Chris Boughton's Golf Column: Parker triumphs at Junior Champs
Bury St Edmunds GC Junior golfer Georgia Parker’s handicap dropped to 5 after winning the Club’s Junior Championship, the Bone Trophy, with a two round gross score of 162 recently, finishing four ahead of Harry McKeown in second place.
Alfie Ferrari returned the best nett score with 142 and Ben Eaden was nett runner-up with 145.
Georgia, who was also Bury GC Junior Champion in 2018, is the 2019 Captain of the Suffolk County Junior Ladies’ team and has enjoyed a stunning year of county successes including: Scratch winner of the Suffolk Girls Autumn meeting at Thorpeness in September, Suffolk Girls Matchplay Champion also in September, Suffolk Girls County Champion in June, Suffolk County Ladies Handicap Jug in May and the Suffolk Girls Spring Cup in April.
The Golf Foundation GolfSixes
Bury junior golfers are also doing very well in the Golf Foundation’s Junior GolfSixes competition.
The Suffolk leagues (East, West & Ipswich) for 2019, are now complete with the top two teams from each league qualifying for the Suffolk County final.
As winners of the West Suffolk league, Bury St Edmunds GC (coached by PGA Pro Simon Byford) will take part in the Suffolk final along with Newton Green, Ipswich, Felixstowe, Halesworth and Kingfishers later this month. The champions for the previous two years, The Suffolk GC, just missed out coming third in the West Suffolk league.
Stowmarket GC Junior Helpers team member Kelly Withers said: “Stowmarket are very honoured to have been asked to host the GolfSixes Suffolk final which will be held on Sunday, October 20, with the first group teeing off around 1.30pm.
She added: “Although our Stowmarket team just failed to qualify for the final, in the Ipswich league, the GolfSixes initiative has worked wonders with our Club’s juniors.
“It’s given them so much pleasure and a passion for the game and they have developed a real team spirit.
“We now have four of the squad (Callum Maskell, Reece Edwards, Finlay Edwards and Finlay Craddock) who have all qualified for the Suffolk County Coaching Scheme at Ufford Park.”
There will be six teams of six junior golfers taking part in the 6-hole final followed by a chipping and putting competition.
A Bury Free Press photographer will be attending the event and photos and a report on the final will appear in this Round-up on October 25. Spectators are most welcome.
The Suffolk Golf Club
Mark Rothon is on a roll at the Suffolk with a second-place finish in the club’s midweek competition two weeks ago which he followed up with a first-place last week. The big hitting Rothon has seen his handicap tumble in the past year and now plays off 13.
Roy Buckle finished in second place with 35 points followed by another golfer who has recently been in good form, Jim Chapman (34pts).
Stephen Christopher and Kevin Dutton both had a couple of good results in the club’s Seniors’ competitions last week. On Monday Christopher carded 38pts in a Stableford for first place followed by a third spot in a Medal on Thursday with nett 73.
The winner on Thursday was Kevin Dutton with 84-14=70 and he was also third on Monday.
Bury St Edmunds Golf Club
One birdie and one bogey gave Craig Nurse a gross level par front nine in Bury’s Friday Mixed Freeplay Stableford competition last week.
However, he bettered that with a back 9 of two under 34, which included a haul of two birdies and an eagle to sign off with on the par 5 18th hole.
The one handicapper finished with 39 points to win the competition on count-back from Jamie Cooper. Chris Bugg came 3rd with 38.
In the club’s weekend Medal, the following day, Barry Scarfe led the field (and Division 1) with 80-12=68, just ahead of four golfers on nett 69; Michael Greener, Marcus Price, Adam Hooper-Greenhill & James Hewitt (who also topped Division 2). Gareth Douglas carded the best score in Division 3 (96-24=72).
