Big night out for Neath after great golf year

AFTER retaining their Glamorgan League crown this year, Neath Golf Club hosts its annual awards night tomorrow with an array of winners being toasted for their successes in 2012.

Prizes for more than 50 competitions are set to be handed out as the club celebrates another fruitful 12 months out on the course.

The most decorated player at the club this year has been Marita Williams, a winner on no fewer than five occasions, including in the President’s Cup, Kate Jones Cup, Hern Salver, Struels Foursomes with Margaret Pile, and the big one, the Club Championship.

She was also runner-up to Kim Lewis in the Gwyn Derby Cup while Maureen Poulton won the Doris Phillips Rose Bowl and finished second in both the Vera Davies Salver and Hern Salver.

Glamorgan County player Craig Melding was among the winners in the men’s section, his victory coming in the President’s Cup. Daniel Davies claimed the Glyn Peters Matchplay Medal and teamed up with Ann Bradley to win the Lyn Owen Mixed Foursomes.

In the juniors there was a trophy treble for Joseph Howe who triumphed in the Edgar Jones Scratch, the Charles Grimley Foursomes alongside Myles Davies, and was the Player of the Year in clinching the Junior Order of Merit.

At Ashburnham, Elwyn Hughes edged the Richard Rowlands Cup by one point from John Beynon with Simon Hill claiming third from Alan Webster on countback.

Rhydian Bowen’s margin of victory in the Junior Boys’ Stableford, however, was far more comfortable. His total of 45 points was six better than closest rival Tomos Davies with Edwards Spencer in third.

Dave Gladwin is the early overall leader in the Derllys Court Seniors’ Winter Eclectic after the second round of competition, won by John Hartley.

Hartley and Ian Robertson both posted 41 points but the former just got the nod on countback while Phillip Jones came in third just one point behind the top two.

A field of 34 men entered the second round and Hartley’s success was largely down to a superb one-over-par gross score of 36 on the back-nine. Despite missing out on the win, Robertson could be comforted by the fact that his second place saw him climb 13 places in the eclectic table.

In the overall standings, Gladwin, with a score of 65, heads Jones, Hartley and Jeff Thomas by four points although it’s still very early days. Gladwin’s steady scoring of 37 and 38 has been the reason for his four-shot lead.

The eclectic scores are very tightly bunched further down the table and as the event continues the higher handicap players should begin to take advantage.

Results

Ashburnham

Richard Rowlands Cup; 1. E. Hughes 41pts, 2. J. Beynon 40, 3. S. Hill 36

Junior Stableford Boys; 1. R. Bowen 45pts, 2. T. Davies 39, 3. E. Spencer 38

Derllys Court

Winter Eclectic 2; 1. J. Hartley 41pts, 2. I. Robertson 41, 3. P. Jones 40

RAF St Athan

Turkey Trot 1 (Texas Scramble); 1. J. Pengelly & S. Hampson net 64.8, 2. M. Edwards & K. Lewis 66.5, 3. B. Hawkins & R. Brookes 66.5

Individual Stableford; 1. C. Sherman 39pts, 2. P. Green 37, 3. K. Bowkett 37