Chart Hills duo keep Open dreams alive

Golf round-up

Two Chart Hills golfers squeezed i nto t he f i nal qualifying round of The Open championship after finishing in the top eight at the Wildernesse, Sevenoaks, qualifying event on Monday.

Mark Collins and Tom Sherreard both finished level par 72 in tied fifth and fought in a seven-way play-off for the last four places.

They both move to the Final Qualifying event on Tuesday at Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club, Deal, where they will battle it out for the three places on offer for this year’s Open.

Thomas Muchmore, from Ashford, missed out by the finest of margins.

He also finished on a level par 72 but did not progress to the final round but is in the reserve six.

There were two other Chart Hills players who finished in respectable positions at the qualifying event but just missed out on the top eight.

Connor Fletcher finished tied 24th with a three-over par 75 and Daniel Bennett was tied 40th with a five-over 77.

The Open is at St Andrews, Scotland, this year from July 16-19.

Jake Spearpoint and Gary Barnett were the winners at Ashford Golf Club’s Championship and Trophy 36- hole competitions on Saturday and Sunday.

Spearpoint won the scratch Championship with a gross 151.

He won after a suddendeath play-off on the 18th hole against Stuart Biden and Lee Beavis-Schiller.

Any ties in previous years had been settled over an 18-hole play-off. This change to the rules meant that there were more than 50 members packing the balcony, cheering in the winners.

The 36-hole handicap Trophy competition was won by Barnett with a net 136.