Close contests for Tiverton

THE ladies’ President’s Trophy I side at Tiverton have had two tight contests as their season draws to a close.
They followed up a 3½-3½ draw at home against Royal North Devon on Friday with a 4-3 defeat at Teignmouth on Monday.
Rachel Bray (9 and 7), Carolyn Maynard (4 and 3) and Jackie Leonard (2 and 1) were the Tiverton winners against RND while Judy Phripp halved.
Thea Bayly lost 2 down; Sue Norris was defeated 4 and 3 and Annette Cardwell succumbed 1 down.
Youngster Abbie Moyes (4 and 2), Leonard (1 up) and Cardwell (1 up) were victorious at Teignmouth but Norris (2 and 1), Bray (2 and 1), Phripp (2 down) and Sheila Stark (3 and 2) were on the losing end.

The ladies’ Sheelah Creasy Bowl team suffered a convincing 5½-1½ defeat at Dartmouth in their final match of the campaign on Monday.
Shirley Ward (4 and 3) was the sole winner for the visitors and Joan Reed halved, but there were defeats for Gail Stuckey (9 and 7), Trish Bending (3 and 2), Rosemary Venner (6 and 5), Gina Churchill (4 and 3) and Jackie Fuller (5 and 4).

Tiverton halved their Devon League home match 3-3 against Holsworthy on Friday, but because of the scoring system the visitors picked up nine points compared to the hosts’ six.
Antonina Hadjuk (3 and 2) and Marian Stevens (10 and 8) won, Linda Knowles and Janet Simpson halved and Shirley Ward (1 down) and Shirley Turner (1 down) lost.

Mortimore magic

RICHARD Mortimore and his son struck a six-under nett 65 to win the Men’s Invitation by one shot from five pairs at Tiverton on Saturday.
The Mortimores picked up the George Crews Salver after a narrow victory over Ray Pratt and Lazenby, James Lambden and Heath, Ian Budden and A Jermy, David Mallock and Mallock and John Phillips and Wright.
There were also five pairs on 67 – Tony Playford and Keech, Tony Bodgin and Harrison, Neal Gibson and Brenton, Alby Cruse and S Beare and Heath Ellis and Brown, who had three twos between them.

Dartmouth hit for six

TIVERTON’S ladies enjoyed a 6-1 beating of Dartmouth in the Sheelah Creasy competition on Friday.
Irene Byng (2 holes), Joan Reed (5 and 4), Trish Bending (5 and 4), Pat Batchelor (5 and 4), Gina Churchill (4 and 3) and Sue Probetts (2 and 1) were the winners while Rosemary Venner was defeated 5 and 4.
The team continue their campaign with a trip to Dartmouth on July 30.

Former club captain Mike Hurley fired 39 points to win the Veterans Cup by one from David Holland.
Bob Cumes (37), Pete ‘Too Long’ Taylor (36), Alan ‘Knocker’ White (36) and Ian Bray (34) were in the chasing pack.

Ward’s a winner again

HOME player Paul Ward fired an excellent nett 67 in the afternoon to clinch the men’s Brayne-Baker Open by the narrowest of margins at Tiverton on Sunday.
The seven-handicapper, who opened with a 74, posted a one-under 36-hole total of 141 to win on a countback from fellow Tiverton member Jeremy Millett, who had steady rounds of 71 and 70.
Terry Barwell led the way after the first round with a 69 but a 74 in the afternoon left him two behind on 143.
Tiverton senior Barwell won the front-18 nett prize while Ward took the second-round honours with his 67.
Results: 1 Paul Ward (74+67=141); 2 Jeremy Millett (71+70=141); 3 Terry Barwell (69+74=143); 4 Bob Tye (71+73=144); 5 Rhys Cruse (74+71=145); 6 Alan Cooper (74+72=146).

