Goodwood ace in good shape for GB & Ireland PGA Cup bid

The PGA Cup is the most prestigious event for club professionals and involves a team from Great Britain and Ireland playing the USA every two years.

The GB&I team took the historic Llandudno trophy in 2015 and this year’s captain Albert MacKenzie has been preparing the team to defend the title.

McDonnell said: “Mackenzie and his vice captains Cameron Clark and Martyn Thompson have done a fantastic job in preparing everything for the players leading up to the event.

“The team had a two-day get together in July at Foxhills. This was a chance to break the ice with players we didn’t know too well. The key to the week is that we have a fantastic team bond.”

McDonnell has been preparing himself for the tournament by contesting some local PGA events and playing as much as possible at Goodwood alongside his coaching and management of the academy. But while he has been focussing on his own game, he also has great confidence in those around him.

He said: “The team this year has a wealth of experience with every player having had a Tour appearance at some point in their careers. A large amount of players are making their PGA Cup debuts, making it a very special event for each individual.

“No doubt there will be nerves; however, that’s where our experience will be key in making sure we focus on the job in hand.

“I think we all have the same amount of respect for each other. We all look up to each other. We are all here on merit and know what each individual has achieved and is capable of. I look up to all the members of the team, they have all achieved so much success and the chance to learn from these players is very exciting.”

SELSEY

Two mixed competitions were due to be played. The Godding Bowl was won by Iain and Sam Jones, but the Tom Keep was cancelled because of torrential rain.

For the men’s section, the July Cup was played. It is an annual pairs competition and is always a lot of fun. This year the competition was won by Chris Lyon and Brian Blackman with a combined score of 78 points.

Another much-anticipated pairs competition was played, the Ronnie Edwards Foursomes. It starts on Friday evening with a dinner for members wishing to enter the competition on the following day. A draw takes place to establish the pairings.

On the Saturday the competition was played and the overall winners were Barry Rishman and Simon Brooks. They also got the lowest gross score, 79 points.

Selsey ladies’ Grandmothers Trophy was presented to the ladies many year’s ago by Meg Mearns when she became a grandmother for the first time. Every year the trophy is played, followed by afternoon tea.

This year, for the first time, Meg won the trophy. It was also her birthday while Doreen Scragg was also celebrating her birthday.

The Margaret Bond Cup was won by Beverley Guest with 33 points.

The Daily Mail Foursomes Trophy was won by Meg Mearns and Barbara Winter. Rosalie Parker and Chris Westward came second.

CHICHESTER

The veterans’ Claret Cup was won by Martin Powell-Jones, who received the trophy from vets’ captain Nigel Wood.

There was a good turnout of 55 vets with the first six all scoring above or equal their handicap.

Results: 1 Martin Powell-Jones 41pts; 2 David Galloway 38; 3 John Styles 37; 4 Tony Marsden 37; 5 Mike Beer 37; 6 Paul Hills 36.

COWDRAY

Fifty-four pairs played in the Cowdray mixed open on a beautiful day, perfect for golf.

The course and the halfway hut refreshments put the entrants in a good mood and the winners were Ian and Sarah Moore from Cams Hall with 43 points. A total of £235 was raised for the ladies’ captain’s charity, Macmillan

BOGNOR

The Autumn Tankard is a men’s competition of 36 holes – 18 on Saturday and 18 on Sunday.

Over the two days, 200 players took part and prizes are given for each of the three divisions on both days and the 36-hole scratch and nett scores. Congratulations go to Andrew Field on a successful defence of last year’s Autumn Tankard victory.

A first round of level handicap left Field three shots off the pace but an excellent gross 67 (nett 63) on Sunday was good enough to secure the win by four shots.

Andrew Greig came second with scores of 69 and 68. Club vice-captain Robert Holland was third with 73 and 65 for a two-under-handicap total of 138. James Woosley and Simon Ostrom lost out for third place on the countback, coming fourth and fifth respectively.

Field also retained the Scratch Tankard. This is awarded to the player with the lowest gross total over the Spring and Autumn Tankards. His final-round 67 was good enough to win the trophy by two shots over runner-up Jake Stoneham.

Results: Saturday Div 1 - 1 Rob Kissell nett 67, 2 Mick Martin 67, 3 Gary Embleton 68; Div 2 - 1 Peter Hammond 68, 2 Graham Harmes 68, 3 Paul Brenna 68; Div 3 - 1 Nick Longlands 67, 2 Steve Brooker 68, 3 Matthew Reynolds 70. Sunday: Div 1 - 1 Andrew Field 63, 2 Robert Holland 65, 3 Dom Rainey 67; Div 2 - 1 Grant Twine 65, 2 Martin Donohoe 68, 3 Chris Lovell 68; Div 3 - 1 Gareth Brown 69, 2 Paul Black 70, 3 Richard Doherty 70.

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