Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Grove back in groove
Tony Grove was relishing his first victory in nearly 11 years after scoring a four-over-par 75, net 65, to win Canterbury GC’S Style Cup in a field of 86 on Sunday.
Grove said: “I believe it’s the oldest trophy we play for - it was presented when the club opened in 1927 and I’m 63 - so I might be the oldest winner of the oldest trophy!”
He covered the front nine with nine straight pars, double bogeyed the 10th, but dropped only two more shots to win overall by three from Stephen Terry, who totalled gross 84, net 68. Ian Munday tallied gross 83, net 69, to take third on countback from Neil Parsonson. Shaun Pilbeam holed in one at the 17th and birdied the seventh and 16th for gross 69, net 70, for fifth overall and a hole in his wallet.
Pilbeam struck a 5 iron for his ace, saying: “It was a good shot and a nice bonus that it went in. I put £100 behind the bar for everyone to have a drink!” Grove last won silverware in 2013 and added: “I’m over the moon with it, really pleased. “I’ve played some pretty ropey golf for the last few weeks but it came good.
“I parred every hole going out, had a little hiccup on 10 with a duffed chip and then started on the par trail again.
“I missed a couple of putts for par on 15 and 17 and the 15th was the only hole where I didn’t get a good tee shot off.
“I slowed my backswing down to get the tempo right and I was chipping and putting well.” Canterbury beat Littlestone Warren 2.5-1.5 in the First Round of the East Kent Evening League Cup at home on Friday. Results: Jack Brockman and Ken Small won 4&3, Andy Davies and Steve Robson halved, Dean Petch and Peter Brisley won 4&3, Kyle Bennett and Paul Stow lost 1 down.
Canterbury’s Enzo Avery is officially a PGA Professional, receiving his certificate from PGA captain Peter Laugher during a graduation ceremony at the University of Birmingham’s Great Hall in Edgbaston.
Avery said: “I won top trainee in the south in year two and three and was so proud to represent Canterbury Golf Club when my name was called out to collect my award as one of the top 15 students in my year group of 120.
“The first three years to become a PGA Professional is a foundation degree and I’m now going on to try to complete a Bachelor of Science honours degree.”
Kevin Hunt scored personalbest totals of gross 76, net 67, to win last Wednesday’s men’s Midweek Medal competition and chalk up his first victory at Canterbury.
Hunt birdied the ninth for a level-par front nine with a bogey at the seventh and came back with five pars and four bogeys to win by three from Bob James, Nathan Christie and fourth-placed Steve Robson. James tallied 92, net 70, for second on countback from
Christie and fourth-placed Robson. New member Christie was playing in only his fourth Canterbury competition and covered his outward nine in sixover-par before covering the back nine in eight-over. Scratch handicap Robson was out in two-under-par with birdies at the first and fourth and back in one-over with a further birdie at the 14th.
Brett Davies chipped dead for a birdie at the last, as he, Shaun Pilbeam, Stuart Gray and Michael Bidwell scored 84 Stableford points to win Monday’s Bank Holiday 1, 2, 3 Team Waltz.
Davies also birdied the sixth and seventh, Gray the fourth, 16th and 18th and Pilbeam the fifth and 13th as they won by one point in a field of 16 teams. Alan Edmunds, Eric Norton, Mark Bailey and James Strachan tallied 83 to take second on countback from Colin Shaxted, Paul Grant, Thomas Bertaux and John Hardy.
Claire Wilson scored 34 points to win Saturday’s Ladies’ Weekend May Stableford on countback from playing partner Jacqui Mount.
Wilson mis-hit her opening tee shot and failed to score on the fifth and eighth for 15 points out but then found her form on the back nine, adding 19 to claim her second win of the year. Mount tallied 18 points on the front nine but was limited to 16 coming back. Clare Mills scored 29 for third in a field of eight. Wilson said: “I duffed my first drive and thought: ‘Oh well, let’s just use today as practice’ and the first nine wasn’t even very good practice.
“I was surprised to win given the conditions. The course was stunning and we had the right weather.”
Sarah Wetherell and Alison Mason scored 35 points to win last Wednesday’s club round of the Ladies’ England Golf Australian Spoons Foursomes. They go through the South Region Final at Royal Blackheath GC on June 18. Gillian Soutar tallied an outward 20 points and birdied the 14th in an inward 18 to win last Wednesday’s Ladies’ Stableford by two from Wilson. Margaret Francis was third from a field of 13. Canterbury Seniors won their first match this season with a 3.5-2.5 victory at home to Ashford. They lost 6-0 at Prince’s last Wednesday and 4.5-1.5 at home to Sene Valley on Friday. Callum Ferrett gave himself an early birthday present when he broke 100 in a club competition for the first time with 99, net 70, to win Sunday’s Juniors’ Redpath Trophy on countback from Scarlett Newing. Ferrett, who turns 14 later this month, was out in 48 gross and back in 51 to pip Newing, who covered the front nine in 46 and the back in 53.