Eggo proves untouchable

ANDY EGGO is L'Ancresse club champion again. The scratch player added a three-over par 73 to his opening 67 to waltz away with the club's strokeplay championship for 2003.

Out in 35, Eggo returned in 38 on another hot day on the links.

By the time Eggo teed off at two o'clock the breeze was picking up, so it cannot be said he had the best of the conditions.

Gary Mcfarlane began the day second to Eggo in the scratch standings, but could no better than match the halfway leader after blowing his chances on the front nine.

Out in 39, he completed the back nine in 34 with the help of four threes to finish and settle for joint second place with Steve Mahy, who produced a quality round of level par 70.

Roy Corbet has won the title on numerous occasions, but not this summer.

He was another who needed Eggo to blow up and produce something extra special.

Perhaps trying too hard, he hit the turn in seven-over 42 shots.

Over the inward half he finally found some consistency and with eight fours and a two at the last came back in 34 for a 76 gross.

Jason Savident would normally be delighted with a 72 gross (67 net), but he came off the course kicking himself.

Having reached the turn in 34, he was holding his round together nicely until a double bogey-bogey finish.

But the story of the day was the performance of the emerging juniors.

Craig Shorto, Ross Wheeler and Ave Thompson began the day sharing the lead on handicap and chasing the Last of the Summer Wine Trophy.

Thompson, sadly, had a day he will rather forget and ripped up midway through the back nine.

Wheeler added a 69 to his opening 67, but that included a nine at the par four ninth.

Young Shorto had no such problems, though. The 13-year-old St Sampson's schoolboy returned a net 64 off his 20 handicap to take the trophy by a comfortable four shots from senior Peter Finigan.

Out in 44, he came back in 40 with a nerveless 4-4-4-4 finish.

Chris Ahne, a school year older, also returned a net 64.

Pete Kenney spent much of his evening punching the scores into the club computer and after his sloppy finish probably felt like landing a punch on the first person to ask him how he scored.

With four holes to go the 15-handicap was looking good for a 62 finish and was handily placed for honours.

But a six at the 16th was followed by a five up 17 and another five at the last. A 67 was, ultimately, a big disappointment.