Golden girl Jessica earns England call-up

JESSICA Bradley's quickfire rise to golf stardom reached a new level this week when the Tiverton teenager earned her first England call-up.
Jessica has been named in the national girls' squad for the Scottish Under-16 Open Strokeplay Championship to be held in April.
The 15-year-old has shot to prominence in the past couple of years by winning a host of junior and ladies' titles across the region.
And after impressing coaches during special training sessions with the English Women’s Golf Association, she has now been thrust into the international arena.
The Tiverton Golf Club member is one of eight players to have been selected by the EWGA for the tournament at Craigielaw, near Edinburgh, on April 10 and 11.
The event is designed to give the country's top youngsters a chance to gain championship experience and prepare for the season ahead.
“I'm really excited,” said Jessica after Tuesday's squad announcement.
“Flying up to Scotland and playing a championship as part of the England squad will be a whole new experience, especially as I've never played further north than Birmingham.”
The five-handicapper paid tribute to the EWGA South West select team, with who she has been training, and her personal coach Sarah Burnell for their guidance and support.
“It's a real honour to have been selected to represent England and I feel that all my hard work and practice over the winter is beginning to pay off,” she said.
Jessica, who lives in Bishops Nympton, near South Molton, is the reigning Devon girls’ champion and won the ladies' South West Foursomes title last year alongside fellow Tiverton player Hannah Grant.
The South Molton Community College student has also had top-10 finishes in the English girls’ under-13 and under-15 championships and plays for the Devon first team.
Her most recent success at Tiverton was the 2007 RAF Youth Trophy, for her outstanding all-round service as a junior, while she has won the ladies' Club Championship for the past two seasons.
Jessica is joined in the national squad by English under-15 champion Heidi Baek from Suffolk, Dorset two-handicapper Hayley Davis, Yorkshire's Sophie Godley, who has had a competitive hole-in-one at La Manga in Spain, Elizabeth Mallett from Sutton Coldfield, who won the 2007 English Schools’ under-16 championship as a 12-year-old, EWGA under-18 squad member Alex Peters from Nottinghamshire, who was a silver medalist for England in the European Young Masters, Helen Searle from Yorkshire, who holds the Northern girls’ under-16 title, and English under-13 champion Hannah Turland from Wiltshire.
Claire Lilley, the EWGA's national training manager, said: “We have a fantastically talented group of players who will benefit from the experience and use it as a great start to the season.”
Lilley will accompany the squad north of the border alongside Pat Smillie, the EWGA’s national junior coach.

WHEN Tony Howe stood on the 14^th tee at Tiverton and told his team-mate Ian Bray he had never had a hole-in-one in nearly half a century playing the game, he did not expect to step up and launch his tee shot straight into the cup just moments later.
But that is exactly what happened to the Kentisbeare farmer on Saturday, as his 7-iron shot fed in off a bank to the left of the green and dropped into the hole during the club's Yellow Ball team competition.
The ace earned the 63-year-old a £200 jackpot as it came during a club qualifying event.
The ironic pre-shot talk about holes-in-one came about after Howe and playing partner Bray looked on from the tee as Colin Carey, who was confirmed as the club captain for 2010 at Tiverton's AGM on Thursday, chipped in from off the green in the group in front.
Bray, who himself had never had a hole-in-one in nearly 20 years of playing before hitting two aces in the space of five weeks in 2006, takes up the story.
“We were waiting on the tee and saw Colin chip in from the left side of the green,” he said. “He was celebrating chipping in for a two and I said to Tony 'I've had a hole-in-one here before, and also had one a month before then on the 4th'.
“I had not played with him before and I said 'have you had one?' He said 'no. I've been playing since about 1960 and I've never had one'.
“Then he hit his 7-iron, it hit the bank on the left-hand side of the green, to the right-hand side of the bunker, and it kicked right towards the pin and went in.
“The funny thing was how we had just talked about holes-in-one, and then it happened.”
The competition was a three-man team event, but 13-handicapper Howe and Bray had to play as a two-ball as their other player was still in bed when desperate phone calls to locate him were made just before their tee-off time.
Bray continued: “We did well to get a team score of 97 and Tony worked out he was about four under his handicap. If we had a third player I think we might have won it.”
The competition was actually won by former club captain Nick Lear, caterer Andy Lovell and assistant professional David Curl.
They were able to celebrate a moment of magic of their own when Lovell, receiving a shot, birdied the 17^th using the yellow ball.
That meant his stableford points score for the hole was doubled to eight, and the team took 11, which made the difference as they recorded a five-shot victory overall.
Results: 1 Nick Lear, Andy Lovell and David Curl (121); 2 Andy Brown, Ian Louden and Ed Whall (116); 3 Lloyd Sampson, Alby Cruse and Rhys Cruse (113); 4 Richard Moyes, Ben Wessely and Jim Mardell (112).

