Castletown Golf Club
PUTTING WITH APLOMB ERNIE RUSSELL WINS NEVILLE PETERSON MEMORIAL
The Neville Peterson Memorial became a 16-hole challenge at Castletown GC on Saturday. With both the 14th and 15th temporarily out of commission, par for the course was 32 Stableford points. 24 of the 85 entrants achieved this or better.
Praising a putting lesson, Ernie Russell (19) - shown above- covered the front-nine in just three over par for 25 of his 40 points to win the Neville Peterson Memorial. Nett eagles on the 3rd and 5th holes contributed twenty percent of his total which came from just 15 scoring holes as Ernie failed to rustle-up points on the ‘un-four-gettable’ 18th.
Initially, there was a four-way tie for second place on 37 points. Countback concluded that Jonathan Potts (14), Mark Reid (5), Colin E. Magee (14) and Donald Buchanan (22) be awarded positions 2-5 respectively.
Reid, being a division one player (handicaps up to 12), took their top prize, but Buchanan lost out as only three prizes were available per division. For similar reasons, John Ledwidge (16) on 36 points, also went unrewarded.
Four players, including ninth placed Mark Davenport (24), carded 35 points but only three were eligible for the remaining division one prizes. Simon Willoughby (11) could not replicate his splendid front nine and had to settle for tenth place.
However, scratch golfer Michael Charmer and former captain Andrew Gerrard (5) could not be separated until the very last hole. Charmer concluded his tremendous three-under-par performance with a regulation par. Unfortunately, Gerrard finished at two-over after a disappointing double bogey on the ‘gully-ball’ 18th.
Attendance was down as many of our category one players were taking part in the qualifying rounds of the Okells-sponsored Isle of Man Golf Championships at Mount Murray.
Congratulations go to former champion Daryl Callister (shown above), Chris Kneen, Gez Bradley, defending champion Robert Noon, PJ Vermeulen and Sam Crawford. They finished in that order to proceed to the top 16 knockout rounds.
Sarah Blackman (shown above), who recently won the Island 72 hole Strokeplay Championship, is also through to the matchplay stage of the Island Championships and has been drawn to meet the defending champion Emma Noon. Blackman finished fifth of the eight qualifiers from the twenty players who entered. The live leaderboard can be viewed this week via the IOMGU website.
All 18 holes were in commission at Castletown for the Yellow-sponsored midweek Stableford. In calm conditions Mary Halton enjoyed her best ever round to accumulate 45 winning Stableford points thanks to three nett eagles and eight nett birdies.
Coming second, George McArdle dropped just four shots on his way to 42 remarkable points which he last achieved five years ago when receiving an extra seven strokes. Guy Pickard’s plucky three over par round was rewarded with third place on 40 points. Next, Michael Horsthuis, Liam Cowin, Eamonn O’Brien and Steve McCafferty all stepped in with 39 points to finish in that order.
On the previous Sunday the aforementioned Gez Bradley fired five birdies in his lively level par round to win the latest in the series of Ramsey Crookall sponsored Sunday Stablefords. Bradley’s 36 points was equalled by Patrick Gandy who was also level par until his slippery seven on the 15th.
There is still time for visitors to book their place in the Capital International sponsored Castletown Cup which takes place this coming Saturday. The start sheet is also open for The International Pairs Open which takes place on Saturday 19th July. The winners will represent this region in the national finals being held at Druids Heath in September and could then progress to the International Pairs final in Sun City, South Africa.
MALCOLM LAMBERT
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