Marian serves up a victory

MARIAN Stevens took time away from pulling pints behind the clubhouse bar to notch 37 stableford points and win the ladies’ Cancer Relief Spoon at Tiverton on Wednesday.
She saw her handicap reduced from 28 to 27 and also qualifies to play in the Goodwin Trophy in October.
There were no cash prizes as all the entry fees go to Cancer Relief.
Results: Silver Division – 1 Val Walker (35); 2 Carolyn Maynard (35); 3 Judy Phripp (33). Bronze Division One – 1 Marian Stevens (37); 2 Carol Scott (36); 3 Chris Williams (35). Bronze Division Two – 1 Kathryn Hall (33); 2 Margot Seamer (33); 3 Amanda Moyes (29).

The ladies’ President’s Trophy I team suffered a 4½-1½ defeat at Thurlestone on Tuesday.
Rachel Bray, Sheila Stark and Bridget Grieve halved their matches but Sue Norris (2 down), Jackie Leonard (4 and 2), Judy Phripp (3 and 2) and Annette Cardwell (3 and 1) were not as successful.

Gary Taylor hit 39 points to win the men's July Midweek Stableford.
Results: Division One – 1 Gary Taylor (39); 2 Eric Cole (38); 3 Richard Furlonger (36); 4 Terry Stone (36); 5 Steve Hosford (35); 6 Simon Greaves (35). Division Two – 1 Dave Milton (37); 2 Keith Chilcott (36); 3 Tom Pilling (36); 4 Trevor Milner (36); 5 Michael Boote (36); 6 Alan White (35).

Roger Norton finished six clear in the veterans' July Stableford after scoring 40 points.
Results: 1 Roger Norton (40); 2 Noel Thomas (34); 3 Walford Gillison (34); 4 Duncan Ferrier (33); 5 George Harvie (33); 6 Cliff Cook (31).

Colin Constable was victorious in the veterans' stableford, his 38 points leaving Graham Dyson (35), Noel Thomas (34), Ken Nicholas (33) and Eric King (33) in the shade.

Tiverton professional Mike Hawton is holding a free family taster session on the club’s practice ground on Tuesday, July 24.
The session, from 5.30pm to 7.30pm, is part of a nationwide recruitment scheme run by England Golf.
For more information or to book a place, call the pro shop on 01884 254836.

