Hannah’s Belfry bonus

TIVERTON golfer Hannah Grant is off to The Belfry after qualifying for the national finals of the ladies' Glenmuir Pairs tournament.
The 20-year-old and her partner, Enmore Park’s Pat Rodgers, won 4 and 3 in their final regional knock-out match in Wiltshire on Sunday to make it through.
Grant had to give 11 and 12 shots to their opponents from Ifield, playing at Tidworth Garrison as a neutral course.
The weather was unpleasant, with a very strong wind blowing, but two-handicapper Grant and Rodgers coped well to record the win.
They will now head to multiple Ryder Cup venue The Belfry for the final in the spring.
In previous rounds they beat two pairings from Came Down, Dorset, at Enmore, overcame Teignmouth away and had a bye given to them by Worlebury.
Grant’s mum, Sheila, said: "The finals are due to be held on April 6 and Hannah understands it will be on the Brabazon course, which she can't wait to play."
Grant is hoping club-mate Jessica Bradley can make it a double for Tiverton by getting through to the national final of the Glenmuir ladies’ club champions tournament, which will also be held at The Belfry in April.
Bradley, 15, beat England seniors star Sue Ellis in the sixth round at Lyme Regis to get within touching distance of the final.

Meanwhile, Grant was in fine form again on Wednesday as she won the ladies' October Par at Tiverton.
The youngster posted a score of +2 thanks to three birdies – a two on the 4th, a three on the 12th and a two on the 14th.She pipped 14-handicapper Teresa Birchmore, who was the only other player to shoot under her handicap on +1.
Both players qualified for the Kirkman Dish, which will be played in April 2008.
October Par results:
Silver Division – 1 Hannah Grant (+2); 2 Teresa Birchmore (+1); 3 Rosemary Perry (0).
Bronze Division One – 1 Trish Bending (-3); 2 Jill Ford (-4); 3 Liz Hall (-5).
Bronze Division Two – 1 Kath White (0); 2 Margot Seamer (-2); 3 Elizabeth Marriott (-2).

Marian serves up a win

MARIAN Stevens lifted the ladies’ Goodwin Trophy at Tiverton after posting 37 stableford points.
The club barwoman won on a countback from Sheila Ball and her handicap has now come down from 27 to 26.
The event was contested by qualifiers from stablefords throughout the season.

Phil Moulding and club caterer Andy Lovell were victorious in the Pink Bag Golf Society’s away day at Oake Manor on Saturday after shooting a full-handicap better-ball score of 48 stableford points.

Sue puts Tracy in the shade again

 SUE Norris came in with a one-over nett 75 to win the ladies' LGU Medal at Tiverton on Wednesday, when the high scoring pushed the standard scratch up three to 77.
Norris saw her handicap cut from 16 to 15 after finishing one clear of Tracy Banbury, who was the runner-up for the second week in a row.
Results: Silver Division – 1 Sue Norris (91-16=75); 2 Jackie Leonard (93-16=77); 3 Jessica Bradley (82-5=77). Bronze Division One – 1 Tracy Banbury (100-24=76); 2 Ann Pearcey (106-28=78); 3 Rosemary Venner (105-26=79). Bronze Division Two – 1 Margot Seamer (115-35=80); 2 Enid Harding (112-32=80); 3 Kathryn Hall (116-34=82).

Graham Dyson notched 37 stableford points to win the veterans' Stan Sage Trophy.
Gerry Franklin shot 36 to be second on a countback from Ken Kirk. Duncan Ferrier was fourth on 35 while David Mallock, Les Tufft and Rod Wiltshire all came in with 34.

Mixed fortunes for Tivvy

 THERE was some fine golf played in good weather in Tiverton’s mixed match at Exeter on Sunday, but the visitors ended up on the losing side 5½-4½.
Results: Mark Sangster and Abbie Moyes won 4 and 3; Alan and Charlotte Snow lost 3 and 2; John and Judy Phripp halved; Steve Buchanan and Jane Walton lost 1 down; Roger and Sue Persey won 7 and 5; David and Trish Bending lost 2 down; Jim Walton and Tracy Banbury lost 3 and 1; Keith and Nicola Chilcott lost 3 and 1; Brian and Liz Hall won 3 and 2; Bob Clayden and Sue Thompson won 1 up.

