Mahy happy to be at home

STEVE MAHY loves the big occasions. He proved as much with his fantastic run to the final of the Hampshire County Championship in June, losing only to the red-hot Ryan Henley at L'Ancresse.

At the time Mahy said he had surprised himself with his performances over the weekend, but once into the matchplay stages on his home course, he was going to be a danger to anyone.

It is that sort of form home supporters hope he will reproduce against Jersey at the weekend.

His record suggests he can, with many impressive wins in inter-insular matches.

'You have just got to relax and try to enjoy it. I do like matchplay because I don't get down on myself, which is important,' he said.

'My record is pretty good - it just seems to suit the way I play. I do not make a load of birdies in the way Bobby Eggo or Nigel Vaudin does, but I stick at it - a sort of never-say-die attitude.

'Matchplay really makes you concentrate. You cannot show your opponent that you are down. Some guys might start throwing their clubs and show that they are frustrated and that is when your opponent knows they are getting on top.'

The county final has been the main highlight of his season, but by no means the only one.

Among other things, Mahy was the top Sarnian at the Island Games, runner-up in the Le Riche Cup and also a Guernsey Championship semi-finalist.

'I am happy with what's going on with my game,' was his typically modest assessment of his form.

But now it comes down to the most anticipated event of the golfing calendar. In Mahy's own words, 'you cannot get a better thing than beating Jersey'.

He is, though, well aware of the task that lies ahead. Guernsey have not won the fixture since 2003.

'We are going to have to play well. They are very strong. It is one of the strongest Jersey teams I have known them to bring over,' Mahy said.

'Home advantage is key to this sort of fixture. The bonus for us is that it's here.

'I know they come over and play here quite often, but we know the greens and where not to hit it.

'This year the course is playing very tough. With the summer we have had, the rough is long and the fairways are narrow so you have got to keep it in play.'

Mahy admitted that he was 'a bit disappointed' that Danny Bisson had been left out of the side but he wanted to concentrate on the positives of those who are involved this weekend.

Along with himself, a couple of his young L'Ancresse clubmates make a welcome return to the inter-insular and, on this season's form, were probably in the first few names the selection committee plumped for.

'A plus is that we have got three guys back who missed last year,' said Mahy, who was absent in 2006 through family commitments.

'We have guys who are playing well, but we have got to get it right at the weekend.'

Mahy reported that Steve Turvey, Guernsey's non-playing captain, had mentioned it in a team talk that the greens had not won an individual series - the fourballs, foursomes or singles - for three years.

The hosts want to put that right in tomorrow's opening fourballs and get off to the ideal start.

'It would be nice to get points on the board early,' Mahy said.

'It's the one I always look forward to, the fourballs. You can really go for it because you are playing your own ball and it can lead to really exciting golf. I remember a couple of years ago I was playing with Danny Bisson against Gavin O'Neill and Matthew Parkman and we were halving holes in birdies and needing eagles to win them.

'The foursomes, on the other hand, is usually cagey - you are trying not to make mistakes - and traditionally we are not great in the singles.

'Let's hope we can put that right this time.'

* THERE are two other Channel Islands finals taking place tomorrow at L'Ancresse.

Guernsey junior champion Danny Carre takes on his Jersey counterpart, Paul Aitkins, for the CI title, teeing off at 12.30pm, while the senior version sees Sarnian winner Mick King face Bart McCarthy 10 minutes later.