Bramhall Park boost Hospice
GOLFERS from Bramall Park Golf Club raised a bumper £16,250 for St Ann’s Hospice from its annual AM AM competition which attracted 200 golfers.
It brings the total raised for the hospice since the event began 13 years ago to more than £175,000.
The 50 teams included the club’s Captain Simon Bedford and Lady Captain Jo Coutts.
Organiser Jan Cowan said: “I’d like to thank everyone for their generosity and kindness. It was an incredible day and people entered into the true spirit of the day from early in the morning til late at night. The amount raised is exceptional.”
“I’m very passionate about hospices and the atmosphere at the club that night showed our warm affection for St Ann’s Hospice.”
“It’s a charity close to the hearts of our members who again gave us fantastic support, along with our sponsors and wonderful volunteers.”
After the golf, a live band Clockwork provided entertainment, there was a summer sizzling BBQ , a Grand raffle and auction which was run by Davenport pro Tony Stevens.
Main sponsors were Williams BMW, while jewellers Slacks and Andrews, Prestons and Harvey’s the Jewellers kindly donated raffle and auction items along with local businesses in the area.
Eamonn O’Neal, Chief Executive of St Ann’s Hospice, said: “We cannot thank Bramall Park Golf Club enough for their amazing support. As a charity we only receive about a third of our funding from the NHS, so this generous donation is a huge help funding care for patients with life-limiting illnesses, their families and carers.”
A Midweek Stableford at AVRO was won by Chris Robinson with 33 points, one more than Peter Atkinson, Neil Flood and Michael Thornber.
The top pair in the AVRO Captain v Vice Captain’s competition were Stephen Callaghan and Peter Walker with 35 points.
It was close for Cheadle’s men in the medal for the Robert Brown Trophy with Phil Carter winning a cpo on 61 from Tim Hallam, two less than Duncan Clarkson.
Cheadle ladies played a singles Stableford and Beverley VanRoss was out on her own with 36 points from Jacquie Popplewell 31 and Brenda Peak 30.
The John Bullock Trophy par competition for Disley’s men produced some great scores led in by club legend Tony Collinson on -9 from Paul Holtom and Phil Leabtter. Both -7 and Neil O’Brien -6.
A ‘Third Time Lucky Millenium’ medal for Disley’s ladies was won by Jean Blackie on 70 from Lindsay Pulley 71 and Gloria Keeley 72.
Medal action for Gatley’s men saw Scott Keelan on top of division one with 66 from Matthew Milnes 69 and Richard Rood 72.
In division two Neil Paton was top of the shop with 73, one clear of Michael Coffey
A singles Stableford for Gatley ladies had Younghee Cheung on top with 28 points, four more than Pamela McKean.
Heaton Moor’s men played the first round of the Professional’s Bogey and cricket legend Ian Collins led in on +1 from judo starMartin McSorley level par and Stephen Littlewood and Dave Rodden, both -1.
Stableford action for Mellor and Townscliffe ladies had Eileen Lewis in charge with 35 points from Lesley Parkinson 33 and Pat Daniels and E Howard, both 29.
M and T’s men played a BB medal for the Whittington Plate and L and T Conway led in with 66.0 from M Priestley and B Gee 67.4,and K and S Conway 69.2.
The closing medal for New Mills men was won by Patrick Walker with 64 closely followed by Mark Brooks 65 and Steven Hall and Phil Ardern, both 66.
The Players Prize for the best aggregate of the season went to Ian Harding with 265 from Gary Yates 265 and Robert Walsh, Ben Williams and Keith Wright, all 267.
The final medal for Romiley’s men was won by Andrew Jackson with 68 from Mark James 69 and Andy Smith, AS Martin and Gary Williams, all 70.
It needed a cpo on 34 points to see Heather Denton on top in a ladies Stableford at Romiley from Anne Harrison and juts a point off the pace were Pam Santopaolo, Jackie Purcer and Angela Slate.
The switch of the latest Manchester Alliance fixture to Bolton Old Links Golf Club proved to be a great success as a full field of players enjoyed a challenging course in pristine condition with terrific greens.
There was a close contest in the individual pro section with Phil Archer sharing top spot with Scott Howarth (Davenport) with 39 points ahead of Sean Blinkhorn (Leigh) 38 and Jamie Howarth (Davenport) 37.
Former Alliance Captain Mark Smith, the professional at Stamford Golf Club, got terrific support from his young partner Josh Ainscough as they amassed a huge haul of 47 points to finish well clear of Sean Blinkhorn and his Leigh partner Dan Crook 44 and Ollie Pantoja (Ashton-on-Mersey) and his partner Stephen Hazlitt, the home club Captain 41.
The top am am pair were Brett Collier and Ian Redmayne (Prestwich) with 44 points, three more than Alan Schofield and Steve Jackson (Bolton Old Links) who won a cpo from another home pair Dean Hibbert and Jim O’Gara.
The Manchester and District Golf Alliance is the biggest and most active of its kind in the country with over 110 clubs, including all of our local ones, and each year they select a Captain with the role alternating between amateurs and professionals.
The 2018/19 season sees Dukinfield professional Dave Green in the role which he is relishing having played in the Alliance for many years with plenty of playing success.
Dave said: “I was a junior member of Denton Golf Club and then moved into the professional ranks with their professional Mike Hollingworth and did my PGA training with him.
“I got the job as successfully Dukinfield professional in 2004 so I will have been at the club for 15 years in February 2019.
“Among my major playing successes are winning the PGA Captain and professional in Turkey with Steve Warburton in 2011.
“Just recently I finished fifth in Portugal in the PGA Lombard trophy with a Dukinfield member member Andy Nolan and twice in Alliance competitions. I have played in the MDGA since I was 18 as an assistant to Mike - only when he wasn’t playing as he played most weeks.
“I am very happy to follow in Mike’s footsteps as he was a previous Alliance Captain 10years ago.
“The Alliance has been made so successful by the organisation that’s been involved over the, I started playing when Bert Thompson and George Hill were the organisers and throughout President John Dowd’s involvement with the sponsors has contributed massively to the ongoing success and stands out as the best Alliance in the country
“It is a privilege and an honour to be President of such a fantastic golfing community that lives up to its motto of ‘Friendship through Golf’ in its weekly winter competitions and the unique Inter Club Knock Out summer competitions.
“The success of the Alliance is shown by the number of professionals who support the Alliance winter competitions, which include a match play knock out and the Order of Merit.
“Members of Alliance clubs can enter the weekly competitions and find out more about the Alliance activities on the website www.mdga.org.uk.”