 The Captain’s team led by Colin Hart won 6½-3-½ in their annual season-closing challenge match against the Vice-presidents’ side on Saturday.

Jess maintains victory march

JESSICA Bradley’s winning form shows no signs of coming to an end – and she fired her lowest ever round at Tiverton to take the juniors’ Barry Austin Shield.
The 15-year-old hit an excellent one-over gross 75 for a nett 69, which was reduced to a 65 with her four courtesy shots.
Abbie Moyes made it a girls’ one-two with a nett 66, which brought her handicap down from 13 to 12, while Bradley’s came from six back to five.
Six-handicapper Ollie Taylor was in a group of three boys on 69 after an amazing round.
Starting on the 10^th, he ran up a 10 on the par-4 17^th to be out in 41 but then came back in two-under 34 for a gross 75.
Junior captain Matt Woodgate, who won the Amory Putter last weekend by beating Anne Franklin in the final, finished nearest the pin on the 14^th.
A nine-hole stableford was played alongside the main event and 54-handicapper Tom Hewitt was victorious with 27 points.
Meanwhile, Bradley travelled to Lyme Regis to play in the sixth round of the Glenmuir tournament for lady club champions – two days after winning the South West Foursomes alongside Hannah Grant.
Playing the course for the first time, the youngster moved through to the next round with a 3 and 1 victory over Sue Ellis, from Ferndown in Dorset, who had just returned from representing England in an international seniors match.
She is now closing in a spot in the final at The Belfry in April, and was expecting to hear further details from the organisers this week.
Bradley played for the Devon ladies second team in the inter-county matchplay at Sherborne, where her side narrowly missed out on retaining the title after being beaten by Dorset.
She has also been selected for the ELGA South West select training squad and started her stint with them at the weekend at Woodbury Park, the East Devon complex that has just been sold by Nigel Mansell.
Results: Barry Austin Shield – 1 Jess Bradley (75-6-4=65); 2 Abbie Moyes (83-13-4=66); 3 James Bradley (99-30=69); 4 Tom Mackenzie (109-40=69); 5 Ollie Taylor (75-6=69); 6 David Robshaw (114-40=74).Nine-hole stableford – 1 Tom Hewitt (27); 2 Ben Hearn (19); 3 Tom Hanson (19); 4 Jenny Sangster (19); 5 Alex Dudley (17); 6 Connie Hughes (16).

Amanda Moyes was the overall winner of the ladies’ October Stableford after topping Bronze Division Two with 39 points.
She earned a handicap cut from 32 to 30 and qualified to play for the Goodwin Trophy this Sunday. Tracy Banbury finished second with 36.
Results: Silver Division – 1 Sue Persey (33); 2 July Phripp (32); 3 Jo Lloyd-Davies (29). Bronze Division One – 1 Tracy Banbury (36); 2 Alison Kelland (35); 3 Joan Reed (32). Bronze Division Two – 1 Amanda Moyes (39); 2 Kath White (30); 2 Anne Franklin (29).

