Wright champion again

Golf

A superb level par round of 71 proved to be comfortably good enough for Ashford GC’s James Wright to retain the club’s Junior Open Championship Trophy thus joining an elite group of players to win the coveted competition more than once.

Posting an identical score as last year, Wright’s round of two birdies, two bogeys and 14 pars took him seven shots clear of his closest challengers, George Harris Andrews and Zara Gardam.

For good measure, Wright was also presented with the Linsdell Cup for the lowest gross score posted by an Ashford player. The win puts him in good heart for next week when he joins the Kent under-18 squad at North Foreland when the county battle out England Golf Union’s County Championship Finals. Another young player making waves at Ashford is Lewan Smith, whose stunning summer form has seen his handicap tumble from 18 to 10 in dramatic fashion.

Smith followed up a midweek junior Slableford win with a noteworthy performance in the Chairman’s Cup. His superb score of 43 winning him the junior award and he can claim the bragging rights over his uncle, Lee Smith, whose score of 42 points was good enough to win the men’s section with namesake Chris Smith in second spot and Mani Gurung third.

Debbie Huckstepp triumphed in the ladies’ section, where Tara East and Shiela Woodgate completed the medal placings. It was yet another memorable week for another young Ashford player, with Jack Manning Press taking out the August Medal with a net score of 61 that resulted in a handicap reduction of three shots down from 19 at the start of the season to 12½.

Ashford ladies entered four teams in the West Malling Open and the Amazons side comprising Sue Canney, Pauline Pfeffer and Beryl Sutherland finished among the prizes with a creditable fourth place finish, while in the nine-hole competition the latest winner was Christine Hazelden.

Following a 19-year wait, the veterans team clinched their section in the Kent Vets League, when challengers Sene Valley went down to a derby defeat against Hythe to hand Ashford the silverware.