HOPKINS SMASHES PARKRUN RECORD
AUSTRALIAN MASTER OF THE AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
JAKE Hapgood (Southerndown) last week pulled off a splendid 26th-place finish in the Australian Master of the Amateur Championship that was staged at Victoria Golf Club..
This was an official World Amateur Golf ranking event with 15 Great Britain & Ireland players teeing it up in a starting line-up of 126 competitors.
The young Coed-y-Mwstwr product opened up with an encouraging par round of 72, and it was followed by scores of 77 and 73 for a six-over par score of 222.
This enabled him to make the cut that came on 222 with 44 players then contesting the final round last Friday.
And Hapgood once more matched par for a closing tally of 294 which secured him the 26th -place finish.
The tournament was won by wire-towire winner Sahith Theegala (USA) with rounds of 66, 68, 69, 75 for 10-under par 278, and he had four shots in hand over Jang Hyun La (South Korea).
SOUTH AMERICAN AMATEUR
FFION Tynan (Pyle & Kenfig) was a member of the Welsh team that last week competed in the South American Amateur that Club de Golf Sport Frances in Santiago hosted.
She was part of a four-strong team that also comprised Darcey Harry, Ben Chamberlain and Gaelen Trew.
But on this occasion Ffion failed to find her true form, and finished 29th with rounds of 82, 74, 80, 74 for a 22over par 310.
Darcey (Vale Resort) finished eight places higher on 307 (82, 79, 73, 73) while Maria Jose Bohorquez of Spain won the tournament on four-under par 284 (70, 73, 72, 69) by four shots over Valentina Rossi (Argentina).
ROYAL PORTHCAWL
PLACES are still available for next month’s Winter Open Team Stableford event at Royal Porthcawl.
The competition with a shotgun start at 11 am is being staged on February 25 with men (maximum handicap 24) playing off white tees, and ladies (maximum handicap 36) from red boxes.
The top three-finishers will receive prizes while also up for grabs on the day are awards for nearest the pin and longest drive.
The cost is £295 for a team of four players which includes bacon roll and coffee on arrival together with a twocourse meal afterwards in the clubhouse dining room.The closing date for entries is February 10.
SOUTHERNDOWN
JONATHAN Vernon shot 43 Stableford points off a handicap of five to win the second leg of the Hardy Annuals competition at Southerndown.
His tasty score was rounded off by successive birdies on the three closing holes to go alongside 12 pars and three bogeys.
It took him past former Coed-yMwstwr star Scott McCutcheon, who signed for 41 points on a card that only contained scores on 16 holes.
The highlights, however, were provided by birdies on the sixth and 13th greens while he also registered six pars and eight bogeys.
Third-placed Marc Twigg came in with 40 points (two on hole seven and further birdie on the 13th, three pars and 13 bogeys), and the score was matched by Allan Jenkins.
They were followed on the scoreboard by 37-point finishers Jamie Keddle and Steve Lewis while par rounds of 36 points came from Jamie Webb, Jamie David and Mark Pridham.
A further point back were Steve Sheppard and K Oliver.
The Ladies Section last week staged a Nine-Hole January Stableford that Toni Lucas won with 17 points.
A par on the closing hole set up a two-point victory over Ali Churchouse; Jenny Jones and Alison Donnelly both carded 13 points to finish a point to the good over Angela Parry.
MAESTEG
OPENING Senior Section Stableford competition honours in 2020 at Maesteg went to John Anderson, who last week swept to victory on 36 points.
He finished two points in front of Bill Ennis, who saw off outgoing Senior Captain Andrew Cox on countback, while Ian Stephenson won the corresponding Nine-Holes with 18 points.
The first Early Birds event of the year went to Dennis Phillips, who harvested 34 points to take a countback win over Daniel Lewis with Neil Williams third on the 32-point mark.
COED-Y-MWSTWR
THREE players entered the Samuel Bevan lounge with 40 points at the end of a fiercely contested Senior Section Winter Rules Stableford contest last week at Coed-y-Mwstwr.
However, number-crunching then favoured Rocky Raybould, who punched his weight with a two on the second hole to place alongside eight pars and nine bogeys.