Tremendous Teresa

TERESA Birchmore fired a tremendous 39 points to clinch the ladies' February Stableford at Tiverton on Wednesday and get her handicap cut from 14 to 12.
There were also handicap reductions for Bronze Division One winner Irene Byng, from 23 to 22, and Bronze Division Two victor Kathryn Hall, from 35 to 33.
The event was one of four winter stablefords that count towards the Exe Valley Cup.
Results: Silver Division – 1 Teresa Birchmore (39); 2 Sheila Ball (35); 3 Val Walker (33). Bronze Division One – 1 Irene Byng (34); 2 Joan Reed (32); 3 Marian Stevens (32). Bronze Division Two – 1 Kathryn Hall (37); 2 Kath White (33); 3 Sue Probetts (32).

DEREK Cruwys and Roy Ireland fought back from three down after 12 to beat club chairman Paul Steele and treasurer Keith Chilcott on the 19^th hole as the knock-out stages of the men's Winter Foursomes got off to a dramatic start at Tiverton on Saturday.
Former footballers Cruwys and Ireland looked dead and buried but levelled the match on the 18^th to take it into extra-time, and then went through on the first play-off hole.
David Simpson and Heath Ellis also won the 18^th to force extra holes against Simon Legassick and Shaun Vickery, but they went out on the 19^th after Legassick's neat chip secured a six and victory.
Club steward Colin Taylor and Tony Lavery were unable to despatch Andy Frankum and Cedric Gibbons in normal time but squeezed through on the 20^th, despite having to give their opponents a shot on that hole.
Left-handers Neal Gibson and Ricky Cruse were the first pair to reach the second round after they took out David Grieve and Tim Packer on the 18^th last Sunday.
Roger Millett and Dave Horn won the first four holes of the back nine to go from one down to three up against Jim Bray and Lloyd Sampson, and a superb par four with a shot on the 16^th earned them a 4 and 2 victory.
Andy Brice and Andy Lovell took out Andy Pryce and Alby Cruse on Sunday while there are also places in the second round for Steve Hosford and Rob Gubby, Martin Selby and Neil Carthew, Terry Barwell and Norman Ford, and Jeremy Millett and Colin Baker.
Six of the 16 matches were still to be completed as of yesterday, and with a men's competition scheduled for this Saturday, other times will have to be found to beat the deadline of Friday, February 29.
Draw: top half – 1 Ray Pratt and Ian Gunn v Mike Cottrell and Gary Taylor; 2 Simon Budden and Phil Moulding v Ian Louden and Andy Brown; 3 Derek Cruwys and Roy Ireland beat Paul Steele and Keith Chilcott, 19^th hole; 4 Sean Hughes and Martin Taggart v David Ashworth and Steve Cox; 5 Neal Gibson and Ricky Cruse beat David Grieve and Tim Packer, 2 up; 6 Colin Taylor and Tony Lavery beat Andy Frankum and Cedric Gibbons, 20^th hole; 7 Ed Tansey and Tony Wood-Wright v Roger Stevens and Richard Colman; 8 Andy Brice and Andy Lovell beat Andy Pryce and Alby Cruse.
Bottom half – 9 Rob Gubby and Steve Hosford beat Derek Reed and Alan Cooper; 10 Roger Millett and Dave Horn beat Jim Bray and Lloyd Sampson, 4 and 2; 11 Simon Legassick and Shaun Vickery beat David Simpson and Heath Ellis, 19^th hole; 12 Peter Garnsworthy and Nobby Clarke v Les Hartley and Ron Stonebridge; 13 Martin Selby and Neil Carthew beat Bill Tobin and Graham Dyson; 14 Tony Playford and Alan White v Ian Budden and Tom Molloy; 15 Terry Barwell and Norman Ford beat Danny McArdle and Paul Bayley; 16 Jeremy Millett and Colin Baker beat Dominic Bristow and Charles Durnan, 4 and 2.

