Friday, 19 April 2013

Welsh golfers battle the weather as well as the field at McEvoy Trophy

Three Gwent golfers made it through to the final day at the prestigious McEvoy Trophy despite the continually changing weather making it difficult for all competitors.

The record-breaking Duncan Putter winner Tim Harry, and two of his Welsh international team-mates Otto Mand and Jack Davidson, made the cut for the second day’s play.

With the cut slashing down at 11 over, the Celtic Manor’s Joshua Davies agonisingly missed out by a stroke, while St Melyd’s Jack Colecliffe finished on 16 over with two rounds of 79, so also went home early.

The two days in Solihull were heavily weather-affected as sunshine and heavy rain interspersed and golfers also had fierce winds to compete against making putting very difficult. This was reflected in the scores with only eight coming in under par over the course of the event, and none whatsoever in the second round.

Many eyes were on the Vale Resort’s Harry to see how he would perform straight after his win at Southerndown over the weekend. Unfortunately, he had a disastrous front nine on his fourth round which cost him a higher finish on the final leaderboard.

Just 15 years of age, he bogeyed the first two holes before a double bogey on the sixth and another bogey on the eighth. Two birdies on the back nine helped him recover a bit to finish tied for 13th with Mand, both carding a gross 297, as well as Englishman Jake Storey. They were 10 strokes off the eventual winner Bradley Moore, but will be happy with a Top 15 result in such a big event.

Greenmeadow’s Mand had an improved second day and will be pleased that he fought well against the elements to build on his opening two rounds. After carding two 75s on day one, he produced a 74 and a 73, but could have done even better had he not suffered a wobble on his fourth round.

The front nine on his third round didn’t go so well with four bogeys creeping in, but that improved on the back nine with just the one bogey and two birdies to improve matters. The back nine in his fourth round stung his final score, with three bogeys and a double bogey, before he finished with a birdie and two pars.

He said afterwards on Twitter: “Another ridiculously windy day! Played solid [though]. Finished T13th and very happy. Now for Fairhaven.”

Llanwern’s Jack Davidson had a disappointing second day as two rounds of 79, both eight over par, left him with a gross of 309, tied for 36th and with only two golfers below him.

His day got off to a disastrous start with two bogeys and a double bogey on the first three holes, and he followed that with another five bogeys and just one birdie in his third round. His fourth round didn’t fare much better, with four more bogeys, another double bogey and a triple bogey on the par-four sixth hole.

Davies was unlucky to miss out on the second day having carded a 75 and 79 in the first two rounds to leave him on 154, one stroke below the cut. It will be his second round he looks at in disappointment, with three bogeys and three double bogeys ultimately costing him.

Colecliffe never really got going at the event. His first round produced five bogeys and two double bogeys, while his second round brought another eight bogeys and a double bogey mixed in with two birdies.

The title went to another 15-year-old, Moore of Kedleston Park. He held off the challengers to take the prestigious event with a three-over gross of 287, with Ashton Turner second, three strokes behind him, and Jack Singh Brar, Adam Chapman and Harry Ellis all tied for third on 291, the latter two the only golfers to complete the fourth round under par.

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