DAVIES AIMS TO GET HIS CARD BACK
BRIDGEND golfer Rhys Davies faces a gruelling month in a bid to win back his European Tour card, writes Tony Poole.
The 33-old former Bridgend Town cricketer is this Friday teeing it up in the second stage of the European Tour Q-School.
He is one of 298 players contesting four qualifying tournaments in Spain spread over 72 holes and four days.
Davies, who is Royal Porthcawl member along with his father Graham, is playing the El Encin course (7,593 yards, par 72) in Madrid.
However, the exact number of qualifying places for the third and final stage won’t be established until play has got underway at the four Spanish venues.
He was exempt from the first qualifying stage and if successful at El Encin, the ultimate qualifying stage is being contested from November 1015.
This is being held over 108 holes on the Lakes and Hills courses at Lumine Golf Club in Terragona.
But a cut on this occasion will be made after 72 holes with the top-70 players contesting the last 36 holes.
The top-25 men will then be handed European Tour rights for next season.
Davies, who is a current member of the secondary Challenge Tour, won once on the main European Tour.
That was back in March 2010 when he lifted the Trophee Hassan with South African star Louis Oosthuizen runner-up.
And Davies almost made a successful defence, but he lost out to David Horsey (England) in a play-off that also involved South African Jaco van Zyl.
SOUTH WALES PGA
HUW Williams of Pyle & Kenfig turned in a strong performance last week in the second South Wales PGA tournament of the season.
Staged at the Swansea Bay club, the young P & K assistant professional shot a 68 to claim third spot.
He was edged out on countback for runner-up by Craig Melding (Neath) while the event was won by Toby Hunt (St Mellons) with an exceptional 66.
Hunt also won the Pro-Am event – Michael Britton was the other member of the duo – and they signed for a 45.
And once more Williams missed out on countback for second spot in this competition.
It went to Chris O’Neill (Cardiff) and Andy Burton on the 43-shot mark while Steve Johns partnered Williams.
PYLE & KENFIG
MATTHEW Morgan stormed to victory in the Junior Stableford Cup at Pyle & Kenfig, running up 41 points.
It resulted in him pulling off a two- point success over Ronan Oliver while Jordan Oliver settled for par 36 along with Ethan Langley (Rhondda) and Tom Peet.
Next on the scoreboard came 35-point finisher Elliot Watkins; Sam Peet got 34 points to finish one point to the good over Dafydd Feeley, William Pontin and Finley Morgan.
The Senior Section held a Harold John event that ended in a victory for Kerry Jones on 35 Stableford points (six pars, 10 bogeys, two double-bogeys).
Brian Grant birdied the second hole on the way to 35 points and runner-up spot while electric Gwyn Watts came in with 34 points (two on hole 12).
Fourth-placed John Humphreys fired 33 points, as did Adrian Beynon (two on hole 12) with the 31-point mark hit by ex-Aberavon fly-half John Adsley and Michael Rennie.
Meanwhile, Cheryl Western won an October Stableford competition with a 17-hole score of 37 points.
The blob came on the 15th hole, but other than that she played exemplary golf, and it was reflected in 11 pars and six bogeys.
Runner-up Marion Thomas was a mere point in arrears while Carole Vaughan entered 35 points on her card.
Del Raikes came fourth on 31 points, finishing two in front of three contestants – Anita Evans, Cath Parry and Ceri Mohajer.
SOUTHERNDOWN
CHRISTMAS is never far away when Turkey Trot competitions get underway, and Southerndown are one of the first clubs to launch them.
The opening slice of Turkey was settled on countback with Mark Pridham edging out David Sykes on 34 Stableford points.
Pridham matched par nine times with just one blob while Sykes had eight pars and 10 bogeys on his card.
Playing off an away handicap Andrew Davie scored 32 points to finish a point ahead of Mark Rees.
Three competitors on 30 points were next – N R Thomas, Dr Brian Dawson and Dr G W Phillips.
Last Saturday, a birdie on the fourth allied to eight pars led to Andy Pentith taking a White Box Stabelford event on 35 points.
Despite carding two blobs, he pulled off a one-point success over James Williams (birdie on 11th) and Ben McAndrew.
Anthony Ford motored into fourth place with 33 points (two birdies, 10 pars) while Steffan Hart matched the score in going birdie on the fourth and getting nine pars.
