Marley's performance is up to Scratch

MICK MARLEY has hit top form ahead of the forthcoming inter-insular, winning successive Royal Guernsey medal competitions. Marley and Richard Morgan were the respective winners of the Scratch and Junior Cups event sponsored by Lloyds TSB Offshore Private Banking.

The criteria for competing is that players with a 13 handicap and over play in the Junior Cup and those with 12 and under play in the Scratch.

Pensioner and self confessed hacker Morgan, a member at the club for over 30 years, shot a net 64 off his 25 handicap.

His purple patch didn't begin until the 10th and a run of three pars and a birdie clinched it for him.

Morgan's last success was reaching the dizzy heights of seventh in this year's Captain's Day.

Jim Erskine came second with a net 67, just pipping Mark Downing into third on countback.

Marley's Scratch Cup win followed on from his impressive Frere Bowl performance.

The island regular shot 35 on both the front and back nines to claim victory with a 70 gross.

Club captain David Warr came second with a 72 gross and Nigel Vaudin was third.

Danny Carre won the junior prize with a net 69.

Bill Spurdle won the nearest the pin on the 18th, his effort stopping just over a foot from the pin.

Conditions were blustery for the Sommelier Wine Company and Liberty Wines sponsored Frere Bowl, which attracted some 200 golfers.

Considering the tricky conditions and with only one shot to play with, Marley managed to accumulate an incredible 41 Stableford points.

This included 12 pars and five birdies.

As well as getting his name on the prestigious bowl, Marley collected an impressive trophy and a generous wine collection from the sponsor.

John Le Lievre was second with 39, followed closely by Larry Grover in third with 38.

Laurence Graham jnr collected the top scratch prize of the day with 36 points.

The two nearest-the-pin prizes were won by Richard Morton on the 18th and Malcolm Hollier on the third with a great effort stopping just 18 inches from the flag.