CUP ACE JAMIE TEES IT UP FOR CHARITY
RYDER Cup star Jamie Donaldson proved a wonderful golf ambassador last week during a Charity Day at Pyle & Kenfig.
The Pontypridd-born player, who famously secured the winning point for the Europeans during the Ryder Cup success over the United States at Gleneagles back in 2014, returned to the Kenfig-based club following an absence of 23 years.
The last time he teed it up over the Kenfig links, resulted in him being crowned Welsh Amateur champion.
This time around Donaldson backed P & K Juniors, who this week are representing Wales in the Home Nations Championship that’s being staged in Portugal.
A simulator challenge in the club Pro-shop was followed by a clinic on the club driving range that proved informative for golfers of all ages.
He then went out on to the golf course to play 18 holes with club champion Ronan Oliver, Callum Hook, Jeffrey Bence, club captain Wynne Evans, Keith Lewis and Ffion Tynan all taking turns to accompany him.
The day was rounded off with a clubhouse dinner that also embraced an auction along with a question and answer forum.
“Our sincere thanks go to Jamie Donaldson – for giving us his services on a voluntary basis – it was a great day of golf and an amazing experience for all concerned,” said Pyle & Kenfig Secretary/Manager Simon Hopkin. SOUTH WALES PGA TOUR
FORMER Southerndown star Georgia Lewis (Vale Resort) took fourth place in the latest leg on the South Wales PGA Tour that was held last week at Whitchurch in the Welsh capital.
She shot a one-under par score of 70 in an event won by Matthew Moseley (Tenby) via a round of 66 while Matthew Dearden (Glamorganshire, Penarth) and James Frazer (Machynys Peninsular Golf & Country Club) both signed for 67 blows.
Dearden and Nigel John won the Pro-Am on 45 Stableford points from Georgia Lewis and Jordan Ryan, who were a mere point in arrears. SOUTHERNDOWN
THREE players all finished on 37 Stableford points at the end of a fiercely contested third round of the Hardy Annuals competition at Southerndown.
The February contest was ultimately decided on number-crunching with victory going to David Jeremy Smith ahead of Colin Tapsfield and Andy Hill.
Smith holed out for a two on hole 14 to place alongside six pars and seven bogeys and his winning card even contained blobs on the first and seventh holes.
However, Tapsfield tapped in four birdie putts in his 37-pointer together with seven pars and six bogeys and a no-return on the 12th green that cost him the win.
As for Hill, he ran up points on every hole with his card displaying five pars and 13 bogeys.
A point behind this trio came Matthew Thomas while ex-Coed-yMwstwr star Stephen Thomas registered 34 points (two birdies, five pars, 11 bogeys), and the score was matched by A Goss (two on hole five).
Four players then got 33 points out of their rounds – Marcus Goldsworthy, Graeme Hughes (eagle on hole 13), David Lewis and Brian Marling (two birdies).
However, the standings after three rounds of the Hardy Annuals shows Tapsfield out in front on 104 points (33, 34, 37) from David Jeremy Smith 102 (38, 34, 30), Barrie Hawkins 99 (38, 30, 31) and Mark Pridham 98 (37, 36, 25).
The fourth round of the event is being staged on March 1.
Meanwhile, ahead of the Six Nations international between Wales and Italy, Daryl Hart pulled off a countback victory on 36 Stableford points at the expense of Ian Prescott.
Despite failing to score on the 16th hole, Hart went birdie on hole 13 and also carded six pars and 10 bogeys while Prescott got a birdie on the sixth green together with six pars and 11 bogeys.
Three players then got 35 points with third-placed Craig Murray ruing blobs on holes 15 and 18 having shot a two on the 10th and carding a birdie three holes later.
Dave Alexander and Jack Hayes also fired 35 points to finish one point to the good over Stephen Thomas and Jamie Webb with Dave Sykes on the 33-point level.
The Ladies Section held a NineHole Stableford contest that was won by Toni Lucas on 15 points from Val Weaver 17, Alison Donnelly 16, Angela Parry, Janet Booth and Jenny Jones (all 13). PYLE & KENFIG
SIAN Thomas matched par three times and carded six bogeys to win a Nine-Hole Stableford event at Pyle & Kenfig.