Sid back in business

 LEE Davey proved his bouncebackability was as impressive as England’s rugby team as he recovered from an indifferent run of form to storm to victory in the men’s Old Tiverton Cup on Saturday.
The self-confessed golfaholic, nicknamed Sid, got cut to single figures during a rich vein of form early in the summer but somehow then played 20 consecutive competitions over his handicap to go up from 9.4 to 11.4.
But rather than go up to 12, he is now back to 10 after a stunning nett 63 in Tiverton’s own ‘cup winners’ cup’.
Davey, who qualified by winning the Johnstone Cup in May, birdied the 1^st to set him on his way and his impressive holing out was capped by a 20-footer on the 17^th for another birdie after he had looked to be in trouble down the left off the tee.
A bogey at the last did not spoil his party as he sealed a comfortable win over nearest challenger Simon Waddington, who fired the lowest gross score of the day with a one-over 72 for a nett 67.
Brayne-Baker Open champion Paul Ward had a 68 while Captain’s Qualifier Scratch winner Jim Bray, playing with Davey, was challenging his partner for a while before once again failing to capitalise on the makings of a low round as he slipped to a nett 69.
A stableford open to all was played alongside the Old Tiverton Cup and Davey completed a profitable day by winning that as well with 44 points.
Waddington was his nearest challenger with 40 while Division Two belonged to Jon Cockbain, who scored 37.
Stableford results: Division One – 1 Lee Davey (44); 2 Simon Waddington (40); 3 Paul Ward (39); 4 Lloyd Sampson (39); 5 Tony Lavery (39); 6 Rod Wiltshire (39). Division Two – 1 Jon Cockbain (37); 2 John Stuckey (36); 3 Dave Horn (36); 4 Steve Cox (35); 5 Steve Hosford (34); 6 Roger Persey (34).

Captain leads by example

TIVERTON skipper Chris Williams was victorious in her own Lady Captain’s Away Day at Honiton on Thursday.
The 28-handicapper linked up with Marian Stevens (27) and Anne Franklin (30) to head the field of 39 players.
Thirteen teams of three battled it out on a beautiful autumn day, with two scores to count off 7/8 handicap.
Williams’ team scored 72 points and in second were Sheila Ball (18), Ivy Radford (20) and Ann Benson (26) with 69, three ahead of third-placed Sheila Marwood (20), Jackie Leonard (16) and Bridget Holland (20)
.
The special prize for those who played the most shots went to Brenda Hazelton (36), Alison Axon (32) and Daphne Nichols (21).
Wednesday saw the annual match-up between the ladies’ captain and ladies’ vice-captain's teams, and Williams was again on the winning side.

Tivvy duo land South West title

TIVERTON golfers Hannah Grant and Jessica Bradley continued their superb seasons by linking up to win the ELGA South West Foursomes around their home course on Friday.
Playing as partners for the first time, 20-year-old Grant and teenager Bradley shot a five-over gross 79 thanks to a tremendous comeback on the inward nine.
They tied with former champions Bev New – Grant’s Somerset county foursomes partner – and Val McFarlane.
But two-handicapper Grant, playing in her last main event of the year, and ladies’ club champion Bradley won on the back nine after coming home in 35, helped by an eagle and a birdie on the 10^th and 11^th.
It keeps up Grant’s excellent doubles record, as she has moved to the brink of the national finals of the Glenmuir Pairs championship.
The Taunton-based player and her partner, Enmore Park’s Pat Rodgers, are just one round away from reaching the showpiece at The Belfry in April.
Their next match will be played on a neutral course in the next few weeks.
Grant’s mum Sheila said: “Hannah is really excited as she has not been to The Belfry before, so to play there would be a great experience, although she does not know which course the event will be played on.”
Grant has also been in winning form individually in the past fortnight.
She set a new course record for a home player with a gross 72 in the ladies’ Autumn Meeting at Tiverton, which helped to clinch the 36-hole Scratch Challenge Bowl by 26 shots.
And on Sunday she secured the club’s Hamilton Cup, for qualifiers from medals throughout the season. She hit a one-over nett 75 to pip Helen Scriven by one.
Hamilton Cup results: 1 Hannah Grant (77-2=75); 2 Helen Scriven (88-12=76); 3 Ivy Radford (97-20=77); 4 Rachel Bray (93-15=78); 5 Judy Phripp (97-18=79); 6 Anne Warne (101-21=80).

 Mark Stanbury claimed the men’s October midweek stableford on Monday, as his 42 points left him top of Division Two. Dean Farmer led the way in Division One with 40.
Results: Division One – 1 Dean Farmer (40); 2 Andy Brown (39); 3 Mark Sanders (38); 4 Dominic Bristow (38); 5 Eric Cole (36); 6 Roger Higman (36). Division Two – 1 Mark Stanbury (42); 2 Michael Boote (39); 3 Keith Granger (38); 4 Harry Borden (37); 5 Cedric Gibbons (37); 6 Geoff Bulley (36).