Trio triumph

LESLEY Crossley, Pat Batchelor and Sue Thompson compiled 42 stableford points in fine conditions to win the ladies' three-ball team event at Tiverton on Wednesday.
Sheila Ball, Shirley Ward and Brenda Hazelton finished runners-up with 38 while Jackie Leonard, Shirley Turner and Kathryn Hall were third on 37.
Teams had to include a player from each of three different handicap bands – 0 to 21, 22 to 28 and 29 to 36.
Two scores counted on each of the 11 holes and it was a case of 'irons only' on all the par-4s.

COLIN Constable made it a memorable two days at Tiverton when he won the veterans' Duckworth Salver competition just 24 hours after his victory in the men's February Midweek Stableford.
Constable struck 43 points to win the men's stableford on Monday, beating Neville Taylor by two and Michael Boote by three.
He then posted 38 points off his 25 handicap to earn a one-shot success in the veterans' event on Tuesday.
February Midweek Stableford results: 1 Colin Constable (43); 2 Neville Taylor (41); 3 Michael Boote (40); 4 Bob Pincombe (39); 5 Norman Fleet (39); 6 Chem Austin (38); 7 Andy Brown (37); 8 David Simpson (37); 9 Ian Bray (37); 10 Paul Bayley (37).
Duckworth Salver results: 1 Colin Constable (38); 2 Ron Stonebridge (37); 3 John Phripp (37); 4 Derrick Barrett (36); 5 Peter Stuckey (35); 6 Hugh Crowle (35).

Tiverton's interest in the West of England Open Winter Foursomes at Burnham and Berrow ended at the quarter-final stage as club general manager Richard Jessop and Nick Govier both bowed out.
Ex-pro Jessop and his partner Andy Stubbs went out 5 and 4 to former Burnham greenkeeper Micky Dodd and three-time champion Andy Holley, another home player.
Dodd and Holley, who were receiving eight strokes, were only eight over par when they finished off the match on the 14th – and three of those dropped shots came on the 6th after their drive found a pond.
Holley stuck a dagger into Jessop's hopes when he holed a 90-foot putt from off the green for a half on the 13th.
Former Tiverton club champion Govier and his partner Andy Westcott, of Exeter, had a good run to the last eight before they went down 8 and 6 to Burnham pair Robin Griffiths and Kate Charles, the last remaining woman in the tournament.
Griffiths and Charles then saw off Exeter's Richard Cousins and Andy Parker 5 and 4 to reach Sunday's final.
But hopes of an all-Burnham showdown were dashed as Dodd and Holley crashed out 4 and 2 to Wincanton's Jon Atkins and Craig Adams, of Bath.

