards and Chris Harridge 3&2.

Edwards and Harridge failed to capitalise on their shots in the early part of the match and found themselves three down at halfway, due in no little way to Harrison’s deadly putting. They put up a better show in the second half but were held at bay by Harrison and Hancock’s fine combined play.

Right on cue, heavy rain fell as Cowdray Park seniors were about to set off for their monthly Stableford, with 68 completing the course.

The miserable conditions meant the early starters encountered the worst weather. This did not prevent the quality players recording excellent scores.

Two former club Captains, Phil Harrison and Harvey Terry, duelled for the lead. First back to the clubhouse was Harrison with 41 points (countback 21 points), which included an eagle two on the par-four fourth hole for a superb five points, which will advance his claims in the Eclectic.

Terry returned 41 points as well, but trumped Harrison with 22 points on countback.

Peter Clarke, inspired by his playing partner, scored 39 points for a share of fourth spot, his fourth top-six spot in recent months. Claiming third with 40 points was consistent Allen Sibley, who shoots to the top of the Carter Trophy listings, displacing Wally Mitchell. Sibley scored an eagle on the 13th.

Six-handicapper Dave Lucking tied with Clarke for fourth place to enhance his claims in the Eclectic and Carter Trophy.

The Help for Heroes fund benefitting by £132 from the raffle.

The August Medal at Cowdray attracted a very good entry of 97.

Division-one and overall winner was Richard Whitcomb with nett 66, division-two winner was Richard Smith (68) and division-three’s top performer was Ken Kyle (66).

The Midhurst, Holmes and Edwards cups were up for grabs in a 36-hole medal which attracted a field of 47 over two days.

The Midhurst Cup, a 36-hole handicap medal, was won by Paul Shepherd with nett 128 on countback from Shaun Pay.

The Holmes Cup, a 36-hole scratch medal, was taken by club captain Chris Dormer with 146 ahead of Stuart Probee with 147. The Edwards Cup, for the best 18 holes handicap medal, was won by Pay with nett 61 from Shepherd (62).

Cowdray ladies played for the Roberts Cup on a sunny but breezy day. The format of the competition was foursomes stableford played off seven-16ths handicap and the pairings were drawn with a high and low handicapper.

The winners, Tessa Stockwell and Sue Morris, had an amazing score of 39 points. The second pair of Angela Pike and Mary Morling came in with 32, as did Jenny Clegg and Imke Sanderson, third on countback.