Barney’s rubble

 IAN Barnett’s North team suffered a second successive one-point defeat in their annual challenge match against the South at Tiverton on Saturday.
The Northerners – made up of players born away from the town – were 8-7 ahead with two of the 17 matches still to come in after the lunchtime shotgun start, but the South won those games to secure a nerve-racking 9-8 victory overall.
It represents a third loss in a row for North skipper Barnett – nicknamed Barney – since he took over the captaincy from Nick Swarbrick.
But Barnett was on the winning side in his own fourball as he and partner Mark Sangster inflicted a 4 and 3 drubbing on new South skipper Andy Brice and club vice-captain Peter Boax.
It was an emotional day for Laurie Lindsay-Carl, who suffered a heart attack near the 7^th green in last year’s event and was ambulanced to hospital before undergoing a major operation.
Now back in action, the left-hander partnered Les Hartley to a victory for the North over Alan Cooper and Roy Ireland.
Results (South names first): Andy Brice and Peter Boax lost to Ian Barnett and Mark Sangster; Jim Bray and Bob Pulsford lost to Bob Tye and Gerry Franklin; Lee Scott and Derek Reed beat Roger Millett and Mike Holder; Mike Jewell and Rhys Cruse beat David Grieve and Colin Taylor; Neal Gibson and Lee Davey beat Jeremy Millett and David Mallock; Robin Sansom and Steve Buchanan beat Richard Moyes and Colin Baker; Alby Cruse and Andy Pryce lost to Bill Tobin and Roger Stevens; Tony Lavery and Andy Parkin beat David Neilson and Paul Bowler; Simon Budden and Andy Lovell beat Billy Sheppard and Dave Ashworth; Colin Carey and Lloyd Sampson beat Paul Bayley and Graham Dyson; Alan Cooper and Roy Ireland lost to Laurie Lindsay-Carl and Les Hartley; Mark Butt and Ian Toogood lost to Norman Ford and David Simpson; Neil Carthew and Brian Westlake lost to Paul Steele and Steve Cox; John Sampson and Richard Colman beat Noel Gallacher and Dave Buxton; Keith Chilcott and Roger Norton lost to Dave Horn and Harry Seaton; John Stuckey and Cliff Hagley beat John Lyon and Chris Webster; Colin Hart and Chris Auton lost to Ron Stonebridge and David Jack.

 Lloyd Sampson and Rhys Cruse added to their terrific individual seasons by winning the men’s Summer Foursomes, beating Ben Wessely and his son Will in the final on Sunday.
Sampson has seen his handicap cut from 20 to 13 over the campaign, the last of those shots coming off for his victory in the Order of Merit, while up-and-coming teenager Cruse has got into single figures for the first time.
Cruse was also in pairs action on Friday as he and his dad Alby finished ninth in the Devon County Golf Union’s Adult/Junior Foursomes. The duo scored 30 stableford points at Dawlish Warren.

Joy for Jackie

JACKIE Leonard’s handicap came down from 17 to 16 after she won the ladies’ October LGU Medal at Tiverton on Wednesday.
She posted a two-under nett 72 to finish one ahead of Margot Seamer and two clear of Carol Scott and Julie Sampson.
Results: Silver Division – 1 Jackie Leonard (89-17=72); 2 Sue Norris (91-16=75); 3 Sheila Marwood (99-20=79). Bronze Division One – 1 Carol Scott (95-21=74); 2 Julie Sampson (95-21=74); 3 Shirley Ward (101-23=78). Bronze Division Two – 1 Margot Seamer (109-36=73); 2 Jean Granger (111-34=77); 3 Anne Franklin (109-30=79). 

The veterans' Challenge Cup on Tuesday was won by Rod Wiltshire, who carded a level-par nett 71 to edge out Emerton-Court Trophy team-mate Derrick Barrett by one.
Results: 1 Rod Wiltshire (80-9=71); 2 Derrick Barrett (81-9=72); 3 Robert Jowitt (99-26=73); 4 Ron Stonebridge (90-16=74); 5 Noel Thomas (85-11=74); 6 Ian Maclure (90-15=75).