WORTHING COME BACK FROM THE BRINK

FAVOURITES Worthing Golf Club will play Littlehampton in the semi-finals on August 14. Last year's beaten finalists booked their place in the last four in Saturday's quarter-final tie at Willingdon. Coincidentally, Worthing's winning margin was the same as when the two clubs met at the same venue in last year's third round.

Unlike that match, when they lost all the foursomes, Worthing started the afternoon singles with a 2-1 deficit. This time, even despite then losing the first three singles to go 5-1 down, Worthing did not give their supporters as many anxious moments.

Remarkably, they made comparative light of achieving their tense task of all five knowing they had to win their last five singles matches to stay in the championship. Worthing's strength and depth were the key factors after Craig Newman, Scott Williams and Joe Doherty had all suffered defeats in the firstthree singles after lunch.

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Eric Reekie, Worthing's team manager, admitted: "I had hoped that we'd get two wins from the first four, but the last five did us proud by doing the business."

He was delighted with the result. With a note of caution in his voice, he afterwards sounded a warning to the other three semi-finalists: "I never like counting chickens '” especially after what happened in last year's final.

"What I do say is that on paper we're the strongest of the semi-finalists which is why we have every chance of going all the way."

One of the five under the final spotlight was 14-year old Darren Renwick who belied his youth with a 2&1 win against Jamie Gietzen.

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In the morning, Renwick and Keith Hale, unbeaten together in the previous rounds, had been Worthing's only foursomes winners.

"I was very pleased with the way I played and felt very relaxed throughout. The match really started to go my way at the ninth," Renwick commented.

At that point he was one up. Despite his drive landing in the bunker at the par-three, 187-yard 10th, Renwick increased his lead when his second shot left him with a solitary putt. At the par-four 377-yard 11th, Renwick again effectively showed his prowess at getting out of bunkers with his third shot. And again, he only needed one putt.

Even though the 12th was halved, Gietzen threatened a comeback with birdies on the 15th and 16th. But Renwick kept his nerve under pressure and won on the 17th green.

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Earlier, Newman had six birdies in a cracking match with Rod Hampson who had eight. Hampson eventually won 2up.

Williams looked bound for an early finish after being four up after the first five holes against Mark Hepburn. Hepburn found his touch and eagled the par-five, 513-yard eighth. His 2&1 victory also included four birdies.

Worthing wobbled further when Doherty lost 1up to Robert Williams. But captain Arwel Roberts started the recovery by beating Jack Hepburn 3&1. Renwick's sucess was followed by Steve Godley, who won 2up against Mark Wooten, with Dave Webb and Keith Hale accounting for Andy Theo and Charles Goodall.