La Moye make it 13 wins in a row

ONCE known as the Etam, the Colin Sutton Memorial Team Trophy is the annual strokeplay showdown between the islands' four main clubs. Yesterday, under a fiercely hot sun, it returned to L'Ancresse after three years' absence but in keeping with the worrying trend of inter-insular golfing affairs, it was the Jersey contingent who sat down to lunch wearing the biggest smiles.

With three of the best four gross medal scores counting from each four-strong team, La Moye won by two shots from the Royal Jersey, with the host club just a further three back.

La Moye's win was, remarkably, their 13th on the bounce, but Royal Guernsey captain June Wright was delighted with the efforts of her quartet who were chasing their first Sutton Trophy success since 1991.

'I thought our team did very well in what is a very difficult format.

'The greens were slick and there were also very difficult pin positions,' the non-playing captain said.

For years it was just the two Royal clubs and La Moye who did battle for the trophy, but such is the emergence of Les Mielles' women golfers Jersey's west-coast club gained an invitation to compete.

It is hoped, in time, that La Grande Mare will become the fifth participants but for that to happen they will have to unearth four players of single-handicap quality.

Very few of the CI's big guns were missing yesterday.

Olivia Higgins, the Jersey and CI individual matchplay champion, headed up the Royal Jersey team and returned a gross 80, the same as her colleague, Diane Carter, and La Moye's fast-improving Alex Mollin.

But the day's best score was a 79 from La Moye's Elaine Pushman.

The host club were close to full strength and Jan Chamberlain produced their best score with an 82.