Former Coed-y-Mwstwr star Gary Dowling ran up 32 points (two birdies, eight pars) while on the same mark came D Lewis, David Huw James and ex-St Mary’s captain Neil Channell.
Meanwhile, the Ladies Section held an October Stableford event that Jenny Jones won on countback 34 points over Helen Loo.
They finished a point in front of Ali Churchouse; Nest Pugh scored 28 points to finish one point to the good over Janet Booth, Catherine Jewell and Christine Evans.
MAESTEG
THE CURTAIN finally came down on the summer season at Maesteg with the staging of the Captain’s Cup competition.
Victory went to Thomas Williams and Morgan Griffiths, who gained a 4 & 3 success over Rob Lloyd and Dai Pearce.
The Dooner Price Bogey Bowl went to Lee Morgan, who triumphed on the back of a 3 up score.
Maesteg Town cricket star Andrew King was runner-up on 2 up, and he finished three shots clear of Stephen Coates.
The Mount Pleasant Cup (Order of Merit) went to Ellis Williams who accumulated a fine 433 points – and it was one reason for the talented junior becoming club player-of-theyear.
He was also part of the Glamorgan U16s team that recently beat Wiltshire at Coed-y-Mwstwr to lift the Channel League title.
Second place on the OOM went to Drew Llewellyn on 420 points from club champion Tom Williams 342.
The end of season Shotgun Texas Scramble was won by captain Haydn Blackmore, Ladies Captain Menna Lewis, Dai Williams and Thomas Hedley on 54.9 points from Nigel Hedley, Mark Thomas, Glen Oatley and Margaret Lewis, who ran up 57.1.
But the highlight on the day was a hole-in-one from head greenkeeper Steve Trickey.
The former Kenfig Hill RFC star aced the 167-yard 16th hole (known to members as Y Nant) - and ahead of standing drinks, he proudly declared it was down to the true run on the green.
Finally, Haydn Blackmore hosted Past Captain’s Cup, and Nigel Hedley lit up the course in scoring 39 points from Phil Jones 38 and Brendan Kehoe 37.
COED-Y-MWSTWR
RUSSELL Gower coasted to victory last week in the Senior Stableford competition at Coed-y-Mwstwr.
The former sectional secretary got 38 points to triumph by three points over Maesteg star David Thomas and Brinley Thomas.
Four players entered the Samuel Bevan lounge with 34 points – Ada Asquith, Jonny McEachen, Barrie Rowlands and Rocky Raybould – and on the 33-point mark came previous week winner John Jones, Terrence Haggerty and Alfred Woodward.
Four twos were shot on the day, and they came from winner Gower, gallant runner-up Dai (Maesteg) Thomas, John Jones and new captain Michael Paddick.
Last weekend, Nigel Key unlocked his best form to win a Medal competition with a sizzling score of 93-2865.
The Hallets star was one of 12 players to break nett 70 on the day – runner-up Ross Haskins nailed 84-18-66 (three birdies, five pars) to finish in front of Matt Carpenter 79-13-66 (11 pars), Luke Morgan 76-9-67, Kirk Norris 79-12-67 and Vincent Harding 85-17-68.
Elliot Williams got low gross with 74-6-68 (four birdies, six pars and eight bogeys) while further down the scoreboard came Andrew Dunn 8618-68, Stephen Stock 80-11-69, Jimmy North 78-9-69, Brian Day 81-1269 and Robert Jones 81-12-69.
GROVE
KENNETH Bale bundled a victory in the second Winter Order of Merit competition at the Grove on 37 Stableford points.
Birdies on holes three and nine set up the victory together with nine pars with runner-up Gary Tamlyn just a point back.
The former Lakeside captain, who birdied the sixth and 14th holes while matching par nine times, rued a noreturn on the par-three fourth hole.
Steve Cole fired par 36 points for third place while on the same mark came four other competitors – Edwin Channell, Brian P CunninghamThornton, Julian D James and Geraint J Thomas.
David Thomas then signed for 35 points together with powerful Byron Power.
The competition produced a pair of twos – they came from Dave Daly and Jason Thomas – while Dave Thomas was nearest the pin with his second shot into the ninth green.
And Michael Jones was nearest to the pin on the home hole.
The Senior Section also staged the second leg last week of their Winter Order of Merit, and victory went to Wayne Richards with a par round of 36 Stableford points.
He finished a point ahead of Mark Donald, who got the better of Tony Jones on countback.