Football friendship is renewed on the golf course

Bognor hosted friendly rivals Cowdray and it went down to the last pairing, in which Cowdray just nudged ahead to win the match 5-3.
Jim Catt and Tony Castley meet again at Bognor GCJim Catt and Tony Castley meet again at Bognor GC
Jim Catt and Tony Castley meet again at Bognor GC

The opening match featured Bognor seniors’ captain Jim Catt and Cowdray’s match captain Tony Castley, who played football together nearly 50 years ago.

Along with partner Phil Harrison, Tony Castley helped the pairing to an early lead before they were pegged back by the ninth. At this point Catt and David Turner took over and won three consecutive holes and although the Cowdray pair put up some resistance, Bognor’s duo ran out winners by 4&2.

Cowdray went on to win the next four pairs.

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The steady and accurate play of Pat Harrison, allied to the big hitting of Peter Laws, saw the visitors home by 3&2, before the closest finish of the day saw Ken Marjoram and Graham Evans edge home by one up.

George Crouch and John Durrell increased Cowdray’s lead with a 2&1 win, before Dave Gaff and Peter Hallt completed the biggest win of the day, 5&3.

The home side fought back with two wins to make the score 4-3 before Cowdray’s final pair of Wally Mitchell and Mark Kelly brought home the bacon.

Credit to both teams as the rain did not stop over the four hours and all 32 players stayed out to the very end – before finding their reward in the form of a serving of steak and ale pie.

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Results (Cowdray names first): Tony Castley & Phil Harrison lost to Jim Catt & David Turner 4&2; Peter Laws & Pat Harrison beat Frank Hodder & Barry Vanstone 3&2; Ken Marjoram & Graham Evans beat Andy Isitt & Brian Wokstencroft 1up; George Crouch & John Durrell beat Allan Delves & Alastair MacDonald 2&1; Dave Gaff & Peter Hallt beat Steve King & Bob Lee 5&3; Colin Tebbutt & John Smith lost to John Chapman & Barry Appleby 2&1; Mike Hughes & Barry Overington lost to Mike Matthews & Chris Hickling 3&2; Wally Mitchell & Mark Kelly beat Clive Millett & Peter Collins 2&1.

The Bognor Cyril Blake Team had a great 3-1 win at the difficult West Hove course.

Conditions were excellent and good scores were set by most pairs. Bognor now have a home draw against East Sussex National on Monday, June 6.

Results: David Hicks & Ian Hendry won 2 up against Raoul Ellis & Greg Ash, Simon Bennett & Barry O’Brien lost 1 down to Paul Northam & Tim Ingram, Chris Jenkinson & Roland Heath won 5&4 against Peter Rodger & Gordon Eaton, Ron Stevens & Simon Watt won 3&2 against Kevin & Cliff Woolley

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The opening fixtures of the Wednesday Evening League, a five-way competition played on a home and away basis, featuring Bognor, Worthing, Littlehampton, Ham Manor and Cowdray Park, were played. Bognor lost 3½-1½ at home to Worthing, but it ws a very tight contest which could have gone either way.

Results: Peter Stoneham & Richard Beresford lost 3&2, John Cable & Richard Perry won 2&1, Ian Hendry & Dave Chalmers halved, Simon Watts & Phil Hawkes lost 2&1 and Rob Redmond & Rob Comins lost 2&1.

Bognor seniors played their Fletcher round two, also known as the Reg Pain Cup, in summer weather and 66 players played in the Stableford.

Overall winner was David Chalmers with 42 points. The day before, he had a lesson from club pro Matthew Kirby, which obviously paid dividends.

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Results: 1 David Chalmers 42, 2 Stuart English 41, 3 Peter Selby 40. Division orizes – Div 1 - Frank Hodder 40, Div 2 Roger Selway 40, Div 3 Horace Roberts 37.

Bognor seniors visited The Dyke and came away with an excellent 5-3 win. The course was in fine condition and it was a win to savour as they rarely win at the demanding venue.