Tony is top of the class

GOLFAHOLIC Tony Allsopp completed a stunning Club Championship hat-trick when he scooped Tiverton’s most coveted title for the first time on Saturday.
The primary school teacher has been a champion at two other clubs in the past and he added Tiverton to his list with rounds of 76 and 75 in tough conditions for a two-shot victory over last year’s winner Jim Bray.
While most of the field struggled badly with the gusty winds, tricky pin positions and the course playing as long as it ever has in July, Allsopp had a day to remember as he cleaned up all four leading prizes.
The 51-year-old walked away with the Granlund Scratch Cup, the President’s Cup for the best nett score and both the morning and afternoon nett prizes.
And he was given even more reason to celebrate after his handicap was cut from six to five and the double points on offer lifted him to sixth in the club’s Order of Merit.
Allsopp had to wait until the 36^th and final hole for his first birdie of the day, but it turned out to be crucial as Bray ended up walking off with a double bogey.
“I said to myself that it would be ironic if the one birdie I had all day was on the last hole,” said Allsopp, who won the Club Championship at Bramshott Hill, near Southampton, in the early 1980s and took the title twice at Padbrook Park, Cullompton, in the mid 1990s.
“I hit a 1-iron for safety off the tee but didn’t quite catch it. It was in the semi rough and I had to draw a 6-iron around the big tree.
“For my second shot in the morning I hit a 7-iron and I felt like I should have hit one more, and this time I ended up pin high, about 12 or 15 feet away. The putt just rolled in gently. It was never going to be far past.”
Allsopp, who lives in Plymtree, near Cullompton, fought back from a double bogey on the short 4^th to shoot a 76 in the morning and hold a three-shot halfway advantage over Bray and Dominic Bristow.
Bray, seeking a fourth successive title, teed off earlier than Allsopp and set a challenging clubhouse lead of 153 after a best of the day 74 in the afternoon.
But he was made to regret a woeful day with the putter and a six on the 36^th hole after his approach cleared the green and left him in a dreadful spot.
Allsopp, whose superior finish gave him a 75 and a total of 151, said it was a ploy of keeping the ball in play with 3-woods and 1-irons from the tee that laid the platform for his success.
“I played really well in the winter and won about £350 in prizes at Royal North Devon, but my driving has gone off a bit,” he said. “I thought that if I could keep it in play, I’d have a reasonable chance.
“I don’t think I’ve ever done anything in the Club Championship before, and I was disqualified last year because I didn’t sign my card!”
Allsopp sneaks up to Tiverton for a few holes after work as often as possible and has recently got his wife Karen hooked on the game.
Born in London, he went on to live in Southampton for a number of years and played cricket for Hampshire under-16s, basketball and youth football in Bournemouth.
But golf became his passion once he took up the game in his early 20s. His first handicap was 16 and within two years he had raced down to four, the lowest he has ever been.
He won the Hampshire county foursomes as well as the Club Championship at Bramshott Hill before moving to Devon.
He lifted the Club Championship twice at Padbrook Park before joining Tiverton, where he plays for their Palairet Trophy Devon knock-out team.
Young Matthew Woodgate put together scores of 81 and 76 for a 157 total to finish third at Tiverton on Saturday while Bob Tye’s 82 and 78 for an aggregate of 160 put him fourth.
Multiple champion and double course record holder Simon Waddington (160), who had a nine on the 3^rd, and club manager and former professional Richard Jessop (161) had both been expected to challenge but were unable to find top form, while Bristow’s (162) second-round 83 left him behind them in seventh.
Allsopp was the only player in the field to be under par in the nett competition with his total of 139.
His nett 69 in the afternoon was the only one to break 70 on a day of surprisingly high scoring, even taking into account the soft ground, length of the course, brisk wind and awkward pin placements.
With the tees and most of the flags put at the very back, the course played more than its official yardage of 6,346.
“When I got down to four handicap I set myself a target of breaking 150 gross in 36 holes, and then you’ve had a decent day, and I thought about that on Saturday,” said Allsopp, a teacher at Bowhill Primary School in Exeter.
“I was surprised the scoring was as bad as it was. I don’t think I hit the ball that well but I kept putting it in play and scrambling round.
“I holed out well. The pin positions were tricky and the greens were double cut, and I often came up four feet short or went a bit long. I must have holed 15 putts of about four feet.”
Gary Aitchison, who is top of the Order of Merit, shared the halfway nett lead with him on 70 but a 72 in the afternoon left him three back on level-par 142.
Woodgate also came third in the President’s Cup with 143, beating out fellow junior Rhys Cruse on a countback.
Preferred lies were in operation due to the recent rain and further overnight showers meant the course was closed on Sunday.
Results: Club Championship (scratch) – 1 Tony Allsopp (76+75=151); 2 Jim Bray (79+74=153); 3 Matthew Woodgate (81+76=157); 4 Bob Tye (82+78=160); 5 Simon Waddington (80+80=160); 6 Richard Jessop (83+78=161); 7 Dominic Bristow (79+83=162); 8 Gerry Franklin (84+79=163); 9 Kelvin Woodgate (80+83=163); 10 Paul Ward (80+83=163).
President’s Cup (nett) – 1 Tony Allsopp (70+69=139); 2 Gary Aitchison (70+72=142); 3 Matthew Woodgate (74+69=143); 4 Rhys Cruse (71+72=143); 5 Dave Holland (73+71=144); 6 Jim Bray (75+70=145); 7 Bob Tye (76+72=148); 8 Gary Pilling (74+74=148); 9 Gerry Franklin (77+72=149); 10 Roger Millett (77+72=149).
Order of Merit – 1 Gary Aitchison (121); 2 Keith Williams (113); 3 Lloyd Sampson (105); 4 Rhys Cruse (101); 5 Dominic Bristow (89); 6 Tony Allsopp (87); 7= Jim Bray (84); 7= Robert Mugford (84); 9 Mark Griffiths (80); 10 Ian Loudon (79).

