Bognor golfers open their doors for seniors

Chichester GC’s team were on their game than the rest and they again won the Bognor centenary plate. Their team comprised Mike Harrington, Michael Snuggs, John Styles and Norman Moore.

The open trophy was won by Fergus Maclintock from Ham Manor. Division-one winner was Trevor Varri from Emirates Golf; division-two winner was Vic Wells from Ifield.

Special thanks go to the open organiser, club captain Chris Hickling, ably supported by seniors’ captain Jim Catt and many helpers on the day.

Norman Lee won the Bognor Challenge Cup with scores of 71 and 67 for a total of 138. He beat Simon Watts and Tom Stoneham on countback and Rob Kissell was fourth with 139.

Richard Longhurst and Stuart Poyser won the Davis Bowl foursomes with a very impressive 44 points. Rob Kissell and Gary Embleton came second with 41 and Paul Brennan and Grant Twine pipped Richard Hendrick and Andy Field into third with 40 points on countback.

Father and son Chris and Craig Johnson won the Millbourn Cup with a fantastic score of plus ten.

Cameron Lang and Roy Tidy came second with eight on countback from club captain Chris Hickling and Trevor Till.

Johnson had also won the 2015 Challenge Cup and came third with his son in last year’s Millbourn.

Bognor seniors made the short trip to Ham Manor, where they lost 5-1.

The only victors were club captain Chris Hickling and Ken Catt in the last pairings. At one stage Bognor’s David Turner and John Woodhead were three up but managed to lose on the 18th.

Results: Jim Catt & Roger Selway lost 3&2, Clive Millett & Mike Wadley lost 5&3, Hugh Diaper & Alan Fitzgerald lost 3&2, David Turner & John Woodhead 1 down, Andy Isitt & Barry INgate lost 6&5, Chris Hickling & Ken Catt won 1 up.

COWDRAY PARK

Another great Lady Captain’s day organised by Tessa Stockwell saw the sun shining on a full field of smiling players who all set off to their respective tees for a shotgun start.

Everyone generously donated to Tessa’s charity which, with the raffle included, netted an amazing £1,500 for Alzheimer’s research.

An anonymous member had been inspired to donate £10,000 to the charity on Martin Day’s Captain’s Day - the two captains are raising money for the same cause.

The cheque was handed to Elisa Vaughn, representing the charity, who said a few words of thanks before the presentation.

Results: Ladies - 1 Pat White 37pts; 2 Helen Silver 37; 3 Myrna Heustice 34; 4 Frances Marjoram 33; Gents - 1 Chris Bowles 41; 2 Sean Gallagher 38; 3 Todd White 36. Gents over-70s: 1 Phil Pett 37; 2 Ian Heustice 34. Nearest the pins – Linda Doney, Jean Barnett, Terry Adsett and Steve Luckey.

Cowdray Park seniors travelled to Littlehampton hoping to complete the double, and did just that.

They knew the links course would provide a different challenge, but this year the benign weather negated the home side’s advantage.

The opening two matches provided stunning but contrasting results.

Cowdray pair Rob Doney and Mike Briant opened by parring the first nine holes between them to establish a six-up lead at halfway before closing out the match at 7&6.

Match two was almost a complete reversal, with Littlehampton’s strongest pairing showing little mercy to their visitors and running out 8&7 winners.

From then on it was unbridled success, bar one match, for Cowdray, who sealed the win by 5½-2½.

Closest match of the day featured former Cowdray stalwart Jan de Vries, who normally relishes putting one over on his old team-mates, but this time he and his partner met their match in John Smith and George Crouch, with all four players leaving the final green satisfied with their performances and satisfied with a halved match. Results (Cowdray names second): Nigel Smith & Tony Buckley lost to Rob Doney & Mike Briant 7&6; George Clark & Richard James beat Peter Laws & Graham Evans 8&7; Colin Skilton & Roly Steele lost to Chris Hutchings & John Durrell 5&4; Graham Robinson & Jan de Vries halved with John Smith & George Crouch; Richard Edy & Pat Barrett lost to Dave Fowler & Brian Carpenter 3&1; John Grove & Dennis Osbourne lost to David WicKham & Barry Overington 3&2; Tony Tiernan & Geoff Spooner beat Rodney Fisher & Alan Godfree 3&1; Gerry Rooke & Brian Lee lost to Trevor Edwards & Alan Robinson 6&5.

Cowdray seniors entertained West Sussex in their third match in a week, hoping to follow up twins against Pyecombe and Littlehampton.

With the course in superb condition, they left little to chance and ran out convincing 7-1 winners.

Stand-in team captain John Newman was partnered by Roy Penrose, who gave a steady performance to help them run out 5&3 winners.

Dave Gaff and Ken Marjoram turned round a three-hole deficit and they ran out 2&1 winners.

The three following matches all went the way of the home side by wide margins to put them 5-0 up. The match between the top two pairs, Cowdray’s Paul Owen and Peter Laws and West Sussex’s Lex Wills and Adrian White, was won by the home duo by 5&4.

After Cowdray had gone 6-0 up, West Sussex claimed their only victory through Mike Corby and former Cowdray member Jack Wigan.

In the final match, John Durrell and Wally Mitchell secured a 3&1 win.

The return match is on September 12, when Cowdray will play foursomes for the only time during the year.

Results (Cowdray names first): John Newman & Roy Penrose beat Alan Hunt & Stuart Bishop 5&3; Dave Gaff & Ken Marjoram beat Larry Culliford & John Varney 2&1; Chris Hutchings & Chris Hoare beat David Read & Peter Huggett 4&3; Dave Coombes & John Blockey beat Derrick Simpson & Roger Skillin 6&5; Paul Owen & Peter Laws beat Lex Wills & Adrian White 5&4; Colin West & Peter Hallt beat Bill Gray & Rob Davidson 2&1; Bill Birnie & Mike Cardiff lost to Mike Corby & Jack Wigan 5&4; John Durrell & Wally Mitchell beat Graham Curtis & Jeremy Buckwell 3&1.

Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking sports news where you live.

Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be among the first to know what’s going on.

1 Make this website your homepage

2 Like our Facebook page at facebook.com/pages/Sport-Sussex

3 Follow us on Twitter @SportSussex

4 Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.

Share with your family and friends - so they don’t miss out!