Former member shows club what he can do

GARY MCFARLANE returned to his former club, La Grande Mare, and posted a new course record of 63 in winning the scratch section of the HSBC Open. The blue riband event of the LGM season attracted a host of the island's top players, but it was two-handicap McFarlane and home club high-handicapper Adrian Price who stole the glory in ideal conditions.

McFarlane, previously an LGM member before switching to L'Ancresse, birdied the last to confirm his 63 and his name in the club record books.

Out in 32 with nine straight pars, McFarlane maintained the par barrage until the 13th, where he collected a birdie two.

The L'Ancresse first-teamer bogeyed the next before immediately returning under par at the 15th and he could afford another dropped shot at the penultimate hole in breaking the record.

Island regular Nigel Le Noury was just two shots back on 65 gross, while Mick Marley dipped under 70 to take the third scratch prize.

Le Noury's front nine - four over - was a shade disappointing but he produced the day's best nine-hole stretch with a three-under 29 coming in.

Marley, out in 36, returned in 33 with a pair of twos and a birdie at the last going some way to easing the pain of a double-bogey six at the 12th.

The main open competition produced a maiden win for Price, whose net 59 saw him pip Matt Neville, Ross Le Marquand and Paul Porter by a stroke.

Out in 41, Price returned in 38 despite a double-bogey five at the 17th and a bogey six at the last.

But it was a two at the 11th and 13th which topped his day.

'Those birdies made all the difference and I putted from off the green for both of them.

'A couple of months ago I had a couple of good rounds but then went to pieces,' said Price, who was an early starter in the Open.

'We went out, at 6.50am and the conditions were lovely - it wasn't too warm. Ideal.'

By the time runner-up Matt Neville went out the sun was at its highest, but the quickly-improving LGM member kept cool to post a 77 gross, net 60.

An eight at the ninth ruined his front nine, but a three-over gross inward half brought him right into contention.

Between the 10th and 16th, he reeled off five threes.

He bogeyed the 17th and then made a hash of the last to finish with a six.

It could have been worse, though.

'I hit a three-iron onto the fairway but then topped my second into the douit.'

But having taken a penalty drop, he restricted the damage and won himself an attractive decanter for his efforts.

'The back nine was awesome,' said Neville, who beat Le Marquand and Porter on countback.