Marley ends the club season on a high

MICK MARLEY has had a quiet season by his own high standards, but he will go into the winter break as a scratch golfer after his two-under-par 68 saw him win the Scratch Cup. 'I thought the standard scratch would be more than 70 as the conditions were not easy, but I'm pleased to be down to 0.3 and off scratch going into next year,' said the former island champion.

In the Lloyds TSB Private Banking-sponsored Royal Guernsey event, Marley pipped Bobby Eggo, the Island Games gold medallist, by a single shot.

In the Junior Cup standings off handicap, former island player Laurence Graham continued his good form of late by birdieing five of the last six holes to return home in 31 strokes for a level-par round of net 67 off his three handicap.

Graham will now end the season with a two handicap.

Two shots adrift of Graham and in the runner-up place was Trevor Le Pelley (17 handicap) who despite a run of double-bogey sixes halfway through his round, managed to regain control to finish his final six holes in just two-over-par gross.

With that strong finish and by virtue of countback, Le Pelley managed to head a chasing group of four players who finished on 69.

From that group Graham Hockey (19) emerged to take third spot overall and Kevin Lycett and Mark Downing, both 12-handicappers, found birdies in their closing two holes also to ensure their position in the top five.

On a day when a host of prizes were up for grabs, up-and-coming player Jamie Le Page collected the junior prize and despite dropping a hatful of shots over the closing seven holes Mike Quarrington took the guest prize with a one-over-par 71.

Two local golfers qualified from the Hampshire region to compete in the English Golf Union Gold Medal Tournament staged at Woodall Spa, Lincolnshire.

Having come through their respective local qualifying events, Royal Guernsey's Willie Allan and the Guernsey Junior Club's Tom Le Huray produced the lowest net scores for the region and joined 80 other golfers from England's county regions to battle it out for the honour of the country's top club player for 2004.

Upon arrival at the championship course, wet weather put paid to any sort of practice round so both Allan and Le Huray set out in the 36-hole event not knowing their way around the course.

Allan would struggle with the putter all weekend and suffered as a consequence, finishing well down the leader board.

However, young Le Huray, 14, scored 20 points alone for his opening nine holes, including a 'blob' at the par-three seventh.

The St Sampson's schoolboy eventually scored 34 Stableford points to be in the top 10 going into the final round.

The youngster started day two six points off the leader, but could not quite find the momentum to challenge the leaders.

A second day total of 31 put the new junior island cap in 10th spot overall, a remarkable achievement.

'It was a very well run and professional tournament,' said Tom's father Bill, who was carrying his bag.

'If Tom could have practised on the Friday, he might well have gone on to win it,' added his proud dad.