Simons soars to summer title at Derllys Court

FRANK Simons was the clear winner of the seniors’ Dawn Patrol summer league at Derllys Court with Ian Robertson taking second place and Huw Jones third.

The top two positions were already decided before the last round of competition but third place was still very much up for grabs with a handful of players in the mix.

Ultimately it was Jones who finished behind Simons and Robertson after edging out Chris Palmer, Idwal Thomas and Jeff Thomas by one point in the overall final standings.

Simons’ best eight scores totalled 63, seven ahead of Robertson with Jones a further nine points back on 47. Brian Newcombe won the last round with 42 points, one better than Jeff Thomas with John Hartley third on 40.

The seniors also resumed team matches recently after a break in August with their first visit to Priskilly in Pembrokeshire.

The visitors found the going tough against their hosts, however, there was an outstanding performance from Derrick Davies and Brian Newcombe who won their match 5&3. Dave Wood and Phil Rogers also won, battling to a 2&1 victory.

A  third win looked on the cards as captain Meirion Evans and Denzil Roberts were dormi three only to be dragged back and left to settle for a half. Priskilly eventually claimed a 5.5-2.5 win.

Both the Derllys Court Ladies and Senior men’s section contested their respective open events with the former in particular blessed with great weather, compensating somewhat for the postponement of the tournament earlier in the season.

Twenty-seven teams of three took part in the ladies’ competition with 12 clubs represented from Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and further afield.

First place went to the trio of Shan Lewis, Jen Williams (both Carmarthen) and Carol Williams (Bull Bay) with 88 points while Judith Stevens, Laura Richards and Mair Jones (all Derllys Court) were runners-up on 83. Julie Lovatt, Linda Evans and Helen Morgan (all Tenby) claimed third with 81.

As many as 91 golfers entered the senior men’s Open and in the end two host club players made the top three but Trefloyne’s Dave Crownley was the winner with 43 points. Jeff Thomas (39) and Chris Palmer (38) were the ones to miss out on the first prize.

To complete the week, the seniors visited Cwmrhydneuadd for a team match and the smaller than usual squad of 12 were unfortunate not to come away with a creditable draw.

In a very competitive encounter from start to finish, Chris Palmer and Peter Jones sneaked the narrowest of victories on the final green, with Les Burgoyne and Roy Gallop always in command in their match which they won 2&1.

Captain Meirion Evans and his in-form partner Jeff Thomas had to settle for a halved match to leave the final score 3.5-2.5 to the hosts.

Craig Melding of Neath, with the only two sub-70 rounds of the day, overcame a strong field to take the Glamorganshire Baffie.

Melding made light work of some tough greens tricky pin positions to clinch victory by five strokes over Darryl Gardner of the host club, who was playing in his first order of merit event.

Third place went to Welsh Boys’ international Delon Hau on 145 with former county captain Richard Hooper (Neath) in fourth and Glamorganshire’s Mark Lewis fifth, both also on 145.

As his nearest challenger Jack Bush could only get two points, the five secured by current county captain Ian Flower gave him the County Order of Merit for 2012.

Swansea Bay hosted the Glamorgan Mid Amateur Championship and with the course playing its full 6,500 yards. Early starter Richard Jones (Royal Porthcawl) posted the score to beat with a 75, which included an impressive sub-par back nine of 36.

His score proved an elusive target for the rest of the players and Swansea Bay’s Owen Money was going well until he dropped five shots over the last three holes. But with the last three groups containing players with a handicap of two or less there was still a chance that Jones could be caught.

Swansea Bay’s Dilwyn Price carded a 77 off a handicap of five to give him the net prize while Neath’s Matthew Arbourne produced a 75 but a back nine of 39 left him agonisingly short.

The last group on the course included Swansea Bay’s Dean Morris, county captain Ian Flower (Mountain Ash) and Mike Thorne (Southerndown). Despite a birdie at the last, Thorne just missed out and Flower posted a 75 but his back nine wasn’t as good as Jones’s.

However, Morris stepped up to the mark to deny Jones and take first prize with an excellent 74.

At Ashburnham, Olwen Davies (6up) won the Howard White Bogey from Sally Forrester (4up) with Margaret Richards third four strokes back. Mathew Daniels edged the Saul Cass Cup with a score of 37 points, one clear of Jeremy Saunders. Gareth Pugh was third.

Ann Richards beat Ann Morris to first place in the Ladies’ GUW 17 event at Carmarthen with a net round of 75. Morris shot 76 with Susan Saunders completing the top three with a 77.

Fifty-eight pairings took part in the 4BBB Medal at Southerndown to compete for this year’s Morgan Jones Trophy, a significant increase in numbers on 2011.

Congratulations go to Jason Jenkins and Martin David with an outstanding score of net 61, narrowly winning over Gareth Cooper and David M Jones who shot 62.

Terry Dowrick was the winner of the Old Un’s Cup at The Grove after beating Wyn Jones on the first extra hole in a thrilling final. Meanwhile, the Bowden Bowl final between Don Knight and Roger Clark was claimed by the former.

More than 40 Grove seniors travelled to Dewstow Golf Club for captain Paul Bowden’s Away Day with Keith Griffiths the overall winner on 33 points. Alan Jones was the runner-up just one point behind.

Results

Ashburnham

Howard White Bogey; 1. O. Davies 6up, 2. S. Forrester 4up, 3. M. Richards level

Saul Cass Cup; M. Daniels 37pts, 2. J. Saunders 36, 3. G. Pugh 36

Carmarthen

Ladies’ GUW 17; 1. A. Richards net 75, 2. A. Morris 76, 3. S. Saunders 77

Ladies’ GUW 16; 1. J. Lindquist net 75, 2. A. Heath 77, 3. L. Thomas 78

Derllys Court

Ladies’ Open; 1. S. Lewis, J. Williams, C. Williams 88pts, 2. J. Stevens, L. Richards, M. Jones 83, 3. J. Lovatt, L. Evans, H. Morgan 81

Seniors’ Open; 1. D. Crownley 43pts, 2. J. Thomas 39, 3. C. Palmer 38

Langland Bay

Monthly Medal; (div one) 1. D. Gibson net 66, 2. L. Matthews 67, 3. J. Davies 68, (div two) 1. W. Giltinan 68, 2. R. Pothecary 68, 3. L. Evans 68, (div three) 1. R. Lewis 68, 2. G. Ballantine 69, 3. J. Musson 69

Southerndown

4BBB Medal; 1. J. Jenkins & M. David net 61, 2. G. Cooper & D. Jones 62

Swansea Bay

Mid Amateur Championship; 1. D. Morris gross 74, 2. R. Jones 75, 3. I. Flower 75