Island Men's Golf Championship blown off course
‘ONE hundred per cent the right call,’ was how the defending champion reacted to yesterday’s postponement of the already reduced strokeplay qualifier to this weekend’s men’s golf championships.
Gale force winds at L’Ancresse rendered conditions impossible and before any of the 39 players set off the decision was made to switch the 18-hole qualifier to this morning and, as a knock-on, halve the number of matchplay qualifying spots from 16 to eight.
Tom Le Huray was one of a few top players on the range when the call was made by the Guernsey Golf Union to postpone and move the competition goal-posts for the second time in a week.
Previously, due to the untimely gales, the qualifier had been reduced from 36 holes to 18.
‘There were three of us on the range – Bobby Eggo, Danny Blondel and myself – and we were all in agreement it was the right decision,’ said Le Huray, a dramatic last-hole winner in 2020.
‘But it is a bit of a Catch-22, as it is not going to be as windy tomorrow but we are going to have rain,’ said the title-holder.
Players and officials were easily convinced that on some holes putting would have been impossible with the ball moving in the winds.
As for the necessary halving of qualifying spots to allow the championships to be completed this weekend, inevitably it provides less room for manoeuvre and capacity to recover.
‘It maybe makes it harder, but in the end you still have got to play well to be in those top spots,’ said Le Huray, who will be first out today at 8am.
