Friends make the most of chance

GOOD friends Martin Ogier and Pierre Bisson don't get to play golf together too often, due to the fact that one plays at La Grande Mare and the other at the Royal. While golfers from all over the globe can play a friendly round at L'Ancresse, Guernseyman Ogier cannot, ridiculously some might say, even though he is a capable golfer (12 handicap) and again proved so by winning the La Grande Mare Club's Wallace Barnaby Invitation Day with guest player Bisson.

Together, they scored a massive 48 Stableford points to beat off the challenge of 118 fellow entrants.

In the two-ball better-ball format, Ogier and Bisson blitzed the course.

Out in 23 points and given their result, quite staggeringly the pair failed to win a single point count at the short 10th hole.

The blip was shortlived, though, as the pairing and, in particular, 21-handicapper Bisson got into a run of formidable scoring.

Seven of the final eight holes were converted into net birdies, but not to be outdone by his guest, Ogier holed out for a gross birdie at the par-four 14th hole, giving the duo a net eagle and four more points.

The end result of 25 more points for eight out of their back-nine holes gave them an untouchable total.

'It was uncanny that when I fell apart he came in,' said Ogier, who admits to usually winning one competition a season on his home course.

Ogier played some superb golf on the front nine.

'Over the first seven holes I hadn't dropped a shot,' said Ogier.

'I dropped two on the eighth but after nine I was still four under my handicap.'

Trying their best to get within touching distance of the winners were Steve Hogg and L'Ancresse Golf Club guest John Goodall.

The latter was in receipt of 13 shots and made his score count on six of the final nine holes.

His partner Hogg (16 handicap) stepped in with a net eagle for four points at the 12th and together they would end up carding a 10-under-net 46 for second spot.

L'Ancresse guests also formed one half of the third and fourth-placed finishers.

Invitations by La Grande Mare members Jim Farmer and Dave Falla were gracefully accepted by Bob Ozanne and Tony Blondel respectively and Farmer and Ozanne finishied third on 45.

It was a tightly fought contest in the women's invitational but with a round of two different halves, Lynne Coutanche (27 handicap) and Royal Guernsey's Sara Cumming (26) clinched the spoils by a solitary point.

After a level-par front nine only a ridiculously good back-nine total would give Coutanche and Cumming a place in the top three.

But they did just that, starting with a gross-birdie two for a net-zero albatross and five points at the 10th.

Their form continued and with a back-nine tally of 26 for a 44-point winning total, Coutanche and Cumming topped the women's standings by a single point.

Marilyn Pugh and Sue Wellfair were pushed into the runner-up spot with Wellfair's point at the long last hole proving invaluable in seeing off third-placed Mary Lisle and Mandy Webber on countback.

Cumming and Lisle gained further reward on the day for their nearest-the-pin efforts at the second and 11th holes respectively.

For the second time in as many weeks, the last submitted scorecard yielded the lowest and winning mark in a L'Ancresse Golf Club competition.

On this occasion it was 13-handicap Paul Gallienne, who claimed the Oracle Finance-sponsored Le Cheminant Cup.

The warm Saturday sunshine disguised some tough scoring conditions as many players found the brisk westerly breeze coupled with the ever-thickening rough a demanding task.

However, unlike the 50 players who failed to return a score, Gallienne with a six-under-par net 64 shattered the hopes of Shay Wade (13 handicap) and Andy Smith (9), who were in the safety of the clubhouse disputing the lead on a net 66.

Gallienne's winning round included nine pars and just the one birdie at the short seventh for a gross 77.

As he walked off the last green with playing partner Craig Allen, he knew that it would take something out of the ordinary to top his score.

Despite their strong back-nine play, neither Smith nor Wade could match Gallienne and on countback they finished second and third respectively.

Among the low handicaps, Andy Eggo, Steve Mahy and Danny Bisson all had a strong round.

But by a shot and with a gross 69 Bisson carded the day's lowest gross score.

The island footballer was the only golfer out of the 130-strong field who managed a birdie at the par three third and a strong finish of three further birdies in his final six holes corrected a few earlier bogies and gave him a hat-trick of consecutive best scratch prizes.

*ROYAL Guernsey Ladies' yesterday swept to a convincing 8-4 win over their Royal Jersey counterparts in the annual Falle Cup match.