Mahy and Bougourd lead Guernsey charge

AFTER day one, Guernsey golf looks in good shape for both men's and women's success and none of the eight island representatives are by any means out of individual medal contention. The men led the way yesterday morning and L'Ancresse member Steve Mahy and Royal Guernsey's Bobby Eggo and Mick Marley find themselves in the top five on the leaderboard going into the second day of play at the same course.

Mahy's father Roy - a local golf legend in his own right - followed his youngest son out on the course and later said that his boy had played brilliantly. He was very proud.

For Mahy himself, he felt his one over par round of 65 could have been better.

Having peppered many of the pins, the island player could not buy a six to 10ft birdie putt.

Bobby Eggo did not drop a shot over the front nine and made birdies at the second and seventh holes as he made the turn in two under par. With the wind seemingly making after every couple of holes, the back nine was made that much tougher and the older Eggo unfortunately went out of bounds at the 14th hole and a double-bogey ensued.

After a few more dropped shots, Eggo shot a commendable 66 and finds himself tied for third place.

Before the Games, island champion Mick Marley and Andy Eggo both said that they would take two rounds of 68 from La Grande Mare.

But Marley, having seen the quality around him and the excellent condition of the course, will now be wanting to improve on his first round 67 come today's late start.

Along with seven others, Marley is tied three shots off Jersey's Christie Mclaughlin's best score. Further back, but not out of the equation, is Andy Eggo who, like his brother before, found trouble at the deceptively easy looking 14th hole.

He dropped three shots here alone.

But with Andy Eggo's round of 72 not counting for the team standings, Guernsey find themselves tied for the lead with Jersey in the team standings.

As with the men, the Guernsey women are well placed for a team medal, lying joint second after day one.

Playing in by far the most challenging conditions of the day, the local girls all played with great determination. Veronica Bougourd led the way with a 10-over par 74 to be only a couple of shots off the pace set by Aland's Anna-Karin Salmen.

Prior to checking the leaderboard, Gill Burford may have thought her round of 75 was some way off the pace too.

After an excellent drive at the first hole, the Royal Guernsey captain fatted an iron into the ditch protecting the green and made a double-bogey six.

Burford quickly recovered with a birdie two at the next and in comparison to her colleagues, maintained a steady card for the remainder of her round.

For Julie Creed and Jan Chamberlain, so-called disaster holes accounted for many of their dropped shots.

Chamberlain made a horror nine at the ninth.

Last in, Creed covered the front nine in a respectable 39 shots, but her own disaster hole was fast approaching and an eight at the short par three 10th dented what was otherwise a relatively tidy round of golf.

Nonetheless, the spirited Royal Guernsey player still finds herself just outside the top 10 going into this morning's play.