Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Kennett captures third spot on Sunshine debut
Canterbury member Jason Kennett claimed an excellent joint third place in the 26th Sunshine Challenge on the sun-drenched Algarve last week.
Kennett, who plays off a handicap of 23, was making his first appearance in the tournament which, for many years, was run in partnership with the KM Group, who staged a qualifying competition.
The 48-year-old owner of fencing company Fenscapes made an immediate impact when he won the first round prize of €100 and a golf shirt with a score of 41 Stableford points at Vale da Pinta.
A savage cut reduced his handicap to 19 but after a second round 30 points on the Christy O’connor jnr course at Amendoeira, Kennett scored an outstanding 37 points at Silves and was cut another stroke after finishing joint second.
With the best three scores from four rounds to count, Kennett went into the final round back at Vale da Pinta on Friday in third place among the 36 participants, trailing the leader by four points.
But he was unable to maintain his good form and came in with 24 points while the eventual winner, 15- handicap Scott Ryce from Linlithgow in Scotland, improved his worst score by four points.
There was, however, a second Canterbury success when 17-handicap Neil Webber produced the day’s best score of 41 points to get among the prizes and to climb into sixth place overall.
Three other Canterbury members took part in the week’s activity that ended with a Texas Scramble at the Gramacho course.
Tony Grove, playing off nine, earned a creditable ninth place but Ian Cusselle (h13) and Gordon Miller (h22) finished down the field. Leading scores: 114 Scott Ryce (Linlithgow); 110 Denis Watson (Falkirk); 108 Ian Chapman (Newcastle), Jason Kennett (Canterbury). Other Canterbury scores: 104 Neil Webber; 101 Tony Grove; 85 Ian Cusselle, 77 Gordon Miller.
The intriguingly named Five Bellies Peripatetic Golf Association scored the narrowest of victories to deny Canterbury Businessmen a second successive victory in the South- East Golf Societies Championship at Canterbury.
More than 20 teams competed and FBPGA scored 101 Stableford points in the unique event in which the best two scores from each team of four were added to the worst score to produce the overall total.
Also on 101 points were last year’s champions, Canterbury Businessmen, but a countback ruled that the Purley-based FBPGA quartet of Bob Gamble, Ian Overton, Mike Atherton and James Leslie were the victors.
Canterbury Businessmen, represented by Peter Woodward Bailey, David Hurst, Andrew Kirkland and Steve Skelton, were just one point ahead of third-placed Dover Angling Golf Society’s quartet of Carne Walker, Kev Arman, Neil Davidson and Matt Edgerley.
They needed a countback to finish ahead of the SOFAS team of John Farrier, Richard Young, Gerry Ferrett and Chris Gay, which had a combined age of 317 years.
Nearest the pin at the fifth hole was won by Mike Simmonds, while Steve Girdwood produced the longest drive at the 18th.
Prizes were presented by Canterbury captain Alison Kingston. Scores: 101 points FBPGA, Canterbury Businessmen B; 100 Dover Angling GS, SOFAS; 97 Choughs B; 95 Canterbury Businessmen C, Choughs A; 92 Broadstairs GS A; 91 Cranbrook GS; 90 BTU Southeast; 88 Golden Balls C; 87 Canterbury Businessmen, Goldenballs B, Fox and Goose; 86 Golden Balls A, PRG & Sons, Kimberly Clark; 84 Todgers; 81 Broadstairs B, Ocean GS; 75 Holywell Bandits; 67 Old Coach and Horses; 59 Littlebourne.