Foursomes set for lift-off

THE men's Winter Foursomes at Tiverton will start to take shape when the knock-out stages get under way on Saturday.
The 32 pairs who came through four separate qualifiers from early November onwards will switch from strokeplay mode to matchplay and battle it out for the titles.
The draw for the first round took place last Sunday and pitted Neal Gibson and Ricky Cruse, the winners of the final medalford qualifier last weekend, up against David Grieve and Tim Packer.
Ed Tansey and Tony Wood-Wright, who won the rain-ravaged bogey event in late January, take on Roger Stevens and Richard Colman.
Andy Brice and Andy Lovell, the leading qualifiers from the stableford in late November, go head to head with Andy Pryce and Alby Cruse.
And Jim Bray and Lloyd Sampson, the winners of the first medal qualifier more than three months ago, face a tough test against Roger Millett and Dave Horn.
The majority of first-round matches will be played on Saturday, with a final cut-off date of Friday, February 29.
The last 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final are due to take place on successive weekends from March 1 through to March 22.
First-round draw: Top half – 1 Ray Pratt and Ian Gunn v Mike Cottrell and Gary Taylor; 2 Simon Budden and Phil Moulding v Ian Louden and Andy Brown; 3 Paul Steele and Keith Chilcott v Derek Cruwys and Roy Ireland; 4 Sean Hughes and Martin Taggart v David Ashworth and Steve Cox; 5 David Grieve and Tim Packer v Neal Gibson and Ricky Cruse; 6 Colin Taylor and Tony Lavery v Andy Frankum and Cedric Gibbons; 7 Ed Tansey and Tony Wood-Wright v Roger Stevens and Richard Colman; 8 Andy Pryce and Alby Cruse v Andy Brice and Andy Lovell.
Bottom half – 9 Rob Gubby and Steve Hosford v Derek Reed and Alan Cooper; 10 Jim Bray and Lloyd Sampson v Roger Millett and Dave Horn; 11 Simon Legassick and Shaun Vickery v David Simpson and Heath Ellis; 12 Peter Garnsworthy and Nobby Clarke v Les Hartley and Ron Stonebridge; 13 Bill Tobin and Graham Dyson v Martin Selby and Neil Carthew; 14 Tony Playford and Alan White v Ian Budden and Tom Molloy; 15 Terry Barwell and Norman Ford v Danny McArdle and Paul Bayley; 16 Dominic Bristow and Charles Durnan v Jeremy Millett and Colin Baker.

Tie at the top

ROSEMARY Perry and Kathryn Hall tied for first place with Linda Knowles and Shirley Ward in the ladies' 11-hole Odds and Evens competition at Tiverton on Wednesday.
The event was played in pairs, with both scores counting on the odd numbered holes and one counting on the evens.
The joint winners scored 34 stableford points to finish three ahead of three pairs – Bridget Grieve and Margot Seamer, Carol Scott and Marian Stevens, and Helen Scriven and Sheila Ball.

Lefties leave it late

NEAL Gibson and Ricky Cruse produced a remarkable round of golf to win the fourth and final men's Winter Foursomes qualifier at Tiverton and seal their spot in the last 32 of the competition.
The left-handers posted a medalford score of 11, the equivalent of seven under par, to earn a comfortable victory on Saturday.
Gibson and Cruse, smarting from a £7 pairs defeat the previous weekend, had a three-under nett 33 on the front nine and then 22 stableford points on the back.
They were lifted by birdies on the 12^th and 14^th, where Cruse caressed his tee shot to two feet.
“The rest was steady, with some 'get out of jail' holes and some unlucky – it could have been better,” revealed Gibson.
With the stableford score subtracted from the nett, their total of 11 put them four clear of nearest challengers Nobby Clarke and Peter Garnsworthy (34-19=15).
Andy Brice and Lloyd Sampson (32-17=15) were third on a countback but had already qualified for the knock-out stages with other partners.
The last 32 pairs are at last now known following a series of weather-induced postponements and the knock-out stages get under way in the next two weeks.
Qualifiers: 1 Neal Gibson and Ricky Cruse (11); 2 Nobby Clarke and Peter Garnsworthy (15); 3 Steve Hosford and Rob Gubby (16); 4 Dominic Bristow and Charles Durnan (18); 5 Les Hartley and Ron Stonebridge (19); 6 Tony Playford and Alan White (20); 7 Roger Stevens and Richard Colman (22); 8 Mike Cottrell and Gary Taylor (22).

Tiverton's ladies recorded a fine 4-1 win over a strong Teignmouth team in the first round of the Mail on Sunday national knock-out tournament.
Captain Charlotte Snow named herself as a reserve and caddied for Teresa Birchmore, giving Jess Bradley the chance to lead the team out on Friday.
The youngster did that in fine style by beating Pat Goodey 6 and 5, while there were also wins for Birchmore, who saw off Miranda Hruby 3 and 2, Val Walker, who took out Teignmouth captain Vicky Holloway 5 and 3 in the final match, and Sue Persey, whose game with Ann Legg was conceded on the 16^th.
Jo Lloyd-Davies came up against an in-form Glynis Spearman and went down 5 and 4.