Golf: Chichester golfers have good courtesy - and good form

This is a big achievement – it is the first time a division-three team have reached this stage. It’s a very exciting occasion for the squad of Lynn Plowman, Heddie Straw, Fiona Walsh, Beverley Seymour, Terry Payne, Marilyn Forward, Vron Bicknelle, Erica Ellicott, Val Swain and Sue Bond. They have played with much determination under the encouraging captaincy of Walsh.

In the concluding group matches, although they lost 5-2 to Ham Manor, the team went on to win 5-2 against Littlehampton and this carried them through to meet Pycombe in the quarter-finals. The match was played on neutral ground at Ifield and Chichester again secured a convincing 5-2 win. They will face West Sussex in the semi-final.

Chichester’s division-one team also made it to the quarter-final stage after two very fine wins against East Brighton, 6-1 at home and 7-0 away.

They will now play The Dyke at Mannings Heath.

Sang Porter, Kathy Donohoe (captain), Elaine Fell, Rachel Greenland, Lisa Michelmore, Caroline Hawkes, Helen Ball and Mary Lou Litton have all played well in some tough matches.

In a friendly against Bognor, Chichester Ladies won 3-1. Sue Ward, Mo Davison, Heddie Straw, Keeley Poole, Pam Hart, Christine Harper, Angela Perkins and Jackie Heard played in pairs. Sue stepped in as captain for the day and Keeley parred five holes.

In the Kathleen Rider county competition, Lisa Michelmore, Jennifer Sherwood, Sang Porter and Lisa Jackson finished a creditable 14th out of 51 clubs.

Meanwhile Fiona Walsh and Caroline Hawkes have qualified for the Coronation Foursomes area final. Sang Porter and Kathy Donohoe won the Guildford Open with a fantastic 40 points.

The ladies’ section’s club champion for this year is Kathy Donohoe, who won by seven shots, and the handicap prize went to Mary Lou Litton.

This is played over 36 holes on one day, so lots of stamina is needed.

In the annual Courtesy Cup against the men, the ladies retained the cup by holding the men to a draw. Playing for the ladies were Caroline Hawkes, Mary Lou Litton, Kathy Donohoe, Lisa Michelmore, Jennifer Sherwood, Helen Ball, Fiona Walsh, Keeley Poole and Jackie Heard.

Some matches were very close and the result was determined by a dramatic final putt on the 18th.

COWDRAY PARK

After a good run of results recently, Cowdray seniors travelled to face the tough Cathedral course at Chichester in good spirits – but they ended up losing 6-1.

Conditions were extreme with near gale-force winds, hard fairways and slow greens making life tough for the players, but the home players seemed better able to cope with conditions.

Cowdray match manager Tony Castley and big-hitting Peter Laws fought back from three down against an in-form Chris Penny and Chichester vets’ captain Bev Shrives-Wrist, only to lose out by one hole on the final green when Peter Laws’ putt hovered over the hole but refused to drop.

Phil Harrison, giving away a lot of shots, partnered Eric Bounton to a narrow 2&1 loss. Colin Tebbutt and Colin West lost on the last hole by one down to two very tough competitors.

Cowdray’s sole success came courtesy of former Chichester member David Imlach and experienced George Crouch, who battled round to win by two up to save the visitors from a whitewash.

Results (Chichester names first): Bev Shrives-Wright & Chris Penny beat Tony Castley & Peter Laws 1up; Dave Monkton & Mike Arthur beat Phil Harrison & Eric Bounton 2&1; Gordon Williams & David Galloway beat Peter Burton & Pat Harrison 3&2; Paul Compton & David Blythe beat David Tilley & Mike Nobes 4&2; John Styles & Chris Page beat Peter Hallt & MIke King 3&2; David Guest & Peter Green beat Colin Tebbutt & Colin West 1up; Roy Chandler & Charlie Duffie lost to David Imlach & George Crouch 2dn.

Cowdray Park held the first round of the Vets’ Cup for the over-55s. It was played under Stableford format from the white tees and with the top 24 players qualifying for the second and final round, with both scores being combined to determine the winner.

Having recorded 38 points in the July Stableford, Maurice Watts came and repeated that score on the longer course to take the first round lead from Terry Jasper (37) and Peter Laws (36).

All three players will tee off together as last group out, but there is danger all around them with the quality of player in touch. One man who was smiling at the end of the day was big-hitting Mike Burgess, whose game is ideally suited to the extra distance of the white tees.

He was the only player in the field to record a two and swept a very healthy jackpot.

