Castletown Golf Club
VETS SUCCESS PLUS GREG EASTON WINS THE SYD ASHWORTH CUP
Castletown Vet's captain Duncan Donald receives the Combined Vets Cup from MM's Jim McDonough.
Following the recent success of the Castletown GC Scratch Team squad, congratulations also go to the Castletown Vets team of 14 players who, last week won the Combined Vets Cup after five rounds played over the summer at each of the participating clubs.
With 13 points from their 20 round-robin better-ball matches Castletown vets, captained by Duncan Donald, topped the league. 2024 winners, Comis at Mount Murray, came second with 11 points. Ramsey GC were third on 10 points with Peel GC and Rowany GC both finishing on 8 points.
The Syd Ashworth Trophy, played at the links on Saturday, was kindly supported by Syd’s son, back-to-back Island championship winner Bill Ashworth. Returning refreshed from a recent holiday in Portugal, Greg Easton (14) -shown below - shortened his swing to win the trophy with 42 points.
Easton's tally included two birdies, eleven pars, two bogeys and a single-pointer double bogey on the 6th. The 2nd was out of commission for everyone due to ongoing irrigation work, but Easton’s ‘snowman’ on the 4th was all of his own making.
Mark Reid (4) was the division one winner in second place with 41 points. His tremendous three under par round included three birdies, one of which resulted in a portion from the prize pot for his two on the 16th. However, Reid was probably more satisfied with finishing with a four-pointer three on the 18th.
By contrast, third-placed Andrew Davies (15) had accumulated 40 points with one to play. Failing to finish the ‘un-four-gettable’ 18th, Davies was probably spitting feathers as a nett birdie could have brought him victory.
Shanon James' (21) round was feast and famine. Four-pointer pars on the 5th, 7th and 11th were interspersed by 'blobby' sevens on the 4th and 9th. Parring half his holes, James stepped in with 39 points for the final division two prize.
Consequently, Dave Evans (28) in fifth place on 38 points went unrewarded, as did Wayne Egerton (19) and Peter McKenna (26) who were just one point behind.
Playing off the back tees, Rory Neale (11) received the runners-up reward in division one with his evenly apportioned 38 points. Also off the black tees, Scratch League team winner Tom Doyle (3), down in ninth place, purloined the final division one prize with his 37.
Encouragingly, 54 players entered the Yellow-sponsored mixed midweeker even though two holes were temporarily out of commission. Matt Carter (22) took top spot with 37 points, closely followed by Tynwald President Laurence Skelly (14) on 36 points.
Graham Cannell (9) was the first of five division one players to card 34 points but only he was rewarded. The remaining division two placement prizes went to eighth-placed Paul Russett (23) and twelfth-placed Toby Neale (18) on 33 and 32 points respectively.
On the previous Sunday, Peter Whitfield (23) increased his credit by winning the latest round of the Ramsey Crookall-sponsored Stableford. One point back, Gigi Fisk secured second with 37 points. Seamus Nugent (18) improved his chances of the series title by making it consecutive Sunday podium prizes with his 36 points.
This coming Saturday features round five in the Suntera-sponsored series of monthly medals.
MALCOLM LAMBERT
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