Husband-and-wife team win Interseals

PAT and KEITH JEFFREYS avoided trouble to win the annual Interseals Open at St Pierre Park on countback over the greensomes Stableford format. Along with the Bissons, Martin and Heather, and Stan Baker and Terry Crowther, the Jeffreys scored 44 points and took the top prize on their better back-nine showing.

'We were just steady. We never three-putted and got up and down every time,' said Keith.

Playing off 13, the husband-and-wife partnership are a relatively novice pairing when it comes to golf.

But they showed they can hit it off on the golf course, too, coming close to a prize at the 2003 Star Trophy event and again at the Bank of Butterfield/Brymay recently.

'We never got into any trouble and we were always in play,' said the male half of the winning team who enjoyed their day out on the par threes.

Meanwhile, island football boss Steve Ogier celebrated the capture of another prize.

Having won the L'Ancresse Captain's Prize, Ogier, this time, won one of the four nearest-the-pin prizes, along with Jessie Ogier, Alan Winstanley and Ken Tucknott.

Fifty-four pairings entered and just two points covered the top six.

Coming off the back of her winning performance in the Tony Jacklin Open, Claire Giles continued her good form by picking up the Royal Guernsey Ladies' section Centenary Trophy with a seven-under par round of 65.

However, it did take countback over the last nine holes to separate Giles from runner-up Sonia Graham.

Giles and Graham have eaten away at their respective handicaps since last year and both now play off 26.

Both women got off to strong starts.

Giles parred the first, fifth and seventh holes as she capped an excellent front half with a birdie at the long ninth hole for a gross six over par 42.

Meanwhile, Graham had parred both the par threes on the front nine and made a three for birdie at the eighth.

With a handful of shots intact for the remainder of the round Giles and Graham used a few more than they would have liked on the usually easier back nine of L'Ancresse, but despite an ugly nine creeping on the card at the par five 14th, Giles kept her round together to claim the spoils.

Elaine Ward collected the nearest the pin prize at the 18th and, in getting her par at the last, Ward (19 handicap) completed a round of net 67 to finish third, two shots off the pace.

During the qualifying medal round stage of the Royal Guernsey Ladies' Coronation Cup Sarah Cumming, with a nine-under par net 63 and Colette Le Lievre (64) between them lost no less than eight shots from their respective handicaps.

In a format created by the donor of the trophy, the late Mrs Ethel McDade, the two best scores in a medal round, play off in a matchplay final for the trophy.

With fresh handicaps of 29 for Le Lievre and 26 for Cumming there was very little between them as they headed out for their maiden 18-hole matchplay final.

Both continued their qualifying form as both performed well below their handicaps, but Cumming was proving stronger off the tee and by the turn she had a four-up advantage.

The lead was extended to five at the par four 10th.

Despite a little wobble Cumming was determined not to relinquish her advantage and at four up playing the long 14th, Cumming made an excellent up and down from 20 yards short of the green to secure the match and the cup 5 and 4.