Grant must wait and hope after Open blow

TREVOSE assistant pro Grant Slater is this week waiting on tenterhooks to find out whether he has made it through to final local qualifying for this month's Open at Turnberry.

In one of the 16 regional qualifying events held at Ferndown in Dorset last week, the 23-year-old shot a fine 70 to lie in joint seventh place and, with only two more groups out on the course, thought he had done enough to play in next week's final local qualifying on one of three courses in Scotland.

He duly set off for home only to find out later that his score had been matched by one of the late finishers.

This meant that there were five players on 70, one of whom would have to be eliminated in a play-off as only the top 10 could go on to the next qualifying stage. But as Slater had already left, the other four players on 70 automatically qualified.

Slater is officially first reserve for the final qualifying stage. He is now hoping that someone drops out this week so that he can continue his quest to join Tiger Woods and company in the first round of the famous tournament.

Five other Cornwall pros and one amateur were also in the field at Ferndown. St Mellion's Adam Frayne missed out by one shot after shooting a 71. Next best was Cornwall amateur champion Tom Murtagh (Truro) with a 76, followed by Killiow pro Richard Sadler on 78.

Slater's boss Gary Lenaghan, head pro at Trevose, fired a 79, while Mullion assistant Nicholas Martin had an 80 and Launceston's Robert Woodgates an 82.

● Tehidy Park's Bob Cope was crowned Cornwall Seniors champion after firing a fine gross 75 at Falmouth on Friday.

He was three shots clear of runner-up Barrie Higgins, of Cape Cornwall, on 78, with St Mellion's Mike Marshall third on 79.

Cope completed a deserved double when he also won the 55-59 age category Stableford competition with 38 points. Clubmate Mike Fox took the 60-64 category with 37 points, while Looe's Alan Soady was the top scorer in the 65 plus age group with 37 points.

Full results. Overall: Gross – 1, Bob Cope (Tehidy Park) 75; 2, Barrie Higgins (Cape Cornwall) 78; 3, Mike Marshall (St Mellion) 79; 4, Dave Goodman (Bowood Park) 79. Stableford – Age 55-59: 1, Bob Cope 38 pts; 2, Keith Bennetts (Falmouth) 34; 3, Dave Goodman 34. Age 60-64: 1, Mike Fox (Tehidy Park) 37; 2, Barrie Higgins 35; 3, Chris Beer (Falmouth) 34. Age 65 plus: 1, Alan Soady (Looe) 37; 2, David Crowle (Carlyon Bay) 36; 3, Anthony Morgan (Carlyon Bay) 36.

● Cornwall's ladies avoided the wooden spoon when they finished in fifth place at South West Inter County Match Week at Bristol and Clifton last week.

After losing their opening two matches against Devon and Gloucestershire, they bounced back with consecutive halved matches against Wiltshire and Somerset before narrowly losing their final game against Dorset on Friday.

Stars of the Cornwall team were county champion Sarah-Jane Boyd, of Truro, who was undefeated until the final day and played in all 10 matches, and veteran Judith Ryder, who also played a full complement of matches and contributed a sterling five points.

Another impressive performance came from 14-year-old Samantha Giles, of St Mellion, who won five points out of seven on her county debut.

Cornwall results. v Devon: Foursomes – Sarah-Jane Boyd & Jan Teague halved; Micah Carroll & Judith Ryder halved; Nikki Hodge & Michelle Burgess halved. Singles – Boyd won 6&4; Liz Bird won 4&3; Carroll lost 4&3; Hodge lost 6&4; Teague lost 8&7; Ryder lost 3&2. Match result: Cornwall 3½, Devon 5½.

v Gloucestershire: Boyd & Teague halved; Hodge & Sara Taylor lost 2&1; Ryder & Samantha Giles lost 6&5. Singles – Boyd won 2&1; Taylor lost 8&6; Ryder lost 3&2; Giles won 2&1; Bird lost 1 down; Burgess lost 4&2. Match result: Cornwall 2½, Glos 6½.

v Wiltshire: Boyd & Bird halved; Ryder & Carroll lost 2 down; Giles & Hodge won 5&4. Singles – Boyd won 8&6; Hodge lost 4&2; Teague lost 3&1; Giles won 1 up; Burgess lost 2 down; Ryder won 6&5. Match result: Cornwall 4½, Wilts 4½.

v Somerset: Boyd & Giles halved; Hodge & Taylor halved; Ryder & Teague halved. Singles – Boyd halved; Carroll lost 3&2; Hodge halved, Taylor lost 2&1; Ryder won 6&5; Bird won 4&2. Match result: Cornwall 4½, Somerset 4½.

v Dorset: Boyd & Giles lost 4&3; Hodge & Taylor won 1 up; Ryder & Teague won 4&2. Singles: Boyd lost 2&1; Bird lost 4&2; Burgess lost 3&2; Giles won 2&1; Hodge lost 2&1; Ryder won 4&2. Match result: Cornwall 4, Dorset 5.

