Fog descends to thwart Bisson and Mitchell

AFTER a dramatic Thursday evening's action one quarter-final will need to be concluded before today's semi-finals of the Deutsche Bank Guernsey Championships. Second seed Danny Bisson and Jack Mitchell, the island's top junior, were locked all-square with just two holes to play when thickening fog ended the gallery's increasing curiosity with a high-quality clash that could still go either way.

In some quarters, the decision was regarded at best premature, at worst ridiculous.

But, as Roy Martel, secretary of the Guernsey Golf Union, explained, in normal circumstances the hooter would have gone and the course closed such was the poor visibility.

While Mitchell, who intended taking an iron off the 17th tee, was keen to go on, the big-hitting Bisson, who was eyeing the green - or the direction of it - was not.

Match referee Roger Chauvel asked the players what they wanted to do, and as they failed to agree, he called it off. The two will be back on the teebox for the remaining two holes - at least - at four o'clock this afternoon before the winner moves forward to take on Andy Eggo in this evening's semi-finals.

'You couldn?t see the flag. It was my decision,' said Chauvel.

It was an anti-climactic end to a fascinating match but, quite probably, the right one.

When play was abandoned Mitchell, in his final year as a junior, had just won the 16th to level again.

He had led for the first time with a birdie three at the 13th, but was immediately pegged back and then left trailing again as Bisson won the next two holes.

The offer of calling it a day was also made to the one remaining quarter-final still out on the course, but with Chris Thompson dormy three down to Nigel Vaudin coming down 16, the pair declined. Anyway, the two old friends were playing for a free dinner back in the Royal clubhouse.

Thompson has enjoyed his best ever championship week, but the seven-handicap could not hold Vaudin on this occasion and conceded the match on the 16th green.

Meanwhile, the Eggo brothers turned on the style to book their places in the semis in convincing fashion.

Andy, boosted by a putting lesson at lunchtime, despatched the 2004 champion David Rowlinson 8 and 7. It is doubtful that in the history of the championship the title-holder has suffered such a crushing defeat over 18 holes.

Poor Rowlinson could do little right while Eggo was a transformed player from the previous evening, particularly on the greens.

'He just didn?t play well at all,' said the winner, adding: 'I was two under with no bogeys.'

Whether he was any better than his brother, Bobby, is debatable.

Nigel Le Noury will probably argue otherwise after playing his best golf of the week and being walloped 6 and 5.

'He was probably three under at the end,' said Le Noury.

The eight times island champion will now play Vaudin for a place in Sunday's 36 holes final.