It led to her signing for a winning score of 15 points, and the victory was by a point over Lynne BowenJones.
Third-placed Gwyneth Parsons got 13 points while Milly Phillips exited the golf course with 12 points. MAESTEG
MICHAEL Dawkins, Lawrence Ferriday, Stuart Hill and Thomas Hedley won the day in last Saturday’s Irish Texas Scramble event at Maesteg.
They ran up a score of 56.9 Stableford points to edge out greenkeeper guru Steve Trickey, club professional
Dan O’Connor, Roger Evans and Lee P Jones, who entered the clubhouse with 57.6 points on their card.
In the winter-long Early Birds competition, Neil Williams flew to victory on 37 points from Ian Dixon, who got the measure of Dennis Phillips on countback 34 points. COED-Y-MWSTWR
RICHARD T Commander didn’t make a meal last week in winning a Senior Section Soup & Roll Stableford contest at Coed-y-Mwstwr.
The 10-handicapper dined on the top table after dishing up a two on hole eight while also on his menu were birdies on holes six and 10 along with seven pars and eight bogeys that rolled him on to 40 points.
Another big-hitter, Jonny McEachen, was hot on his heels, blazing his way into the Samuel Bevan saloon bar with 39 points (birdie on 13, seven pars, nine bogeys and a no-return over the pond on the fourth hole).
Michael Davies also got 39 points with three other competitors going under the card – Lyndon Glendinning 38, Peter Ashman and Russell Gower (both 37).
Par rounds of 36 came from Ogmore-by-Sea surfer Barrie Delaney and Brian John with William Jones and David J Lewis signing for rounds of 35 points.
Also riding high on the scoreboard were 34-point men Tony Lang, Jimmy Blackball ( member 191) and Dave Evans.
Four other putts for two were sunk, and they came from Dave Evans (hole two), sparkling John Dymond, Eric Williams (both hole four) and Tony Lang on the penultimate hole.
Meanwhile, Josh Hapgood, Michael Perry, Matthew Richards and Elliot Williams triumphed last Saturday in the Irish Texas Scramble that was contested by 18 teams.
They took the honours on 58 – 2.5 (team handicap) = 55.5 ahead of Mike Bowden, Paul Bowden, Lewis Jenkins and Rory O’Connell, who signed for 60 – 4.3 = 55.7.
Third-place with 60 – 3.9 = 56.1 were Kirk Norris, Stuart Taylor, Jonny Witts and Stephen Witts from Wayne T Burnell, Stephen Hesketh, Lee Reed and Thomas Rosser on 61 – 4.9 = 56.1. GROVE
IAN Thomas took the 17th round of the winter-long Leon Warne Order of Merit at The Grove on the back of 40 Stableford points.
Steve Cole fired 37 points to become runner-up on countback from Jason Thomas and Geraint Thomas.
Ian Thomas was the only player to card a two while nearest the pin over the derelict pond on hole seven was Stephen Muir.
Meanwhile, the Senior Section last week staged another Winter League fixture which was also acted as the ninth of 10 legs on the Order of Merit.
Victory went to John Carpenter, who hammered home 34 Stableford points, to nail a three-point success over Steve Curtis. ST MARY’S
HUGH Williams defied showers of hail in scoring a hale and hearty 31 points to win a Senior Section Stableford event at St Mary’s.
Wet conditions out on the golf course led to the tournament only being contested over 12 holes, but nonetheless 24 brave souls teed it up.
Given the fairways provided little in the way of run, Williams played fine golf to go seven points under the card. However, another player in tiptop form, Gareth Thomas, pushed him all the way, and he entered the clubhouse just one point in arrears. LAKESIDE
ALUN Thomas recorded 91-25-66 to win a Senior Section Eclectic event last week at the Lakeside club in Margam.
A birdie on the seventh hole along with three pars provided him with a one-shot win over Peter Colbridge 80-13-67 (eight pars and 10 bogeys).
Dave Burridge entered Uncle Tom’s Cabin with 76-8-68 (11 pars and seven bogeys) to take third-place while big gun Nicky Walters shot 809-71.
They were followed on the scoreboard by Wyn Richards 85-13-72, Dave Brown 97-24-73 and Frank Byng 95-20-75.