Eggo takes tern for the worse

GUERNSEY'S golfers have not only had to withstand strong winds, soggy fairways and rough, but angry birds too. Whalsay golf course on the island of Whalsay is the most northerly course in Britain and also the home of very protective, Arctic terns who are nesting on the fourth fairway.

After teeing off golfers have to contend with the big birds dive-bombing them while they innocently walk up the fairway to their balls.

'They're vicious little devils,' said Guernsey men's team manager, Jock Tanguy.

'They come within four or five feet of you.'

But it was the wind and rain that were more of a bother to the men players on their second visit to Whalsay yesterday.

Bobby Eggo, in particular, suffered a bad day.

'They were bad conditions and he just couldn't get going,' said the manager.

Eggo's 78 saw him slip back into fourth spot, five shots off the lead held by 2001 Isle of Man gold medallist, Kevin Moore who has shot rounds of 71, 73 and 72, and one behind Guernsey team-mate, Danny Bisson.

Bisson's 74 was the best of the Guernsey contingent yesterday, the other three all being four shots worse off.

But it could have been so much better, said Tanguy.

'Danny, unfortunately, dropped three shots on the one hole, otherwise he would have been level par.'

'It was terrible today with force seven winds, very showery or drizzly. Not very pleasant at all,' said the team manager who expects better weather today back at Dale.

'We are still pretty confident of getting silver, but I don't think we will catch the Isle of Man.'

The Dale course is easier to reach but has sodden fairways where the ball often plugs and can be lost.

Di Hudson was the best of the four Guernsey women at Dale on day three, shooting an 85.