Golfer Cable is all wired up for trophy win at Bognor

The winner was John Cable with an excellent nett score of 126. Second was JJ Stephenson on 132, and third Paul Oliver on 135, on countback from Ian Stoneham. Fifth on 136 was Bill Cronin.

The aggregate-of-two-gross scores competition was won by Ian Stoneham with 147, ahead of John Cable on 148 on countback from Olly Tinson. Liam Maskell was fourth on 151 on countback from Craig Johnson.

During the season 65 veterans took part in the four qualifying rounds of the Fletcher Trophy. The final was keenly contested by the 33 best qualifiers.

The winner was Joe Flanagan with 41 points; Peter Lott was second on 40. Vic Ward was third with 38 on countback from Peter Selby and Ian Simpson.

Southwick Park are a hard team to beat home and away. Having lost the away match 5-3 the home match was won by Bognor by the same score.

Scores: John Owen & Vic Ward won 6&5, Jim Catt & Hugh Diaper won 6&5, T Till & J Cookson won 2&1, D Burden & D Sheath won 1 up, G Steventon & A Fitzgerald won 1 up, K Catt & P McCormack lost 2&1, R Hedge & J Barker lost 2 down, B Bennett & P Collins lost 5&4.

Some 16 players took part in the Midweek Medal off the white tees. Roger Selway (left) had a superb win, playing off 16, with a nett score of 61 – and will be playing off 13 next week. Graham Lucas was second on 69, Peter Lott third on 70 and Clive Millett fourth on 71.

Bognor made it to the final of the Exclusive Golf Trophy plate competition in its inaugral year. The competition is sponsored by Mannings Heath Golf Club, owned by the Exclusive Hotel Group.

All Bognor’s games were played away from home with wins over Copthorne and Foxbridge leading to a semi-final in which they defeated a strong Littlehampton team at Hill Barn. The final was played at Seaford and Bognor beat Mannings Heath.

The squad comprised Norman Lee (manager), Alistair Murray (vice-captain), Mick Martin, John Lampard, Roland Heath, Chris Johnson, Den Burgess, Kevin Holton, Rod Searle and Derek Dady (club captain).

AVISFORD PARK

Brian Coughlan, captain of Avisford Park GC seniors’ section, held his charity Stableford, in which more than 50 players took part.

The event raised more than £400 towards his charity for the year, St Wilfrid’s Hospice in Chichester. John Noyce was the overall winner with 44 points.

Division-one winner was Roger White with 40 points and runner-up on countback David Feist with 38. Bob Bridges came third.

Division two was won by Colin Robinson with 39 closely followed by runner-up Mick Joyce on countback with 37 and Brian Parkinson in third place.

Mike Gammon had the best front nine, Martin Crick the best back nine. Nearest-the-pin competitions were won by Barry Goble and Martin Crick and the longest drives by Chris Machin and Vic Fowler.

VALLEY GOLF CHALLENGE

Thirty-two hardy golfers strode out for the third Valley Golf Charity Challenge at Goodwood Park followed by a fund-raising auction and a meal at The Star and Garter, East Dean.

East Dean won a close-fought competition with 245 points, followed by Charlton on 234 and Singleton on 227, which means all three valley villages have now won the Charity Challenge.

Individual winner of the day was Dean Doyle and runner-up Henry Leo.

More than £6,000 was raised for local charity The Sussex Snowdrop Trust by the participants and the corporate sponsors, which include Specsavers, Natwest Bank, Providence Resourses, Pizza Express and Chichester Gas among many others.

The organisers said a big thank-you to sponsors and others who helped make this the most successful event so far.

COWDRAY PARK

On a bright and breezy day, Cowdray Park seniors competed for the Yellowlees Quaiche (a Scottish drinking cup), a medal competition played in memory of popular senior Bill Yellowlees. The trophy was donated by his widow Wendy.

The course was set up with a number of pins in difficult positions, hence higher scoring. The winner, and one of only two players to break 70, was John Newman with a nett 68, and second with 69 was Mike Burgess.

