Bognor golfers unfazed by challenge of English amateur champion

The season got under way for Bognor’s scratch team with their first match in the Southern Counties Scratch League at home to Chartham Park.
Bognor's Katie Field receives her prize in the Sussex girls masters event at her home courseBognor's Katie Field receives her prize in the Sussex girls masters event at her home course
Bognor's Katie Field receives her prize in the Sussex girls masters event at her home course

Chartham’s team included Tom Thurloway, the Sussex and English amateur champion. Bognor won 3-2, a fantastic result. A special mention goes to Harry Isham, who lost one down to Tom Thurloway but played fantastic golf.

Also in the Bognor team were Olly Longlands, Jordan Vincent, Simon Ostrom and James Maclean.

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In a new county format Bognor have been drawn in Group C of the Scratch League and we will also host Banstead Downs. They will also visit Cowdray Park and Mannings Heath.

* The Men’s Glover Cup suffered from wet and windy conditions on day one, limiting entries, but had ideal weather conditions on day two.

Derek Chester won the Glover Cup with a score of plus four. Mark Prothero and Charlie Maginnis were second and third on countback.

* Bognor seniors held their Spring Cup competition, with an excellent turnout of 80. It was a shotgun start followed by a meal and the presentation of prizes by new seniors’ captain Terry Kuhler.

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Winner with an incredible 47 points was Trevor Till, second was Simon Bennett on 40 and third on countback Paul Addison. Divisional awards went to Barry Forey, John Samain and Bryan Boustead.

Bognor are Whyte hotTons of success for MiddletonBognor seniors have played three club matches but all were lost in tight affairs.

In the first Bognor travelled to Lee-on-the-Solent, where they lost 5-3. One Bognor player went to the wrong golf club and only just got there in time.

Worthing GC visited Bognor scarred by two years of being beaten home and away by Bognor’s seniors, but this time had a revamped team.

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Three matches were halved and three were won or lost on the last green. Bognor’s winning margins were greater by one than Worthing’s, but Worthing clinched the match 4½-3½. Bognor visit Worthing in June.

Bognor then travelled to Petersfield for the first leg of the PeteBog Trophy. It was a glorious golfing day but Bognor were pipped 3½-2½ with Bognor’s lead duo of David Turner and Alan Fitzgerald winning their pairs 4&3. The second leg is at Bognor in early June.

* A seniors’ mixed team of ten pairs from Bognor travelled to Ifield GC to contest the Bofield Trophy. This is an alternating annual fixture that has been going on from 2003.

Before this year’s Bognor had won eight times to Ifield’s six. Bognor’s team included Barbara Stevens, who was instrumental in setting up the trophy.

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On a cloudy afternoon on Ifield’s challenging course the teams battled it out in a friendly but competitive atmosphere. Ifield started well with a win but Bognor managed fairly consistent wins through the team, eventually running out winners 5½-4½ and retained the coveted trophy.

Thanks go to the Stevens, the Vincents, the Meloys, the Redmonds, the Conisbees, the Holtons, the Paines and the Delves, plus David Turner and Georgina McCormack and Simon Watts and Sue Monger for taking part.

* The third competition of year for Bognor’s juniors was the Spring Cup, sponsored by the Field family again this year. In windy conditions it proved a tricky day with low scoring the norm. New member Saul Brown played his first competition event over 18 holes.

Harry Isham came out on top with 36 points, made with a one-under-par back nine. He is showing good form and should soon be joining the two handicappers in the club.

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Second was Harry Malin, who also took home the nearest-the-pin prize. The scratch voucher was won by Jake Stoneham.

* Bognor held its fifth Sussex girls’ masters event, supported by several sponsors. Glen Dimplex and TLC joined regular supporters Reynolds, Dukes Motors, Fabco and The Sunday Boys.

The weather was kind as the girls went out in threes with Gudran Nolan starting quick out of the blocks eagling the first and winning the first prize of the day, nearest the pin at the fifth. Nearest the pin in two on the 16th was Katie Field.

There are handicap trophies as well. First place in the handicap event was Alanna Ross from Dale Hill GC, aged just 11 and a good prospect for the future.

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The scratch event saw Bognor’s Katie Field run out winner with a gross 77, winning by five shots. She was chuffed at winning this event at home club and received her trophy and the traditional pink jumper.

Field thanked everyone involved with a special mention to the ladies (Lynn, Ann and Gill) who come out every year to ball-spot and help with rules.

The next stage for both Ross and Field is to see if they’ve qualified to play in Spain in the national tournament run by the Daily Telegraph.