Marley handed tough draw

DEFENDING champion Mick Marley could face the man whom he beat in the 2003 final, the in-form Jamie Blondel, as early as the third round this year. The 2004 Deutsche Bank Offshore Channel Islands Championships (Guernsey section) is played next week and Marley finds himself as the third seed in a field of 52.

Marley opens his defence against the winner of the Alun Jenkins-Sean Mills clash, but he finds fellow island player Ian Thomas in the same section and would have to beat both him and Blondel, the winner of the weekend's 36-hole Bank of Butterfield trophy event, to reach the quarter-finals.

'I'd like to win it three years on the trot because I don't think that anyone's ever done that,' said the champion, who admits to being a little rusty.

'I'm not sure what sort of form I'm in, because I've been busy and haven't played a lot lately. I'll try and get down there every night from now on,' he said yesterday.

As ever, there is the prospect of several mouth-watering ties.

The top two seeds, Bobby and Andy Eggo, find themselves at opposite ends of the draw and neither man has as easy opener.

The Royal Guernsey first-teamer John Le Lievre will play Andy Eggo in round one while former Muratti footballer Craig Allen will attempt to collect the ultimate scalp when he takes on event favourite Bobby Eggo.

After a two-year absence, Steve Mahy finds himself in the top half of the draw and with the eighth-seeded players, Nigel Le Noury and David Nicolle, tied on handicaps, Le Noury came through the ballot to earn the last bye for a seed into the second round.

However, barring a first-round shock defeat by Simon Lagerkrans, Nicolle, Marley's outside tip for the title, looks likely to be facing Le Noury in the second day's action.

Other intriguing early matches include L'Ancresse's Mick Hamon against the Royal Guernsey's Julian Woodhard.

Former CI junior champion Luke Blondel will meet one of Guernsey's most promising juniors, Emile Thompson.