Third place on countback was John Doran with 70 from Paul Tadhunter, who has soon made his mark in the seniors, claiming second place in his second consecutive competition. Such was the difficulty of the course that only one player, John Kitchener, registered a two.

Both sides fielded very strong sides when Cowdray Park seniors visited the West Sussex club at Pulborough.

Cowdray were required to play foursomes, a requirement of the home club. The course provides a severe test, with heather abounding and fast greens testing even the best players.

Cowdray were inspired by the performance of match manager Dave Tilley and Ian Heustice, who set the ball rolling with a 3&1 win.

The second match featured the top senior on either side, Dave Hirons (Cowdray) and Rich Thomas (West Sussex). Ably supported by Mike Hancock, Hirons found the necessary touch to clinch a 2&1 win. The next three matches went the way of the visitors, but those results were reversed with matches starting at 17th tee to give a final score of 5-3 in favour of Cowdray Park and another home-away double.

Results (Cowdray names first): Dave Tilley & Ian Heustice beat Alan Hunt & Andrew Dobson 3&1; Mike Hancock & Dave Hirons beat Chris King & Rich Thomas 2&1; Harvey Terry & John Doran beat Jack Wigan & Roger Skillin 4&3; Keith Barker & Sam Howes beat Mike Elliot & Craig Drummond 2up; John Newman & Peter Burton beat Stuart Reid & Bob Taylor 3&2; Graham Evans & Rob Doney lost to Jon Perry & Keith Mitchelson 2dn; Brian Carpenter & David Laver lost to Mike Harris & Graeme Curtis 6&5; Mike Cardiff & Gary Strowbridge lost to Stuart Bishop & Brian Roberts 4&3.

Cowdray Park seniors fielded two sides on the same day to fulfil the postponed fixture at Hill Barn in Worthing and the aforementioned pre-arranged match at West Sussex GC.

This was the first occasion Cowdray had visited Hill Barn, and, having won the home match 4½-3½, they knew they would be in for a hard struggle. The home side put the visitors to the sword, winning 7-1, although four matches went to the 18th green. Cowdray’s sole winners were Paul Berry & Robert Bridger.

Results: Tony Pike & David Wickham lost to Jeff Redman & Ron Simcock 1dn; Dave Lucking & Barry Overington lost to Brian Male & Martin Goble 2&1; Derek Smith & Colin Tebbutt lost to Keith Pyott & Ian Down 1 dn; Paul Berry & Robert Bridger beat Ray Pritchard & John Steele 2 up; John Smith & Dave Imlach lost to Kevin Davey & Dave Blackman 4&2; John Friend & George Crouch lost to Jatinder Soni & Dave Doyle 7&6; Roger Poat & Robert Strick lost to Dave Parr & Roger Fordham 4&2; Clive Brine & Roy Penrose lost to Jim Chitty & Alan Emery 2&1.

Cowdray seniors continued their strong end-of-season form when they entertained and defeated Farnham 5-3.

It gained revenge for their earlier 5½-2½ defeat at the Sands.

The lead match, featuring match manager David Wickham and Tony Pike, was halved. Cowdray soon established a two-match lead, winning the following two matches by the largest margins of the day thanks to John Doran and John Start (6&5) and Dave Lucking and Peter Burton (4&3).

Later, a win by Paul Berry and Robert Strick clinched victory for the home side.

Results: David Wickham & Tony Pike halved with Jesse James & Terry Phillips; John Doran & John Start beat Dave Slaney & Brian Collyer 6&5; Dave Lucking & Peter Burton beat Ron Last & John Corbyn 4&3; Derek Smith & John Friend lost to Dave West & Brian Newman 3&2; Roger Poat & George Crouch halved with Mark Forrester & John Collinson; Paul Berry & Robert Strick beat Keith Jackson & Peter Miller 2 up; Jan de Vries & Peter Hampel lost to Evan Ames & Bernard Godward 3&2; Roy Penrose & Colin Tebbutt beat Dave Lowery & Gerry Marley 1 up.

CHICHESTER

The ladies’ section held their September EWGA medal (Tuesday).

Results: 1 Amanda Mackenzie 71 nett, 2 Lesly Hance 72, 3 Angela Perkins 73.