Final positions: 1, Gloucestershire 5 pts; 2, Somerset 3½; 3, Dorset 3; 4, Devon 2; 5, Cornwall 1; 6, Wiltshire ½.

● Cornwall's men's team will be aiming to consolidate their position at the top of the Channel League when they take on Gwent at St Enodoc on Sunday.

"If we can beat Gwent and make it three wins out of three at the halfway stage, we will have every chance of going on to win the title," said county captain Paul Clahane.

Cornwall team: Anthony Nash (Newquay), Joe Cruse, Steve Chapman (both St Enodoc), Alex Boyd, Tom Murtagh, Billy Downing (all Truro), Rob MacGregor (Perranporth), Mike Reynard, Richard Ackland (both Trevose), Josh Greenaway (Bowood Park). Reserve: Aaron Stephens (Newquay).

● St Mellion touring pro Adam Frayne, who is playing in this week's Europro Tour event at Stoke By Nayland, missed out on qualifying for the French Open – a European Tour event which starts tomorrow – by just one shot after shooting rounds of 73 and 71 at Chantilly Vineuil to finish in a share of sixth place on a two over par total of 144.

Meanwhile, at the nearby Lys course, which was also being used for qualifying last week, Trevose touring pro Phil Rowe joined Frayne in missing out on a place in the French Open line-up despite firing rounds of 72 and 69. He too had a two over par total, but still finished well down the field.

● Rowe then returned to the Alps Tour on Thursday, but suffered the frustration of missing the cut for the final round of the Allianz Open de Strasbourg by just one shot after shooting rounds of 71 and 73.

● There was no joy either for Cornish youngsters Billy Downing (Truro) and Tom Fox (China Fleet) when they competed in the prestigious 72-hole Sir Henry Cooper Junior Masters at The Nizels GC in Kent at the weekend.

Downing started well with a 72, but followed up with a 79 which left him well out of contention on 151. Fox finished four shots behind his Cornwall teammate on 155 after rounds of 78 and 77.

● Eight clubs will be bidding to reach the semi-finals of the ladies' Gammon Trophy when four third round matches are played this Sunday.

Draw: Tehidy Park v Carlyon Bay; Launceston v Falmouth; Newquay v Bude & N Cornwall; St Austell v Perranporth.

● The team to represent Cornwall at Woodbury Park in the South West Boys' Championship on July 15 has been announced by president of the junior section, Chris Hart.

Cornwall team: Conor Wilson (capt, Perranporth), Billy Downing (Truro), Tom Fox (China Fleet), Carl Phillips (Newquay), Conor Warne (Carlyon Bay), Joe Cruse (St Enodoc), Matt Richards (West Cornwall), George Champion (Truro).

● Two golfers have been putting their passion for the sport to good use by playing four rounds in a day for charity.

Tim Searle and Paul Martin played almost 14 hours of golf, covering over 15 miles at Carlyon Bay, raising more than £1,600 for the Macmillan Nurses.

More than 250 golf clubs nationwide took part in the charity's 'Longest Day Golf Challenge' on June 22.

The charity was the choice of Tim, club captain of Carlyon Bay. Paul, golf director at the club, also took part as the pair teed off at 6am and played their final hole at 7.30pm.

"It was a long old day but it was worth it," said Tim.

"We raised over £1,600 for Macmillan Nurses, my chosen charity, which I'm delighted with after losing my mother to cancer 20 years ago.

"Covering the course over four rounds straight would be around 15 miles but we weren't always straight so it was more like 20 miles!

"Gary Johns did an excellent job caddying around with us all day and he deserves a special mention."

In addition, the captain's bunker – where golfers are fined 50p for landing in the sand – has raised £220.

Carlyon Bay will be raising more funds for the Macmillan Nurses this weekend when it hosts a 'Couples Day' on Saturday.

● To make a donation to Macmillan Nurses visit the website at www.macmillan.org.uk or call Carlyon Bay Golf Club on 01726 814250.