Leading 15 scorers: Maurice Watts,Terry Jasper, Peter Laws, David Tilley, David Heard, Harvey Terry, Terry Adsett, Roger Poat, Mick Folkes, John E Smith, Peter Hallt, Tony Castley, Mel Milburn, Mike Burgess, Jon Fife.

A total of 108 ladies came from far and wide to play in Cowdray Park’s annual ladies open. Fortunately all had completed their game – and some cake – before the heavens opened.

Prizegiving followed a summer buffet. The team from Pyecombe were the winners.

Results: 1 Angie Bainbridge, Jan Brittin, Jan Hellings & Lesley Fallowfield (Pyecombe) 88pts; 2 Pauline Lavington, Jenny Black, Lynsey Wellman & Cath Reade (Worthing) 84; 3 Joanne Fawthrop, Jeanette Fleming, Wendy Bevan & Helen Sheridan 82 (Puttenham/Camberley); 4 Irene Pattinson, Mo Palmer, Christine Ryan & Martha Ivory (Cranleigh) 82; 5 Sarah Cooper-Olsen, Anya Olsen, Wendy Shergold & Charlotte Laurie (Worthing) 81; 6 Haley McCartney, Janine Ryall, Tracy Turner & Grace Man (Haywards Heath) 80.

Cowdray ladies also played in the Bannister Cup. The winner was Leo Crouch and the runner-up was Mags Curwood.

BOGNOR

Throughout the season Bognor ladies’ division-one team played home and away against Copthorne, Ifield, Piltdown and West Sussex. After some pleasing results, they secured a place in the quarter-finals, held recently at Mannings Heath Golf Club, where they were drawn against Pyecombe, last year’s title holders.

All the players set off in glorious sunshine and high temperatures and, after some very close tussles, Bognor emerged victorious by a margin of 5-2.

The team comprised Chloe Court, Heather Tidy, Suzanne Taylor, Gill Harries, Sian Southerton, Caroline Pilbeam and Bridget Samuels. They take on Worthing in the semi-finals at Littlehampton on August 4.

Club captain Simon Watts fulfilled a long-standing ambition when he and Bognor members took golf into Downview Primary School.

Professional Matt Kirby, lady vice-captain Berit Smallcorn and last year’s lady captain Nicki Vincent took Golf Foundation’s tri-golf equipment and lots of other flags, targets and cut-down clubs on to the school playing field for the afternoon.

About 50 Year 5 children were introduced to the game as Kirby put groups of eight through their paces with golfers’ assistance. All went home with a note about the club and members hope they may have inspired a few to go and have a free session with Kirby during the school summer holidays. The club hope to make visits to the school a regular event.

Bognor held the team invitational, where teams of six from clubs around Sussex and Hampshire are invited to the course. All Bognor players lose a shot from their handicaps to even up home advantage and five out of six scores count towards the final total.

This year the home team comprised Simon Watts, Alistair Murray, Ron Stevens, Ian Stoneham, Andy Frankling and James Maclean. Even with a one-shot extra handicap for home advantage, Bognor won by ten points from nearest rivals Lee-on-the-Solent, with Ham Manor third.

Last year’s trophy winners, Cowdray Park, went from first to last, with Rowlands Castle, East Brighton and Littlehampton finishing in the pack.

Bognor’s long-awaited Kindred quarter-final took the form of a home draw against a strong Basingstoke side, with half their team having a ten handicap or better. Being able to field the same team from the famous win at Lee was a great bonus and the team of Simon Watts, Ian Paine, Alistair Murray, Richard Beresford, Norman Lee, Peter Lott, Mark Watson, Dave Chalmers, Roland Heath and Ron Stevens continued their impressive form and the team won 3½-1½.

Finals day at Lee on September 6 beckons Bognor’s foursomes experts.

On a sunny Saturday, the Bognor scratch team set about the unlikely task of unseating current holders – and winners for the past four years – Worthing in the County Optimus quarter-finals.

The visitors boasted mainly scratch or better golfers, but Bognor showed scant regard for the difference in handicaps by winning one and halving one of the four morning foursomes.

In the afternoon singles, there was a spirited fight by Bognor’s young team against the county’s best golfers. Most matches were close on the front nine, but Worthing edged ahead in the later stages to run out 9-3 winners.

This was the best run in many a year by the scratch team.

On the same evening, the captain held his summer party, where a live band, The Alternatives, played two great sets and more than 80 Bognor members and friends danced the night away.

Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking sports news where you live.

Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be among the first to know what’s going on.

1 Make this website your homepage

2 Like our Facebook page at facebook.com/pages/Sport-Sussex

3 Follow us on Twitter @SportSussex

4 Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.

And do share with your family and friends - so they don’t miss out!