Results: David Turner & Trevor Till won 3&2 against Richard Dyson & Richard Stewart, Barry Appleby & Frank Hodder won 3&2 against David Rose & Mervin Allinson, Jim Stephenson & Allan Delves won 3&2 against Tom O’Donovan & Alan Munro, Bryan Madgwick & Tony Wells won 3&2 against Brian Lock & Roger Straker, John Woodhead & Mike Wadley lost 3&1 to Peter Faulkner & David Barnett, Barry Vanstone & Clive Millett lost 4&3 against Gerry Greensmith & Ray Dennett, Peter Brookshaw & Ken Catt lost 4&3 to Cliff Stuart & Julian Woolfe, Ian Bright & Mike Oates won 2&1 against Tom Bishop & David Johnson.

Bognor’s second club match was home to Singing Hills, whose seniors are known as The Huntsmen. Bognor ran out 6-2 winners.

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Results: Barry Ingate & Jim Catt lost 2&1 to Derek Webster & Ivor Edwards, Jim Stephenson & Terry Kuhler won 4&3 against Richard Godley & Tony Sandford, Bob Lee & Trevor Till won 1 up against Tony Truscott & Gerry Ixer, Malcolm Dodds & David Turner won 3&2 against Norman Carter & Mick Chalcraft, Mike Oates & Peter Collins won 3&1 against Chris Adams & Keith Gray, Frank Hodder & Andy Isitt lost 1 down to Barry Sowton & John Conway, Allan Delves & Mick Matthews won 6&5 against Tim Tennant & David Coldwell, Richard Kaemena & Clive Millett won 3&1 against Paul Manklow & Ian Thomson.

Bognor’s Birchwood team lost 3-2 at home to Crowborough Beacon.

All games went to the 17th or 18th hole so it was a very close encounter. The Birchwood team go into the plate competition and will play away at Highwoods on Saturday, May 28.

Tom Stoneham won a Stableford with 39 points, beating Mick Martin on countback. Stoneham had a hole-in-one on the second hole. A Hugo Boss watch is on its way to him.

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Results: Div 1 - Tom Stoneham 39pts, 2 Mick Martin on countback; Div 2 - Michael Garrigan 37, 2 Paul Brennan 37; Div 3 - Nick Longlands 37, 2 Matt Nelmes 34.

Bognor seniors’ good run came crashing down with close defeats to Petersfield and Cowdray Park.

At Petersfield, the match was very close with the decider going down to the last pair. Petersfield won it to clinch a 5-3 victory.

Results: Allan Delves & Rihard Perry lost 5&4, Richard Beresford & Barry Vanstone won 3&2, Mike Oates & Mike Matthews lost 3*2, Chris Hickling & Rob Walker won 1 up, Mike Watts & Roger Selway lost 3&2, Hugh Diaper & David Turner won 2 up, John Woohead & Ken Catt lost 2&1, Gary Steventon & Clive Millett lost 3&2.

COWDRAY PARK

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The heavy overnight rain took the sting out of the course by the time Cowdray Park seniors took to the tee for their monthly Stableford. Scoring was lower than normal, with only five twos recorded by the field of 80.

Early starters dominated the finishing positions with John Newman, out first, returning with 39 points for the runners-up spot in division one.

Wally Mitchell scored 37 to win division two on countback from Peter Burton. Very soon the overall winner appeared, when the powerful hitting Peter Laws made short shrift of the conditions to register the winning score of 40 points and earn a handicap reduction.

Along with Newman, Mitchell and Burton, he has earned a place in the end-of-the-season seniors’ championship. A new name on the leaderboard in division two came in the shape of Arthur Mayson on 36 points, finally gaining a position his recent performances deserved. On the same figure were the consistent Mel Milburn and Alan Robinson.

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Leading scores: Div 1 - 40 Peter Laws; 39 John Newman; 37 Dave Hirons; 36 Peter Hallt, Mike Briant. Div 2 - 37 Wally Mitchell, Peter Burton; 36 Arthur Mayson, Mel Milburn, Alan Robinson. Twos- Dave Gaff (3rd), Pat Harrison (17th), Wally Mitchell (3rd), Ian Gunn (11th), Paul Chater (3rd).