Agonising exit for veterans

                                 Rod Wiltshire
TIVERTON’S veterans put up a gallant fight but were knocked out of Devon’s Emerton-Court Trophy in agonising fashion as Torquay gained the 2½-2½ draw they needed to progress to the semi-finals.
Tiverton, trailing 3-2 after the first leg in South Devon, needed to win by the same margin last Tuesday to force a sudden-death play-off but felt confident of taking the match outright to reach the last four.
The result came down to a short putt on the 18^th green, which frustratingly lipped out for Tiverton’s Derrick Barrett.
All had gone well for the home players in the early stages, but Torquay's strength in depth told as the five fourball matches progressed.
Tiverton's first three pairs of Gerry Franklin (7) and John Phripp (9), Ian Brierley (6) and Mike Hurley (10) and Barrett (9) and Rod Wiltshire (9) fought hard to be ahead by the 13^th, giving home supporters high hopes of a match-levelling 3-2 scoreline.
The other pairs – David Grieve (10) and David Neilson (12) and Roger Tucker (11) and Terry Barwell (12) – started well but were behind at the 13^th against their in-form opponents.
With hopes of success lying with the first three pairs, Tiverton claimed the first point when team captain Hurley parred the 16^th to secure a fine 3 and 2 win and bring the overall scores level.
Tiverton also claimed the next point to take the lead when Franklin and Phripp won their match on the 17^th.
All interest then focused on the third game in which Barrett and Wiltshire were having a real tussle, having been all square at the 4^th, 7^th and 10^th.
Home hopes rose when they went 1 up by the 13^th and they held on tenaciously until the 16^th, when Torquay drew level once again.
The 17^th was halved, and with Tiverton's last two pairs appearing to be heading for defeat, everything depended on a win on the 18^th.
Both Torquay players made mistakes with their approach but Barrett hit a good drive and a fine second to be just off the edge of the green and in an excellent position to claim a par four and win the hole, the match and the chance of success in the play-off.
Unfortunately Barrett's putt from the short rough to the flag was sufficiently off course to make the return tricky.
Torquay sank their putt for a five and with many spectators and players looking on nervously, Barrett hit the ball firmly but it caught the lip of the hole and stayed out.
It was the end of a hard-fought tie which, on balance, Torquay probably deserved to win by playing consistently well in all the games.
For the record, Grieve and Neilson lost 2 and 1 and Tucker and Barwell went down 3 and 2.
“We knew Torquay would be a tough match as they had defeated Yelverton, who had made the final for the last two years,” said team skipper Hurley.
“I was impressed with the team spirit. Everyone was keen to play and win, and perhaps we could have been stronger if injuries had not struck.
“The person who deserves the most credit is Bob Keating, who organised the teams and matches so well. Having to rearrange four matches against Torquay due to the weather was an unenviable task.
“We have had a good run in this competition over the last few years and we will be looking to make an impact again next year.”
Team organiser Keating, in his fourth and final year running the side, believes Tiverton should not have lost to Torquay although injuries and absentees slightly weakened his final pairings.
In the future Keating hopes more of the club's over-60s with lower handicaps will take the opportunity to play in Devon’s premier club knock-out competition for seniors.
At times this season he has struggled to put out his strongest side due to injuries, illness and holidays.
"To be successful we need a strong squad of at least 12 players, probably more," he said.

