Shropshire & Herefordshire junior golfers get their season off to winning start
Shropshire & Herefordshire Under-18s got their Midland League campaign off to a winning start away to neighbours Staffordshire at Sedgley Golf Club.
After going down narrowly in the morning foursomes, S&H turned the match around in the afternoon singles to prevail.
Harri Matthews (Oswestry) & Harry Goffin (Llanymynech) fell to a 4&3 reverse in the morning foursomes, while Hill Valley’s Marcus Wildblood & Charlie Boys battled to a half.
Back came Staffordshire with a closely-fought 4&3 victory over Daniel Bailey (The Shopshire) & Samuel Cleland (Telford), but Isaac Jones (Oswestry) & Zach Banks (Shifnal) won 4&2 to keep S&H within a point.
Captain Matthews won a tight singles game on the final hole as his opponent crashed out of bounds, but Goffin went down 3&2 as he struggled to get his putter working.
Still a point behind at this stage, the middle-order went into overdrive with wins for Boys (3&2), Wildblood (6&4) and Bailey (4&3) to give S&H a two-point cushion.
Cleland and Jones were beaten to keep things all tied up, but Banks came from four holes down to win his match 2&1 and determine the score would finish 6.5-5.5 in S&H’s favour.
Lauren Crump was crowned champion once again of the R&A under-14 British girls 54-hole championship, finishing net five over at Enville Golf Club.
Finishing fourth in the main under-16 event, the Shropshire golfer earned the Liz Pook Trophy for leading the 14-and-under competition with a two under par 70 in the second round.
The 13-year-old Valley Golf Club member was victorious by four shots over fellow English player Eleanor Lichtenhein and was delighted with the win.
She said: “This will definitely boost my confidence.
“To play in the second last group in a championship like this is amazing.
“I’ve played in the last group in other tournaments, but never in something as big as this against older players. I think next year I can do even better.”
Bob Baker is celebrating after landing Bridgnorth Golf Club’s Bob Fielding Memorial Trophy.
A total of 48 of the club’s senior men members took part in the competition – an 18-hole Stableford – which is staged each year in honour of 2014 senior men’s captain Bob Fielding, who sadly lost his fight against cancer, during his year in office.
And it was Baker who victory on countback after carding 37 points.
Martin Coley took second spot also with 37 points, followed by David Traxon and Alan Lewis and William Morris in fourth and fifth respectively, both with 36 points.
There were three twos on the day, one from Bill Morris on the ninth and two by David Baker on the ninth and 14th.
Llanymynech Golf Club has been successful in bringing England Golf’s Girls Golf Rocks programme to the club for 2023.
The club is offering any girl aged 5-18 years the chance to learn to play golf or to further develop their skills across six one-hour lessons for £40. Lessons will take place on consecutive Thursdays, at either 5-6pm or 6-7pm, starting on June 8.
Junior organiser Julia Line said: “Girls play golf too. We have a thriving junior section at Llanymynech Golf Club and girls are very welcome.”
For further information, visit www.girlsgolfrocks.org/LlanymynechGC
Golf returns
Arscott
Ladies PING 4BBB: 1 J Mullineux & E Griffiths (19) 39pts; 2 S Ecclestone & C Cooke (26) 38pts; 3 M Cumming & G Richards (17) 37pts.
Seniors Stableford. Division One: 1 Brian Vass (16) 38pts; 2 Martin Oakley (12) 35pts; 3 David Martin (18) 34pts. Division Two: 1 Norman Brown 36pts; 2 John Martin 36pts; 3 Lee Ferriday 35pts.
Ladies Medal & Richie Vets Salver: 1 Laura Morris 83-9=74; 2 Liz Griffiths 113-32=81; 3 Jean Chaff 95-12=83.
Men’s George Morris Memorial: 1 Philip Lowrey 78-10=68; 2 Nicholas Jones 88-20=68; 3 Will Bird 77-9=68.
Seniors Open 4BBB: 1 A Tolhurst & A Shepherd 43pts; 2 A Davidson & J Tenison-Collins 43pts; 3 M Challinor & J Fenton 41pts.
Llanymynech
Past/Present Captain’s Trophy. Greensomes Medal: 1 Joolz Howell & Rachel Pritchard nett 65.4; 2 Gem Hampson & Sarah Vaughan nett 66. Nine-Hole Stableford: 1 Ann Cudmore 14pts.
Wrekin
Rhoda’s Little Mon. 18-hole Stableford. Division One: 1 Roger Fewtrell 35/12; 2 Roger Hogben 35/15; 3 Marc Tyres 34/13. Division Two: 1 Peter Hewitt 34/25; 2 John Silvestro 34/23; 3 Mick Perks 33/21.
