ROYAL PORTHCAWL
MATTHEW Sant triumphed in The Quin Cup on New Year’s Day at Royal Porthcawl, writes Tony Poole.
In boisterous weather conditions out on the Lock’s Common golf course his winning score was 33 Stableford points (birdie on 17 and eight pars).
Runner-up Matthew J Morgan rued three noreturns on a 32-point card that displayed a two on hole seven along with further birdies on holes one and 17.
Oliver Pughe card third with 32 points (birdies on holes six and 17) to finish one point in front of Rhodri Lewis (birdies on holes eight and 17).
Michael Cahill came in with 30 points with four competitors then signing for 29 points – Nicholas G Jones, Rory James, Michael Price and Bryan Jenkins.
Recent winner James Tuck got 28 points, including a two on hole 11, and on the same mark came both William Evans and WRU chairman W Gareth Davies.
The competition produced two other twos – Arwel Morgan sinking a birdie putt on the seventh green and Huw James doing likewise.
But former Bridgend and Maesteg rugby star Brian Nicholas provided the big surprise of the day.
The club’s hot property in recent weeks limped in with just 26 points, but the round did, however, contain birdies on two parfive holes – five and 17.
Meanwhile, places are still available for the Royal Porthcawl Winter Open on February 27 (shotgun 11am tee off).
The 18-hole Stableford event is open to both men and women with maximum handicaps being 24 and 36 respectively.
An entry fee of £280 for a team of four players covers a bacon roll and coffee on arrival, green fees along with a clubhouse presentation ceremony and two-course meal.
Entries must be received by February 12.
SOUTHERNDOWN
DATES have been announced at Southerndown for competitions that will be staged during rugby’s Six Nations tournament.
The programme kicks off on February 3 when Wales meet France with a Texas Scramble event.
It’s followed a week later by a Yellow Box Stableford competition that dovetails with Wales going to Twickenham to face England.
When Wales then travel to Ireland on February 24, Southerndown are holding a Texas Scramble Medal competition.
And things are rounded off on March 17 – Wales taking on France in Cardiff – with a Fourball Betterball Stableford event.
MAESTEG
MARC Williams triumphed during a hotly contested Three Clubs & Putter on Boxing Day at Maesteg.
The Wayfarers captain took the nine-hole competition on the back of a Stableford score of 19 points.
Numerous players then signed for 18 points with better-back six favouring Aled Jenkins for runnerup spot while countback served Corey Butler with third place.
Four twos were carded on the day, and they came from winner Williams and third-placed Butler along with Nigel Hedley and Tony Harris.
COED-Y-MWSTWR
CRAIG Davies turned in a fine display last Saturday to take the January Medal competition at Coed-yMwstwr.
Having won the Lions Stableford event back in July, his winning numbers on this occasion were 8015-65, and the round contained 10 pars.
Division One winner and event runner-up was Simon Lake, who entered the soon to be revamped Samuel Bevan snug with 78-13-65 (two on the second hole and nine pars).
The winner of Division Two with 88-22-66 was Gareth Bodenham, and overall it was worth third spot.
Best gross round of the day came from Gary Dowling, who went eagle on the par-five 15th hole; carded 12 pars along with four bogeys and a doublebogey.
The other top-10 finishers - in a competition that attracted 59 members – were Mark Phillis 80-1367, Charles Caddy 86-1967, Jonny Witts 75-8-67, Jamie Brown 82-15-67, Kirk Norris 80-13-67, Veterans star Peter Ashman 86-19-67 and Malcolm Burn 81-13-68.
Seven other putts for two disappeared underground during the tournament with canny Scot Jimmy North registering a Tutu (twos on the second and eighth holes).
The remainder were on the cards of Caddy, Jamie Brown, veteran hat man Colin Edwards, Norris and Rocky Raybould,
Meanwhile, in the run up to Christmas, former club captain Wayne T Burnell was in sparkling form.
He lifted the Captain’s Trophy and Millennium Shield on the back of a sizzling 39 Stableford points.
And the Ladies Section Christmas Invitational – embracing the score from the lady player along with the two best scores from the men - was won by Christine Caddy, Luke Morgan, Stephen Thomas and Charles Caddy via a Stableford score of 118 points.
Yesterday (Tuesday) the Senior Section were hoping to open their 2018 campaign after last week’s competition was called off owing to heavy rain.
GROVE
MARTIN Evans stormed to victory in the 12th leg of the winter-long Leon Warne Order of Merit tournament at The Grove.
The former Lakeside star ran up a formidable score of 41 Stableford points to edge out three players who were one point in arrears.
Countback then favoured former Cardiff City and Swansea City football star Andy Legg over Keith Richards and Stanley Clarke.
Eight putts for two were sunk on the day, and they came from Tony Care, Paul Jenkins, Andy Legg, Gordon Lyle, Andrew Morton, Jeremy Oliver, James Williams and Ceri Windos.
Last week Grove Senior Section were unable to stage a New Year Mulligan owing to continuous rain.
Yesterday (Tuesday) they were hoping to hold the seventh leg of the Order of Merit competition.
And the Senior Section are staging a Presentation Evening Dinner in the clubhouse on January 23 with a cost of £15 per head.