Clubs ready for Celtic Manor showdown

GOLFERS from 24 clubs will face-off at Celtic Manor on Sunday as the 2010 Ryder Cup venue hosts the Gwent Cock o’ the North Finals Day.

The competition, to be played on the Roman Road Course, has had a different winner on each of the last seven occasions it has been contested with St Mellons arriving this year as reigning champions.

They get Sunday’s event under way alongside the hosts with 48 pairs in all playing for first prize – the winners and runners-up of each club’s own winter league battle it out over 18 holes with the best four-ball better-ball net score claiming the silverware.

In 2011, teams from Monmouthshire and Bryn Meadows finished second and third respectively behind St Mellons duo Philip and Daniel Udry while Alice Springs pair Mike Blount and Brian Jones just missed out on a podium finish.

On this occasion, the Usk club’s champions Martin Went and David Curtis, backed up by Richie Miles and Vince Edwards, bid to go one better while Ricky Jones and Chris Parton lead the Greenmeadow challenge.

Other club champions in action include George Gay and Keith Rees (Monmouthshire), Gareth Walters and Paul Trueman (Monmouth), Geoff Harper and Anthony Watkins (Newport) and David Law and Richard Secular (St Pierre).

Richard and Andrew Evans lead the Bryn Meadows charge while Wernddu are represented by Luke Ralph and Michael Randall and Tredegar & Rhymney’s hopes rest with John Davies and Leon Hillman as well as Mike Shepherd and Glenn Trigg.

Andy Brown and Glen Humphries front the Tredegar Park attack, Gary Cain and James MacDougall do the same for Dewstow and Graham Fletcher and Leighton Pollard go into the event as the top Raglan Parc team.

Monmouthshire County champion Lauren Hillier spearheads a three-pronged Newport attack at the Welsh Ladies Open Stroke-play Championship at Ashburnham this Saturday.

Jessica Evans, runner-up to Hillier at St Mellons last month, and Emma Miller are the two other Newport women in action as is St Pierre’s Rhiannon Thomas in a strong-looking Gwent party which makes the trip to West Wales.

England’s Charley Hull won’t be back to defend her crown though Bargoed’s Lucy Gould, second in 2011, is back for another tilt at the title, which is fought out over 54 holes across two days.

Hillier has been drawn with Welsh international Katherine O’Connor and Royal Cromer’s Amber Ratcliffe for rounds one and two while Evans tees off alongside Llanishen product Rachel Lewis and Helen Searle of Huddersfield.

Miller is accompanied by two Southerndown members in the shape of Nia Greville and Olwen Davies before Thomas goes out last with Sophie Anderson, also of Southerndown, and Amelia Taylor of St Annes Old Links.

The line-up for the second round of the Victory Shield is almost complete and there looks like being a few exciting ties ahead for the Gwent clubs.

Pontypool were 4&2 victors over Whitehall, setting them up for a clash with Creigiau, and Monmouthshire beat Tredegar Park 5&4 to seal a dust-up against Pontnewydd, who had a walkover in their match with St Pierre.

Rhondda await Raglan Parc after the latter saw off Parc by two holes, meanwhile, West Mon lost 5&4 to Mountain Ash and Bryn Meadows slipped to a 3&2 reverse against Pontypridd.

Only one half of the Trubshaw Cup could be played last weekend as heavy rain put paid to any hopes tournament organisers had of staging the final two rounds at Ashburnham on Sunday.

Irishman Gary Hurley was top of the leader board after Saturday’s first 36 holes at Tenby, giving him the Golden Eagle title and Trubshaw Cup crown. As for the Gwent contingent, St Pierre’s Oliver Mottram was the best-placed in 14^th following rounds of 73 and 81.

Club mate Richard Bentham was seven places back in 21^st with scores of 79 and 78, leaving him two shots better off than Newport’s Joe Vickery. All three were well behind Hurley who carded a pair of 72s to win by five strokes from Welshman Luke Thomas.

Llanwern celebrated a one-two at Alice Springs in the Gwent Boys’ Division Two Stableford with Lewis Brown (41) just edging out Owen Vineall by a single point. Four points separated the top five as St Pierre’s Joshua Harding got the better of club mate Alex Thomas to claim third place on 39.

On the club scene, Brian Lewis needed countback to win the Summer League competition at Wernddu. John Tovey matched his stableford score of 43 points but it wasn’t quite enough. Steve Johnson was third with 39.

Ann Bridges, with a net 78, took top honours in the Ladies’ Bronze Championship at Pontypool with Pam Rostron a clear second on 82.

Results

Alice Springs

Gwent Boys’ Division Two; 1. L. Brown 41pts, 2. O. Vineall 40, 3. J. Harding 39

Pontypool

Ladies Bronze Championship; 1. A. Bridges net 78, 2. P. Rostron 82

Veterans’ Cup (Medal); 1. C. Davies net 62, (0-14 Hcp) 1. G. Saulters 66, 2. A. Ross 67, (15-28 Hcp) 1. J. Evans 64, 2. J. Rogers 64

18-Hole Medal; (0-14 Hcp) 1. S. Johnson net 67, 2. G. Ball 71, (15-28 Hcp) 1. D. Jones 67, 2. D. Williams 67

Wernddu

Summer League; 1. B. Lewis 43pts, 2. J. Tovey 43, 3. S. Johnson 39