Domaille having fun

JEFF DOMAILLE'S encouraging start to the new season has seen him win an all-L'Ancresse final of the Henderson Cup. The former island player was in receipt of one shot from Mike Hamon and there was never more than a shot in it all afternoon before Hamon made a fatal mistake at the 16th.

Hamon found a fairway bunker down the right and, left with a terrible lie, lost the hole.

'That was the one that settled it,' said Hamon, who had been happy enough with his game in general.

'Jeff was around in about level par gross,' he added.

A superb iron to four feet at the last ensured Domaille of his success and the three handicap said he was delighted with his first big win since landing the club's Centenary Trophy in centenary year.

Work and a having a young family is preventing him from playing very regularly, but, he said: 'I'm enjoying it when I do play'.

His enjoyment has been reflected by some very handy early season form.

Having shot gross scores of 74 and 76 to qualify for the Henderson, he has since produced a 73 in a Stableford event and a 71 in a medal round.

'It's going well. I've changed my grip a bit and instead of a big draw I'm not hitting everything with a fade now.'

From his viewpoint, Domaille considered a hole-saving putt on the sixth as a crucial moment in his victory.

'Mike put his second to a foot and I was 25 feet past the flag up the green.

'But I holed the putt which had a two-foot swing for the half and to stay one up.'

As for his excellent iron into the last hole, he said it was about time.

'That was the first time I've hit the 18th green for a month.'

In the semi-finals, Domaille had edged past Tony Brassel one up, while Hamon needed only 13 holes to brush past Paul Luxton.

*THE biggest single sporting event in the island this weekend will see 340 golfers battle it out on the L'Ancresse links for the extensive prize list on offer at the fourth RBSI International Challenge Trophy event.

As is the norm, the 85 starting slots were not enough to include everyone wishing to play, the event retaining its pre-eminence in the local golfing calendar in terms of foursomes competitions.

The 2004 trophy holders, Tony Scrimshaw and Greg Allison, are notable absentees for the Stableford event, but one pairing sure to go close is that of Bobby Eggo and Jack Mitchell,

Thrown together last year when Eggo's regular partner, Jerseyman Richard Harrop, pulled out, they scored 33 points to win the scratch prize.

They tee off at 9.30 in the company of Laurence Graham and Danny Blondel.

The final group are out at 4.40.

Mary Lisle received a timely boost ahead of today's big event with a narrow victory in the La Grande Mare's AWS Trophy.

The 26-handicap shot a net 63 to win by a shot from Helen Banks and Angela Baker.

One of the best shots of the day came from Marilyn Pugh, who hit her tee shot to within seven feet at the 16th.