Runner-up Trevor Duggan got his 40 points via six pars and 12 bogeys while Jimmy Blackball (member 191) rued an unlucky blob on the par-five 13th hole - and an outright victory.
Former Bridgend Town football star Chris Williams netted 38 points while the fifth player to go under the card on the day, big-hitting Jonny McEachen, signed for 37 points (six pars, 12 bogeys). Tony Lang and Russ Gower both matched par while 35-point scores were on the cards of Terrence Haggerty, Graham Gardner and ex-St Mary’s star David J Lewis.
Three other twos were shot on the day, and they came from Byron Cox (hole two), John Jones (fourth) and Glyn Price (17th).
Meanwhile, Kevin J Parry was triumphant in a January Medal competition, firing 82-16-66 courtesy of nine pars and the same number of bogeys.
Countback favoured the double-glazing chief over Ian Rees, who shot identical numbers via a two on hole eight and eight pars.
These beefy numbers were matched by third-placed Simon Butcher 80-1466 (nine pars and nine bogeys) while 67 was a popular score on the day.
It came from six players – Steve Turner 80-13-67, David B Ford-Williams 87-20-67, low gross man Morgan Luke 72-5-67, Jonny Witts 74-7-67, Sean Boga-Lake 72-5-67 and Colin Mills 9427-67.
One shot back came Dave Archibald 79-11-68 and Craig Davies 83-15-68 while on the 69-shot mark were Huw Martinson 75-6-69, Rocky Raybould 8415-69, Stuart Taylor 83-14-69 and Frank Button 85-16-69.
Finally, big hitter Jamie Brown carded 13 pars and five bogeys to win the Three Clubs and Putter contest last Saturday on 43 Stableford points.
He finished two points clear of Paul Edwards with Steve O’Connell and Michael Barry both running up 40 points.
Three players then got 39 points out of their rounds – Craig Davies, Stephen McAllen and Brian John – and they finished a point in front of Dave Vincent and Leyton Bennetta (two on the eighth hole).
Paul Alexander was the 10th player to go under the card – he scored 37 points – while par rounds came from Andy King, Jimmy North (two on hole two) and David B Ford-Williams.
The competition also yielded three other twos – Josh Hapgood (11th), Frank Button and Stuart Wilson (both 17th).
GROVE
JASON Thomas won the 13th leg of the winter-long Leon Warne Order of Merit at The Grove, shooting 30 Stableford points.
Wet conditions out on the revamped winter golf course saw him pull off a one-point success over Philip Evans and Steve Cole.
Fourth-placed Steffan Hart exited with 28 points to finish one better off than club captain Lyn Parker.
Just two putts for two were sunk during the competition, and they were on the cards of Jeremy Oliver and Terry Thomas.
And nearest the pin with a beauty into the seventh green over the derelict pond was Terry Thomas, who duly sunk the putt for two.
Meanwhile, the Senior Section resume activity last week following a break for the festive season, and staged a Winter Mulligan Stableford.
The competition allowed players to ditch one shot in their outward and inward holes with victory going to Wayne Richards. He extracted 30 points out of his round to finish a point to the good over Steve Booth.
Last Monday, the Senior Section AGM was staged in the clubhouse followed by the contest for the Don Taylor Putter.
Finally, club members were saddened last week to learn of the death of doyen golfer Ged Rave.
Having moved to Bridgend County from Doncaster in 1996, he joined the Grove, becoming captain in 2013/14 and champion golfer on three occasions.
He was also a popular figurehead at the South Cornelly club, frequently stopping to have a chat with fellow members and helping them with any golfing problems.
LAKESIDE
BRIAN Channell last week shot 7310-63 to win a Senior Section Winter Eclectic event at the Lakeside club in Margam.
His winning card contained a two on the fifth hole, 12 pars and five bogeys, and he had three shots in hand over Noel Jones 81-15-66 (two on hole five, six pars and 11 bogeys).
Third-placed Wyn Richards entered Uncle Tom’s Cabin on 81-13-68 and was followed on the scoreboard by ex-Maesteg star Derrick Pitt 85-17-68, Cefn Cribwr professional D G Hopkins 85-16-69 (two on hole five), Peter Colbridge 82-13-69, big gun Nicky Walters 79-9-70, Frank Byng 92-20-72 and Peter Watkins 88-16-72.