Selsey golfers are hamming it up

The Order of Merit was presented to the player who had the best overall score for all the turkey competitions including the ham. Brian Blackman was the winner and was presented with his trophy by the outgoing men’s captain Mervyn Smith.

Craig Newman is the men’s captain for 2015 and his first match was the Gunning Jug, played between the golf club and Selsey Bill Golf Society. The golf club won 8-3.

A four-ball better-ball Stableford was played and won by Brian Blackman and Nick Gunning with 47 points. Second were Barry Rishman and Alun Morey with 45 points.

Another stableford was won by Alun Morey with 43 points. Andy Campbell was second with 38 points.

Meanwhile, Selsey ladies’ annual meeting featured the presentation of cups and trophies won throughout the year.

Pat Growns won the overall nine-hole competition trophy, Sylvia Carter won the highest-scores-for-medal competitions and Barber Winter collected the most trophies.

The prize for the most birdies was won jointly by Judy Sharpe, Sharron Williams and Eddie Williamson and the prize for the most pars was won by Sue Bywater.

The ladies welcomed their new captain for 2015, Barbara Winter. Barbara’s husband Dave is the vets’ captain for 2015 so this should make the mixed matches interesting.

Despite wet, cold and windy weather, several of the winter roll-up nine-hole competitions have been played.

If there are any ladies who would like to come and meet members of the ladies’ section, experience the course and have a free round of nine holes, they would be delighted to welcome you.

They play on Monday mornings, 9.30am for a 10am start, and if the weather is too bad they have a coffee in the clubhouse. Please contact Rita Green on 01243 604158 if you would like to attend.

BOGNOR

The ladies held an American foursomes competition.

Scores: 1 Sally Cameron & Jenny Phillmore 37pts ocb; 2 Penny Entecott & Sheila Sargeant 37; 3 Chris Puddicombe & Gill Twyford 36; 4 Denise Duquemin & Angela Allen 33 ocb.

COWDRAY PARK

IN a heavy, cold atmosphere, and with the course having dried out, it was patently clear that scoring would be considerably lower than recently when Cowdray Park seniors held their February Stableford.

So it proved with 22 players scoring par or better, while the competition scratch score improved to 68, which will lead to wholesale changes in the Eclectic table.

Leading the way – again – was Phil Harrison, who is dominating the seniors’ section so far this year. Teeing off first, he recorded a superb 42 points courtesy of some excellent putting, and this score proved unbeatable.

So far this season he has won both Stablefords, established a big lead after the first three rounds of the Captain’s Prize and is already well clear in the Carter Trophy, which is based on Stableford positions.

Second in division one, with 41 points on countback, was Dave Fowler in only his second competition since joining the seniors, having scored a pair of twos on his debut. Both players have now qualified for the end-of-season seniors’ Champions Trophy.

Phil Pett, Rod Brown and John Newman also scored 41 points while Peter Laws returned with a score of 40.

Top of the players on 37 points was the evergreen David Manning, whose swing is the envy of most of his younger colleagues.

Division two provided another player scoring 42 points, but losing on countback overall – Clive Strudwick, who emulated his cousin Chris, who won his division in the recent club monthly medal.

Second with 40 points came John Lee, and both players have also qualified for the seniors’ Champions Trophy.

Neville Gibbons took third place with 38 points, building on his recent good round in the Captain’s Prize third round, while Bernie May also took advantage of the conditions to register his best score for a while, 37 points.

There were five twos in division one while Rob Doney scooped the pool in division two. Clive Strudwick, Dave Fowler, John Newman, Phil Pett, Peter Laws and Rod Brown all had their handicaps reduced.

A sum of £160 was raised for the Captain’s Charity, Dreams Come True.

Leading scores - Div 1 - 42 Phil Harrison; 41 (cb) Dave Fowler, Phil Pett, Rod Brown, John Newman; 40 Peter Laws. Div 2 - 42 Clive Strudwick; 40 John Lee; 38 Neville Gibbons; 37 (cb) John Kitchener, Bernie May, John Durrell.

Cowdray ladies played in a Bisque Par. This is a matchplay competition played against the course.

Players receive their full handicap allowance and they can decide when they wish to use their shots as opposed to following the stroke index. This must be done after each hole and before teeing off on the next. The winner is the player who finishes the most holes up against par.

Results: Div 1: Gaynor Dudman +3, Wendy Street +3, Sue Brown +1. Div 2: Georgie Miller +4, Jo Fife +3, Cath Yates +3; Div 3: Jenny Nicholls +6; Sandra Barber +4; Marnie Evans +3.