Jane’s gain on Captain’s Day 

IT was Lady Captain's Day at Tiverton on Wednesday and at last the sun shone for Chris Williams for her individual stableford competition.
The winner was Jane Walton, who scored 40 points to win an engraved pewter jug, qualify for the Goodwin Trophy and earn a handicap cut from 21 to 18.
She finished four clear of Phyllida Dunn, who amassed 36 points to win the Silver Division. Judy Phripp (31) was second in the Silver Division on a countback from Val Walker, who had a three on the par-5 16^th.
Irene Byng won the Bronze Division One prize with 34. In-form Joan Reed scored 33 to come second on a countback from Shirley Turner.
In Bronze Division Two, Annie Mills (32) took the honours ahead of Beryl Walters (32) and Amanda Moyes (30).
Thea Bayly won the best front nine prize with 18 while Carol Scott had the best back nine with 19.
The competition attracted 86 ladies including special guest Judy McKellar, a former member who has moved to France with her husband Peter.
The golf was followed by a buffet dinner attended by 97 members and in her speech captain Chris thanked the ladies for their support and the many cards and presents she had received, including a Standard Fuchsia from the section as a whole.
She also challenged former captain June Carver as to whose year in office was the wettest for June.
In place of the usual mementos provided by the captain, Chris gave the prizes for the raffle in aid of Shelterbox, raising £256.
“All in all it was a very happy day which continued until late that evening,” she said.

Gary Taylor hit 39 points to win the men's July Midweek Stableford on Monday.
Results: Division One – 1 Gary Taylor (39); 2 Eric Cole (38); 3 Richard Furlonger (36); 4 Terry Stone (36); 5 Steve Hosford (35); 6 Simon Greaves (35). Division Two – 1 Dave Milton (37); 2 Keith Chilcott (36); 3 Tom Pilling (36); 4 Trevor Milner (36); 5 Michael Boote (36); 6 Alan White (35).

 Roger Norton finished six clear in the veterans' July Stableford after scoring 40 points.
Results: 1 Roger Norton (40); 2 Noel Thomas (34); 3 Walford Gillison (34); 4 Duncan Ferrier (33); 5 George Harvie (33); 6 Cliff Cook (31).

Colin Constable was victorious in the veterans' stableford, his 38 points leaving Graham Dyson (35), Noel Thomas (34), Ken Nicholas (33) and Eric King (33) in the shade.

 Tiverton professional Mike Hawton is holding a free family taster session on the club’s practice ground on Tuesday, July 24.
The session, from 5.30pm to 7.30pm, is part of a nationwide recruitment scheme run by England Golf.
For more information or to book a place, call the pro shop on 01884 254836.

Captain’s champions

MARTIN Selby, Tony Allsopp, James Lambden and Neil Carthew came in with a nine-under score of 93 late on to take the honours in the Captain’s Day competition on a rare sunny day at Tiverton on Saturday.
Club captain Colin Hart opted for teams of four to start on the 10^th and finish in front of the clubhouse on the 9^th, with two scores to count on the first 15 holes and then all four to count in a nerve-jangling last three.
Alby Cruse, Rhys Cruse, Jim Bray and Ian Toogood were second on 89, and Toogood landed a round of golf for four at Wrangaton by finishing nearest the pin on the 9^th at 69 inches.
On 86 were Andy Brown, Bob Tye, Ed Whall and Robin Sansom as well as Bob Cumes, Alan Snow, Mike Hawkins and Hooper.
The four teams on 84 were Ron Stonebridge, Keith Bassingthwaite, Ian Maclure and David Mallock, who was nearest the pin on the 4^th at 21.9cm, Colin Taylor, Richard Jessop, John Sargeant and Tony Lavery, Tracy Banbury, Jane Walton, Charlotte Snow and Judy Phripp, and Roger Millett, Jeremy Millett, Laurie Lindsay-Carl and Alan ‘Knocker’ White.
The quick-departing group of Simon Budden, Lloyd Sampson, Lee ‘Trott’ Scott and Andy Alford scored 83 but could have finished higher and won a £2 wager rather than owed it after a disaster on the 8^th left them with no points, despite all four receiving shots.
The day raised about £700 for the Captain’s Charity, FORCE. 

