Successful weekend for West Somerset golfers

THE past weekend was a busy and generally successful time for the golfers at Minehead and West Somerset Golf Club.
It began on the Saturday morning when a squad of five ‘A’ team players entertained a team from Enmore Park in a closely contested match in the second round of the Mail On Sunday National Golf Club Classic.
The Minehead team of Dave Bosley (4), John Freeman (5), Callum Knight (6), John Fisher (6), and captain for the day Keith Babb (3) played well and were unlucky to find themselves behind early on in most of the games.
Freeman suffered the most, having to give away five shots, and he failed to recover the early losses.
The other members of the team, however, did manage to overhaul their opponents and the final match score was four wins to one with Dave Bosley winning two-up, Callum Knight one-up, John Fisher two-and-one, and Keith Babb two-and-one.
At midday, the club team entertained the Stragglers, from Mendip Golf Club, in a fixture resurrected after quite a few years.
In his first fixture as captain, Denis Compton fielded a side including a number of past captains and the strength of the team proved too much for the visitors with Minehead winning all seven of the better ball games.
The highlight of the match was the win of seven holes with six still to play by Peter Clements and Gerry Mason.
The result was: Captain D Compton and S Gay won two-and-one, W J Perkins and M Gilbertson won four-and-three, D Scott and H Kneeshaw won two-and-one, R Thresher and A Ridgway won one-up, G Troman and G Wells won three-and-two, R Stevens and M Thresher won two-and-one P Clements and G Mason won seven-and-six.
In the afternoon, John A’Court and Warren Knight took on a strong pair in the first round of the Daily Mail Amateur Foursomes Golf Tournament.
Despite a gallant effort, the Minehead pair went two holes down on the front nine. The highlight from the Burnham pair was the second shot to the ninth hole which pitched and stayed only feet from the hole.
The early deficit was too much to haul back against a pair playing at such a high standard and the Minehead pair eventually lost two-and-one.
On Sunday morning, 20 pairs competed for the Day Dewdney Foursomes Cup.
In favourable weather conditions, the golf was predictably of a high standard and the first four places were competed for sportingly.
Eventual winners were N Grabham and C Knight with 67.5 points from K Babb and K Storey 69, G Hampshire and J Gunter 71.5, and G Mason and P Rees 72.5.
In the afternoon, Nigel Grabham and Gerry Mason were in action again with their respective partners in the final of the Tipper Trophy.
A mixed foursomes knock-out competition played over the winter months concluded on a bright spring day in good golfing conditions.
The early lead went to Mrs Carole Mason and G. Mason, who missed a putt on the third to go three holes up.
Some fine driving and approach play by Mrs Nancy Marshall and N. Grabham brought them back into the game and by the turn it was all square.
Nancy and Nigel won both the eleventh and twelfth holes, where they received shots and although the Masons pulled it back with one down with the eighteenth to play, Nancy and Nigel held their nerve to halve the last and win the match.
Also in the afternoon, the Club team travelled to Oake Manor Golf Club to defend the Challenge Cup and in a wonderful start to Denis Compton’s captain’s year came away with a five wins to one victory.
Oake members made the Minehead team most welcome. The golf was played in an excellent spirit on a drying course in good condition for the time of year.
The result was: D Compton and D Oatridge won one-up, T McGann and G Whalley won five-and-four, D Scott and G Latham won two-up, D J Coles and J Littlewood won four-and-three, R Thresher and H Greswell won five-and-four, and H Compton and D Stevens lost two-and-one.
The next fixtures at the club are on Saturday, when the ‘A’ team takes on Cheddington in the Avalon League, and there is a members’ ladies mixed invitation.

• Our photograph shows the jubilant Tipper Trophy winners Nancy Marshall and Nigel Grabham. Photo submitted.