* Seniors’ captain Derek Smith has had a major spinal operation and members were pleased to learn he had come through the procedure successfully – but he will be out of action for many months.

Cowdray ladies and their guests enjoyed a lovely sunny day for their invitation. The format was four-ball betterball.

The day was organised by Caroline Haynes and Solveig Burton.

A two-course meal was served before the prizegiving.

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Results: 1 Tessa Stockwell and guest Iona McKean from Cottesmore 41pts; 2 Solveig Burton and Paula Carver from Worthing 41; 3 Sandy Barnett and guest Kim Rogers from Cranleigh 40; 4 Jo Fife and guest Anna Tyrell from West Surrey 39; 5 Lil Cummins and guest Sang Porter from Chichester 38; 6 Leo Crouch and guest Linda Rivett from Cranleigh 38. Nearest the pin on 11th, guests: Sue Jacques, St George’s Hill; Nearest pin on 9th, members: Myrna Heustice; Nearest the line on the 5th: Chris Somerville from Cowdray. Winners of the twos competition: Sang Porter, Lil Cummins, Alison Ireland and Sue Morris.

GOODWOOD

England’s Marco Penge was just pipped in the French men’s international amateur championship when he lost a title play-off on the second extra hole in heavy rain at Chantilly.

The honours went to Ivan Cantero of Spain but Penge, who holed a 50-footer to birdie 18 and get in the play-off, said: “It’s a learning curve for me. I gave it a good go and tried my best. This time it wasn’t enough, but next time, you never know.

“I’ve had good start to the year and I’m really happy with the way I’m playing and looking forward to the St Andrews Links Trophy.”

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Penge has proven good form north of the border, having previously won the 2015 Scottish men’s open stroke play.

He was five-under par and leading the French championship after 36 holes, surging to the top of the leaderboard with a second round of five-under 66, which included an eagle and five birdies. But the third round was washed out by heavy rain and the championship reduced to 54 holes.

When play resumed, Penge had to play through heavy rain on his final nine holes, losing at least one shot to the bad weather when he had to putt through puddles.

“I wasn’t happy with that, but the putt on the last gave it back to me,” he remarked, after holing the monster putt for a level par last round – and five-under overall.

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The Chantilly green staff made a tremendous effort to prepare one hole for the play-off, the short 16th. The green was squeegeed and the bunkers were pumped out and, first time round, both players halved in three. Cantero also managed another three at the second attempt to win the championship and the Coupe Murat.

England Golf’s men’s performance manager Steve Burnett watched the final round and commented: “This is a really good result for Marco in a very strong field.”

Europe’s No1-ranked amateur Marco Penge led the charge as Goodwood beat Bognor in the second round of the Oliver Trophy inter-club scratch matchplay championship.

Goodwood hosted a confident Bognor team consisting of some young guns and experienced veteran campaigners on a bright and breezy day on the Downs course.

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Goodwood ambassador Penge, who was having the weekend off from England as it was his 18th birthday the following day, and Stuart Gillett got things off to a strong start for Goodwood winning 5&4.

James Browne and 2015 Goodwood junior club champion Leonardo Ruggieri fared even better winning 6&5.

Andy Brown, Goodwood’s head greenkeeper for the Downs course and Bognor’s team captain, and partner Jordan Vincent won 4&3, leaving Goodwood club champion Dave Porter and Nick Tull to win a close match on the final hole one up to help Goodwood to a 3-1 lead at lunchtime.

The afternoon’s singles were played in benign conditions and Bognor staged a decent fightback winning 3½ points in the session.

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For Bognor, Jack Taylor got a half, Jordan Vincent came from five down to gain a half, Andy Brown came from one down for half a point. Liam Maskell lost out to Penge but young Jake Stoneham won 2&1 while James Maclean kept up his brilliant singles record as he recorded another victory on the 18th hole.

But wins for Goodwood’s Penge, Porter and Tull added to half points secured by Dyson, Browne and Ruggieri, giving Goodwood a 7½-4½ overall win.

Bognor GC bosses thanked the team for their efforts.

Goodwood will travel to play Littlehampton in the third round on Saturday, May 28, when Bognor visit Lewes in the plate.

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