Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Holmes proves handy!
Ray Holmes was the only player to better his handicap as he scored a second-round 39 points to win Canterbury’s 36-hole John Hogben Stableford competition on Sunday from a field of 77.
Holmes was seven off the lead and ninth after a first-round 34 points on Saturday but scored four birdies in a second-round gross 77, net 68, to win overall by two from Ken Small in Canterbury’s first “major” of the season.
Small had a birdie four at the seventh as he added a secondround 36 points to his Saturday haul of 35 to take second place by one from John Coupe, who had three birdies and four bogeys in a second-round gross 72 for 36 points and a total of 70.
Holmes had a birdie at the fifth, four pars, three bogeys and a double at the sixth in an outward 18 points but roared back with 24 from further birdies at the 11th, 16th and 18th, one par and five bogeys.
“I’m elated,” he said. “I’ve been struggling for form, not finding the middle of the club very often, but I put a bit of work in and drove it really well. I put myself into good positions and putted really well.
“It all worked out well, especially from being seven back at the start on Sunday, you don’t expect to be up there contending but it was one of those days.”
Neil Parsonson scored 41 points on Saturday to lead by
one at the halfway stage but fell away with a second-round total of 26 for eighth.
Chris Sherwood was fourunder-par for the last eight holes on Saturday to trail by one in second place but ended up tied for fourth with Ian Munday and Tony Mcintyre after a secondround 29 points.
Holmes added: “The ones who were favourite for it fell away a bit but that was irrelevant to me, you’ve just got to play your game. I’m really chuffed.”
Aston Moy scored his best competition round at Canterbury, a gross 75, net 65, for 42 points to win last Wednesday’s men’s midweek
Stableford. Moy was level par for the first nine with a bogey at the second and a birdie at the seventh for 23 points and a further 19 on the back nine saw him win by one.
Derek Horne was one-underpar over the front nine for 24 points with birdies at the first and seventh and a bogey at the fourth and, although he birdied the 11th, one further par and seven bogeys left him a point short on 41 and in second from afieldof59.
Thomas Bertaux scored 40 points, with birdies at the 17th and 18th, and took third place on countback from Steve Eeles and fifth-placed Mick Scott.
Moy said: “It’s my best competition round at Canterbury.
“I didn’t three-putt and that’s always a plus. I was just trying to hit greens in regulation because that’s where I struggle.”
Val Binns scored a stunning 6&4 victory over England and Kent ladies’ seniors captain Angela Jones in the final of the ladies’ scratch winter knockout competition on Monday.
Binns said: “I didn’t expect it because, obviously, Angela is a very good player but I must admit I played my socks off.
“I went out in 37, one-over-par, had a birdie on the third and won on the 14th.”
Elizabeth Carlotti won twice in two days, first hitting a 20-feet 7 iron chip almost dead on the 18th to save par and beat Catherine Hinds one up in the final of the Daphne Hobbs Cup ladies’ winter handicap knockout and, a day later, scoring 35 points to win last Wednesday’s ladies’ April Stableford on countback from Jen Rutherford.
Carlotti needed to recover from losing the 16th and 17th before knocking in a knee-knocker at the last and said: “I’m ecstatic but, honestly, I was shaking at the end.”
On Wednesday, Carlotti was out with a gross 43 for 17 points and added 18 on the back while playing partner and Division 1 winner Rutherford scored 21 points from a two-over outward gross 38 and had totalled 32 before failing to score on the 16th and bogeying the 17th.
Alyson Wreford scored 34 points to take third in a field of 24.
Bernard Disneur scored 37 points despite the wind and rain from a gross 88, net 70, to win Monday’s seniors’ Stableford overall by two points.
Disneur scored 18 points on the front nine and 19 on the back and was the only player to beat par in a field of 56.
Division 2 winner Ian Florence scored 35, with a birdie at the 14th, to take second overall on countback from Andy Newlyn, Trevor Kelly and fifth-placed Don Bower.
Christina Carlotti, 10, won on the 19th hole against 14-yearold Maggie Hunter from Knole Park, Sevenoaks, to reach the second round of the Kent Golf girls’ Milstede Trophy knockout competition on Sunday.