Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Putting key for Chris
Chris Stephens said his putting was the key after making light work of heavy weather to win Sunday’s Kent County Playing Fields Association medal, his first club silverware. Stephens, with a gross 81, net 68, was the only player to beat par in a starting field of 88, playing in persistent rain and strong winds throughout. He won by four shots from Jack Reed and five from thirdplaced Colin Shaxted, who held off Gordon Miller, Bert Whyte, Stephen Zachry and seventh-placed Simon Leggatt on countback. Stephens said: “The putter helped me out an awful lot. My putting is not normally my best shot but it was what held the round together.
“I’ve won seniors and other stableford competitions but this is the first bit of silverware so I’m very pleased. It wasn’t very nice out there but we managed it and it’s amazing really that I was the only one under par.” Wayne Catherall scored his personal best competition round, a gross 83, net 67, to rack up 40 stableford points and fulfil his ambition of winning the highly coveted Adsett Salver on Wednesday. Catherall won by one, from Emmanuel Madefekumba and third placed Hugh Burton. Sandro Carlotti joined the rapidly growing list of first time Canterbury competition
winners when he compiled his best return of 38 points to win the club’s first Mixed Midweek Stableford trial. Carlotti beat his previous highest stableford return by six to win by one from Geoff Plommer. Club president Ali Kingston was third, holding off Dan Cook, who eagled the first hole.
Alyson Wreford scored a superb 37 stableford points in foul weather to win the Ladies’ Margaret Vernon Cup on Saturday.
Wreford won by one point from Sue Jones, who held off Ali Ord and fourth-placed Elizabeth Carlotti on countback. Sally Tatton won Wednesday’s KCLGA Prize with 39 points, two ahead of Katy Ellis-jones and third placed Maxine Field. Seniors captain Neil Parsonson duly won the Seniors Captain’s Cup Stableford competition on Monday, scoring a gross 81 for 40 points, to win by one from last year’s club captain Stephen Bowles, who edged Geoff Stockwell into third place on countback.
Richard Wallis won the PGA South Order of Merit for the sixth time in 10 years after finishing fourth in the final OOM event of the season, the PGA Southern Professional Championship last Wednesday. On Monday Wallis, finished tied for third in the PGA Surrey Open Championship at Cuddington, four points behind winner Matt Ford.
His other nearest challenger Jordan Godwin (Rochester & Cobham) tied for seventh place. Two days later, at Kings Hill, Wallis scored a six under par 66 for 43 stableford points, one behind the three joint winners, with Godwin tied for 15th and Ford tied for 25th place. That meant the Canterbury golfer topped the pile by 108 points.
He said: ‘’On my current form I knew if I played relatively safely and didn’t do anything silly I would be all right.
“I could have had a tied first but I’m over the moon to win the Order of Merit and finish top of the tree again.
“I’m grateful for all the support I receive from the members and my pupils at Canterbury and, of course, my sponsors, Ken Williamson from Strata, Kevin
Williamson from Synergy and Bill Pearson, from Morgan’s Pomade.’’
WHITSTABLE & SEASALTER
Caroline Weal was the Division 1 September medal winner at Whitstable and Seasalter GC. She won on countback from Holly Butler, both with a very respectable net 68. Maggie Reeves was third on net 73. In Division 2, Carol Doghan was first with net 69, Viv Costello second on net 71 and Helen Foad third, net 74. Fran Hollingsbee had a great round to walk off the clear winner of the Lady Captain’s Day event with 39 points. Janet Henley came second on 37 points and Annie Stirling took third on countback with 36 points from Marilyn Squire. Front nine winner was Caroline Weal and back nine was Marilyn Squire, both on 19 points.
In the Autumn Greensomes four pairs finished on 32 points but the clear winners with a solid 36 points were Louise Tucker and Vicky Lewis. John Clarke hosted his sixth and final Ladies Presidents Day. Best front nine prize went to Pat Bensted and best back nine to Sue Hope.
Karen Fowler was second, beating Penny Perkins on count back, both with a respectable 33 points.
Winner with 36 points was Louise Tucker-picking up the trophy that she last won in 1992.