Bridget Grieve, Bridget Holland, Annie Straiton and Shirley Ward qualified for the Warren Crocus Trophy thanks to their performances in the ladies’ LGU Medal at Tiverton on Wednesday.
Players had the option of entering the Crocus competition and the top two in both the Silver Division and the Bronze Division qualified for the fourball better-ball stableford event at Dawlish Warren on October 2.
Grieve saw her handicap cut from 19 to 18 and also qualified for the Hamilton Cup after a nett 75.
She and Holland are Tiverton’s Silver Division representatives in the Crocus while Straiton and Ward are in the Bronze section.
LGU Medal results: Silver Division – 1 Bridget Grieve (94-19=75); 2 Phyllida Dunn (90-14=76); 3 Hannah Grant (80-2=78). Bronze Division One – 1 Shirley Ward (102-23=79); 2 Carol Scott (108-24=84); 3 Pat Higgins (108-21=87). Bronze Division Two – 1 Annie Straiton (111-33=78); 2 Jackie Fuller (111-29=82).

 The ladies’ President’s Trophy I team recorded an excellent 5-2 victory at home to Holsworthy on Friday.
Sue Norris (3 and 2), Judy Phripp (4 and 3), Sheila Stark (2 up) and Liz Hall (4 and 2) were the Tiverton winners, Thea Bayly and Jackie Leonard halved and Bridget Grieve lost 1 down.

 The mother and daughter combination of Joan Reed and Alison Kelland continued their great run in the Daily Mail Foursomes competition with a win on the 19^th hole at Teignmouth in the fifth round.

 Harry Callahan, who has been tipped as a player to watch in the coming years, hit 45 stableford points off his 30 handicap to win the juniors’ Futures Trophy on Sunday.
The youngster finished two clear of Nicola Chilcott (36) and three ahead of Matt Watts (49) in Division Two and overall, with Darren Noble (37) and Lewis Watts (30) behind them on 39.
Matt Woodgate (7) scored 37 to win Division One, for players with CONGU handicaps of 28 or below.
Jess Bradley (5) was the runner-up on 36 on a countback from multi-talented sportsman Henry Parkin, who turned down a game of cricket in order to defend the title he won last year.
An encouraging field of 26 players battled it out for the trophy, which was donated a few years ago by the now junior organiser Mark Sangster.
Sangster praised the unfortunate Jonathan Badger, who twisted his ankle on the slope on the 3^rd but soldiered on gamely before having to call it a day after the front nine.

Oh so close for Hannah

TIVERTON golfer Hannah Grant just missed out on a place in the national county championship finals after Somerset were beaten by the brilliance of Glamorgan.
The 19-year-old had won all six of her matches as Somerset won the South West Inter-county Match Week at Perranporth to book a place against Glamorgan in Wednesday’s divisional final at Newport.
But it is the Welsh side who will go to the national finals at Brokenhurst Manor, Hampshire, in September following a 6-3 victory.
Two-handicapper Hannah linked up with former professional and Curtis Cup player Bev New to win their foursomes match in the morning as Somerset went into lunch 2-1 down, and then Glamorgan played superbly to take the afternoon singles 4-2.
Hannah’s mum, Sheila, added: “Hannah was really disappointed but hopes they can go one better next year.”
The men’s Kennard Cup has been rearranged for August 11 after Saturday’s running fell victim to the weather, and the deadlines for knock-out competitions have been extended by a week as players have struggled to fit matches in around the rain.

The recent wet spell meant Holsworthy was something of a quagmire for the Palairet Plate foursomes qualifier on Sunday, when Tiverton underperformed and failed to qualify for the finals day on July 29.
On a day of gusty winds and occasional showers, Tiverton’s three pairs could only manage an aggregate of 74 stableford points to finish way off the pace.
First pair Jim Bray and Richard Jessop got off to a slow start and neither found form with the putter as they scrambled their way to 27 points.
Jack Ridge and Tony Allsopp, who was called in late on due to the unavailability of Jason Frost, scored 24 while Kelvin and Matt Woodgate came in with 23.
Great Torrington and Ilfracombe topped the leaderboard with a highly respectable 102 points in difficult scoring conditions.

Tiverton’s veterans travel to Oake Manor for a friendly on Tuesday and to Minehead on Wednesday, when the ladies have a medal competition.
Friday sees the men take on Heathcoats in a friendly, while the ladies’ President’s Trophy I side entertain Holsworthy. Saturday is Captain’s Day, when teams of four battle it out for Colin Hart’s top prize.