David Southgate, a seven-handicap player, won the Coronation Cup at his home course by nine shots from three-handicap Greg Hills at Felixstowe Ferry, writes Tony Garnett.
Southgate, one of the early starters, had an opening round of 76 (net 69).
In the afternoon he had 71 (net 64), despite a double at the first, and was able to wait in the club house with little fear of being overhauled.
Southgate was third in the gross scores behind Rhodri Harston and Adam Sheldrake. It was a memorable day for a player who started his golf at Fynn Valley. His handicap has come down from 10 to seven over the past year and now it will be reduced again.
Harston, who works in London, plays most of his golf at Muswell Hill. He represented them in the Thornton Cup, the Essex equivalent of the Stenson Shield, when they knocked out Stoke by Nayland. Since then they have gone out to Warley Park.
There was a field of 71 with many leading players from Suffolk and Essex in action. The light was fading fast by the time the final three-ball finished. Had the field been any bigger they would have needed floodlights on the Martello tower.
Coronation Cup - leading gross scores
Felixstowe Ferry unless stated
142: R Harston (Muswell Hill and Felixstowe Ferry) 71 71.
146: A Sheldrake 72 74.
147: D Southgate 76 71, G Hills 70 77.
148: C Fleming (Ipswich) 75 73.
149 J Price 73 76.
150: J Seeley (Newton Green) 80 70.
151 N Meadows 76 75, S Byford (Ipswich) 74 77.
152: B Medcalf (The Rayleigh Club) 78 74, B Sayers 76 76.
154: M Pipe 80 74
155: A Sharrocks (Colchester) 83 72, D Nicholls (Colchester) 78 77, J Blackmore (Colchester) 77 78, R Oakey (Newton Green) 75 80, S Weidner (The Rayleigh Club) 74 81.
156: H Hodgson (Woodbridge) 81 75, J Forgan (Stowmarket) 81 75, T Hedin (Aldeburgh) 78 78.
Other scores included:
159: S Coonan (Woodbridge) 81 78.
160: R Dzierozynski (Woodbridge) 79 81.
161: C Schwer 84 77, G Last (The Suffolk) 81 80, C Weller (Diss) 79 82.
162: J Holland (Woodbridge) 84 78, K Newnham (Colchester) 83 79, J Tyler (Ipswich) 82 80, D Rosser (Woodbridge) 81 81.
- It’s been a memorable fortnight in the career of 17-year-old Habebul Islam. The Ipswich Golf Club junior captain helped England to victory in the Boys’ Home internationals at Royal Dornoch.
Then he was at Royal Portrush and Portstewart, in the Boys’ Amateur Championship together with Suffolk colleagues Alfie Halil and Max Adams. All three missed the cut in a field that included the cream of boys’ golf from all over the world.
Next year, perhaps, one of them will progress to the match-play stage when the event will be staged at Saunton (East and West courses).
- In the Beaumont Trophy for seniors (handicaps 13 to 20) holders Bury St Edmunds will meet Woodbridge at Diss tomorrow. The other semi-final between Haverhill and Fynn Valley will be at Newton Green on the same day. The venue for the final on September 19 is yet to be decided with Bury St Edmunds still involved.
Bury St Edmunds: Colin Gray, Steve Beahan, John Cauldwell, Jon Mecham, Steve Finch, Stewart Chapman, Stuart Lowe, Alex Clarke. Captain: Paul Hadley.
Woodbridge: Stephen Hewett, Nigel Smith, Stuart Binns, Martin Butcher, Spike Powell, Paul Brunning, Paul Harrop, Tony Rubin. Reserve: Richard Pearce. Captain: Malcolm Crissell.
Haverhill: Bob Hammett, Eric Kiddle, Andrew Cornish, Tom Harrison, Steve Nichols, Dennis White, Chris Briggs, John Levey.
Fynn Valley: Ralph Deex, Brian Cook, Colin Sparrow, Roy Gibbs, Ian Clouting, John Stevens, Andy Miller, Kevin Bird.
- The annual Suffolk Ladies golf event at Hintlesham was won by the Woodbridge team of Jan Fawdry, Sheila Manning, Jane O’Riordan and Kate Simmons with 119 points.
One point behind were Lizzie Johnson, Sue Lockwood, Sarah Williams and Jan Doe of Newton Green.
Wendy Hayes, Gill Till, Diane Clarke and Hilary Bidwell of Ufford Park were third with 117.
Sponsor Detmar Hackman of Sabona presented the prizes. The day was organized by Eunice Gray.
- Sarah Attwood of Fynn Valley had the third hole in one of her career at the eighth on her home course. She was playing with Ray Palmer, Alan Stanhope and Dave Gallon.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here