Guernsey confident as team is selected

GUERNSEY'S senior golfers are quietly confident of lifting the new 2004 Garenne Seniors' Challenge Trophy on home soil early next month. Two new caps - Steve Birkett and Niall Counihan - have been selected for the prestigious inter-insular match at L'Ancresse Golf Course on 8 and 9 September.

'We've picked a really strong team,' said Guernsey's non-playing captain, Henry de la Mare.

'We'll also be playing on our home course, so we're hopeful this could be the year to rein in Jersey's overall lead in the competition,' he said.

'On home ground, you have to feel it's worth an extra few holes.'

Jersey have a marginal 5-3 advantage in the challenge but Guernsey will be seeking to avenge last year's heavy defeat at the auld enemy's hands at Les Mielles.

But Jersey will not give up easily and has announced a strong-looking team to defend the trophy.

'It's always a tough contest but the selectors have picked a team which has a really good chance of going to Guernsey and extending Jersey's overall lead,' said Jersey's non-playing team captain, Wallie Clarke.

The 2004 seniors' golf inter-insular is being sponsored by the Garenne Group for the first time.

'We decided to support this prestigious event as just one of the ways in which we put something back into the communities in which we work,' said Garenne Group chairman Stuart Falla.

'Both islands have announced strong teams and so now we are looking forward to the match beginning next month. It should be an excellent event for golf in both islands,' he added.

Guernsey Golf Union president Roy Martel said it was delighted to be involved with a leading Channel Islands Group and he hoped it would be a long and fruitful relationship.