Blondel rests for Games

JAMIE BLONDEL is missing out on defending the Credit Suisse Trophy this week as he looks to give himself the best chance of a medal in Rhodes. The L'Ancresse man shot 284 to top the island's major 72-hole scratch competition last year and described it as the best win of his career.

But 12 months on and he is dedicating his time to giving himself the ideal preparation for his Island Games debut.

'I just really wanted to concentrate on the Island Games and I do not want to go out there ?golfed out?, so to speak,' Blondel said.

'I am going to spend the time working on my short game because from what I hear the course is not the most challenging and it could come down to who can get up and down the best during the week.

'It is a bit of a shame because I was very happy to win the Credit Suisse Trophy and it would have been nice to defend it, but I will be back to give it a go next year.

'I am just really looking forward to Rhodes and it is an honour to represent Guernsey.'

Blondel has been picking the brains of Guernsey Island Games Association committee members Roy Martel and Eric Legg, who have played the Afandou course on previous trips to the host island.

It is a par 73 set on the east coast and appears fairly open on website pictures.

'Apparently they are going to be working on the greens to ensure they are up to a decent standard.'

With a couple of practice rounds scheduled before the four-day 72-hole competition, he admitted that it would be a physically demanding trip.

'It will be a very tough week.

'We have not had our tee times yet so we are not sure what time of day we will be playing, but it is going to be pretty hot out there, to say the least.

'We will have to take on a lot of water and we will be playing in light colours. We have caddies going out with us, so that will help make it a bit easier.'

As usual, Blondel's father Tony will be on his bag.

Blondel is joined in the team by fellow L'Ancresse members Steve Mahy and Danny Bisson with Royal Guernsey's island stalwart Nigel Vaudin completing the quartet.

Only the last has entered the Credit Suisse and UV Trophies as the others prepare for Rhodes but all have been in good form of late.

Mahy reached the final of the Hampshire Championships while Bisson also made the matchplay stages of that competition.

A couple of weeks earlier, Vaudin made it to his second successive island final and Blondel enjoyed a decent run in that event, losing only to good friend Mahy in the quarter-finals having earlier registered the sixth hole-in-one of his career.

Blondel believes along with the Sarnians, golfers from Jersey, Bermuda and the Isle of Man will figure prominently on the leaderboard.

But he added that expectations within the Guernsey camp are high.

'We have certainly got a good enough team to be contending for a medal and we should have individual chances as well,' Blondel said.