Can Ben win Welsh again? Gorse he can

By pheyman

TREVOSE'S Ben Westgate was the top seed when he opened the defence of his Welsh Amateur title at Southerndown today.

Last year he claimed his first national title when he emerged triumphant in an all-Cornish final at Royal Porthcawl, defeating the late Ben Enoch, of Truro, by 5&3 in the 36-hole final.

And he may well have to beat another Enoch if he is to make it back-to-back championship wins. If the seedings work to plan, he will face Ben's older brother and fellow Welsh international Rhys, who is seeded No 4, in the semi-finals.

"I like Southerndown, it's a really nice course where I won the Duncan Putter earlier this year," Westgate said this week. "But there'll be a bit more gorse to avoid this time."

With an automatic bye into this afternoon's second round Westgate was due to face either Rhodri Harston (Felixstowe Ferry) or Ross Earnshaw (Fulford), while Enoch's opponent was Philip Edwards, who is based in Holland.

Cropper

Enoch, who surprisingly came a cropper in the first round last year, is in the sort of form to make sure there will be no repeat performance this time round.

Along with Westgate he competed in the prestigious South of England Championship at Walton Heath last week, where he fought back from a disappointing opening round of 76 with a brilliant second round 68 – the second best of the day – to make the cut with two shots to spare.

Westgate had a first round of 75, but missed the cut by a frustrating one shot despite posting a second round 72.

Enoch went on to finish in a share of 13th place after rounds of 71 and 73 for a 288 total, nine behind the winner Jason Palmer (Kirby Muxloe).

Both Cornwall-based players, who are in the running for a place in this year's Walker Cup team, will be keen to post a good result at Southerndown as it is the last chance they will have to impress the selectors before they announce the team to take on the USA at Merion Golf Club in Pennsylvania on September 12-13.

● Enoch provided further evidence of his current fine form when he equalled his own course record of seven under par 59 at Truro on Saturday.

● Cornwall's seniors finished in fifth place in a weather-affected South West Seniors Championship at Lyme Regis last week.

Tuesday's opening day was called off after heavy rain and fog made the Dorset course unplayable, forcing the championship to be reduced to 18 holes.

The following day Mike Marshall (St Mellion) was the leading Cornish scorer with a round of 79, two better than Barrie Higgins (Cape Cornwall) and Dave Goodman (Bowood Park), who both shot 81s.

With each team of seven counting their five best scores, Bob Cope (Tehidy Park) with 82 and Alan Poole (St Mellion) with 83 completed Cornwall's total score of 406. Peter Marshall (St Mellion) and Dave O'Mahony (Tehidy Park) both carded 84s.

Final placings: 1, Dorset 374; 2, Gloucestershire 383; 3, Devon 388; 4, Wiltshire 389; 5, Cornwall 406; 6, Somerset 410.

● China Fleet's Tom Fox was one of 50 young golfers who made the cut at the prestigious English Boys' Open Amateur Championship for the Carris Trophy at Moor Park last week.

Rounds of 72 and 76 for a two over par total of 148 saw him achieve qualification for the final two rounds. A disappointing third round of 79 left him down the field but he fought back with a superb final round of 70 to finish with a 72-hole total of 297 and a share of 30th place.

England junior international Billy Downing (Truro) was still handicapped by a troublesome wrist injury and failed to make the cut after posting rounds of 77 and 82.

● Touring pros Phil Rowe (Trevose), Adam Frayne (St Mellion) and Chris Benians (formerly of West Cornwall) will all be chasing honours at this week's PGA Europro Tour event – the Pandora Open – which gets under way tomorrow over the New Course at Burhill Golf Club in Surrey.

● The Cornwall Under 18 team to face Somerset at Bude and North Cornwall next Friday has been announced.

