The Essex Open and Essex Open Pro Am were both played this week. 

On Wednesday we had 33 teams taking part in the main event. I would firstly like to thank all the members on supporting me on the event of the day.

 

 

We had a super day, with the course showing its no easy stroll, with the professionals prize being won by James Scade with a Gross 68, with Tied 2nd going to Jason Levermore and Lloyd Kennedy with gross 69. Club Pro's Chris and Mark were tied 4th and 8th with 70 and 71. 

The Pro Am event had lots of individual prize winners from Colchester Members. Longest Drive was won by the big hitting Andy Smith (must have rolled 150 yards). Ian Parry and Vic Pomphrett won nearest the pin prizes as well. 

In the main event the team of Andy Smith, Keith Newnham and Mark Weale with Professional Gary Carter finished 4th. 

Jason Levermore's team from Clacton came in 3rd. 

Phil Davies, Ian Parry and Ernest Van Verenbech were runners up with -17. 

The winning team was the home team and home Professional Chris's team with Jim Maltby, Barrie Cutchie and David Blackmore.


In the main event, 80 top Pro's and Amateurs went for the Essex Open over 36 holes on the course. In the morning gross 68 from James Webber and Jason Levermore led the way. Jack Winer shot level par in the morning, but a fantastic score of lowest of the day 66 got him to 4 under for the two rounds.

Jason Levermore was 5 under playing 18, but hooked his ball into the ditch, before dropping and then finding the front left hand bunker. The pin was in a tough position at back right, and he playing an incredible bunker shot to save bogey to force a playoff.

On the 2nd extra hole Jason prevailed to retain his trophy and the Essex Open Championship.

Huge congrats to former Head Professional Mark Angel on getting a hole in ONE on the 8th hole!

Alan Sharrocks and Cassie Cunningham proved themselves up to scratch at Colchester Golf Club.

 

On a difficult day weather-wise, one-handicapper Sharrocks returned the lowest gross score of 73 to take the scratch Centenary Medal with Cunningham victorious in the ladies competition.

Sharrocks had a topsy-turvey start with three bogies and a birdie in the first six holes but steadied himself superbly with 11 pars and just one bogey in his last 12 holes.

Cunningham, in contrast, began well with a birdie at the fifth leaving her level par, but doubles at nine, 15 and 18 rather spoiled her card but her gross 84 was still enough to win.

The men's Handicap Medal was won by Daniel Harness playing off 16, who fired a nett 67 to squeeze out Christopher Monk (10) on countback. Harness had three key pars in the last five holes to secure victory while Monk was left to rue double bogies at holes three, eight and eleven. Chris Carlin (20) and Robin Tucker (21) took third and fourth spots after being separated after a countback with both returning nett 69s.

Martin Webb (9), Keith Newnham (5), Matthew Michael (10), Brendan Booth (5), Bill Eke (5) and Marl Westall all shot nett 70s to complete the top ten.

Julie Nieuwenhuis secured the ladies Handicap Medal with a nett 72 from her 35 handicap. She used her shots well to close off this competition and put herself one shot clear of Beverley Parker (21), who returned a nett 73 with Sara Cock (30) and Bridget Whitworth (17) both carded 75s to take third and fourth. Maureen Devenish (17), Cath Birchell (10) and Margaret Carter (24 all shot 76s.

The men's Foursomes Cup, staged on Saturday, was won by Barrie Minns and Paul Nunny. First presented to the Club in 1941 and played in the unforgiving format of foursomes bogey their score of plus three was particularly impressive on such a cold day.

Completing the first nine two holes up Minns and Nunny, claiming thirteen shots, attacked the back nine with wins on the twelfth, fourteenth and seventeenth but lost out on the tenth and the last to give them plus one and a plus three score overall.

That was too hot for the rest of the field though with runners up John Redden and Mickey Potter back from the trials and tribulations of a week in Turkey finishing two holes back. Receiving nine shots they had a strong back nine of plus three.

Two pairs finished on level with Malcolm Easton and Stephen English receiving eleven shots edging past Steve Freeman and Stuart Macaulay who got nine on countback.

Renate Clark's Bronze Shield team suffered a 4-3 loss against Upminster at home with Colchester's winners being Vicky Frost, Bev Parker and Claire Croger.


 

Driver drill - Learn to square the club face

Squaring the club face is one of the most important skills in golf as club face dictates the starting line of your golf shots. Chase Davis and Chris Cutchie share a drill to help you square the club face on the driving range meaning that you can hit straighter shots from the tee.

Click here or on the video image to view.


 

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