The Welsh Open Youths championships take place at Wrexham golf club next weekend with practice rounds on Friday 28th May and the seventy two holes event occupying the following two days with thirty six holes of play scheduled for each day.
The standard of entry has been exceptional in that the complete list of starters commences with Johannes Deidericks of Hosel off plus three as the earliest starter on the first tee with the first twenty four players, or eight three balls, all having a handicap in the plus figures.
The next six starting times are taken up with players off scratch with a further eight starting times off one handicap.
Local interest is directed at Rhodri Fieldhouse of Wrexham off plus one, with Luke Jackson of Mold, now playing out of Worksop off the same handicap. Callum Roberts of Mold is off one handicap as well as Adam Tuft of Mold and Gareth Ephriam of Old Padeswood. The event hosts the top sixty six players who entered for the competition.
Nearer home in domestic terms, the Denbighshire Golfing Union played their handicap championships at Denbigh Golf Club last Sunday through two handicap groups, the stronger field contesting the six to sixteen range with the following group representing the seventeen to twenty eight category.
Played at Denbigh golf club, the County Secretary David Ethelston of Llangollen would like to express his appreciation to Brian Dallimore, Denbigh member and Secretary to the DGU Past Captains who started the competitors off the first tee all day, and to the officials of Denbigh golf club who assisted during the course of the event.
Winner of the six to sixteen competition was Jack Williams of Chirk with 76 – 11 – 65 from second placed Alan McAig of Denbigh with 78 – 12 – 68 and third placed Dave Riley of Clays who returned with 76 – 8 – 68. The fourth place was also the winner of the best gross in the person of Brynli Thomas of Denbigh who opted for the gross prize rather than the prize for fourth place which was accepted by Gareth Roberts of Clays. Brynli scored 74 – 6 – 68 and Gareth returned 83 – 14 – 69.
Winner of the seventeen to twenty eight category was Dave Griffiths of Denbigh with 40 Stableford points from Steve Bowker of the same club with 37. Third came N. McDonald of Clays with another 37 but a less good performance on the back nine holes of play.
Against a par of 69, the competition scratch score for both competitions emerged at 68 with away players in the second event having 70 as their own CSS.
The Golf Union of Wales Welsh Handicap Team Regional qualifier was played at Padeswood and Buckley golf club last Saturday with Ted Lloyd, President of the GUW in charge of the event. Clay’s team comprising Mike Platt, Martin Jones, Mike McHugh and Craig Williams won the event with a total of 106 points utilizing the scores from the best three cards out of the four. So good was the scoring that any permutation of the three best scores of four would have qualified them for the final at Celtic Manor on 22nd August. Padeswood and Buckley finished second with 104 with Wrexham just missing out with third place on 101.
Jim Johnson