Cornwall team: Conor Wilson (capt, Perranporth), Tom Fox (China Fleet), Joe Cruse (St Enodoc), Carl Phillips (Newquay), George Champion (Truro), Josh Hancock (Newquay), PJ Lund (St Austell), Andrew Doidge (China Fleet), Conor Warne (Carlyon Bay), Adam Taylor (Perranporth). Reserve: Matt Richards (West Cornwall).

● The combined Tehidy Park and Truro team of Terry Clotworthy and Greg and Jack Mewton won the annual Coast to Coast three-man team event held at West Cornwall and Mullion at the weekend.

The first day at Mullion saw excellent conditions with the course superbly presented. Late morning starters Neil Razzell, Leigh Hammond and Colin Sleeman (Perranporth) set the pace with a score of 83 points from the host club's Dennis Law, Wilf Hutchinson and Alan Nicholls on 80, with Clotworthy and the Mewtons third on 79.

Day 2 again saw the weather and course in fantastic condition. Early starters West Cornwall secretary Gareth Evans and club members James Barclay and Richard Smith fired 78 to set an overall target of 152. However, Clotworthy and the Mewtons soon surpassed this, also scoring 78 for a 157 total. Razzell, Hammond and Sleeman couldn't capitalise on their day 1 score, carding 70 for 153. With Law, Hutchinson and Nicholls only managing 66, the main challengers left on the course were the West Cornwall team of Dean Tulley, Adam Barber and Neil Fletcher, who had 78 at Mullion.

But they could only muster 73 points for a total of 151 and fourth place overall, leaving Clotworthy and the Mewtons to pick up the silverware.

Overall results: 1, Terry Clotworthy (Tehidy Park), Greg Mewton & Jack Mewton (Truro) 79+78=157; 2, Neil Razzell, Leigh Hammond & Colin Sleeman (Perranporth) 83+70=153; 3, Gareth Evans, James Barclay & Richard Smith (West Cornwall) 74+78=152; 4, Dean Tulley, Adam Barber & Neil Fletcher (West Cornwall) 78+73=151; 5, Andy Kearney, Mike Eddy, David O'Mahony (Tehidy Park) 74+76=150. Day 1 at Mullion: 1, Dennis Law, Will Hutchinson & Alan Nicholls (Mullion) 80; 2, Nigel Lawson-Lee, Peter Ramsey & Gary Angove (West Cornwall) 76; 3, David Cryer, Carl Band & John Shaw (Tehidy Park) 74. Day 2 at West Cornwall: 1, Harry Hanson, Peter Verran & Ken Evans (West Cornwall) 77; 2, Reggie Kemp, Paul Williams & David Simpson (West Cornwall) 75; 3, John Mansell, Costas Loisou & Mark Perks 75.

● Rhys Enoch, partnered by his mother Tracy and Carlyon Bay pro Paul Turpin, won the opening event of Truro Golf Week – a Mixed Texas Scramble – on Sunday. The trio carded a net score of 54.6 for a narrow victory over home trio Sarah-Jane Boyd, Darragh Dunleavy and Andrew Bicknell on 55.0.

The week continues with a variety of daily medal and Stableford competitions, culminating in the ever popular Pro-Am on Friday.

● A team of four students from Truro College finished in a highly creditable fifth place in the inaugural British Colleges Sport Open Golf Championships at Fairmont Golf Club in St Andrews.

Nineteen colleges from all over the country took part in the event. The weather was kind on the first day, but the Truro team finished the day down the leader board. But on the second day each member of the team improved on their first round score, none more so than Conor Wilson who shot an excellent one over par 72, which was jointly the best round of the day.

With his team-mates also improving by an average of ten shots Truro College raced up the leader board and with each team allowed to drop one of their eight scores over the two days, they finished in fifth place behind winners Myerscough College from Preston.

John Presswell, co-ordinator of the Truro College team, said: "I am extremely encouraged by this result and proud of the way the lads battled back to finish in a respectable position."

Truro College scores: Conor Wilson (Perranporth) 79-72=151; Carl Phillips (Newquay) 85-76=161; George Champion (Truro) 86-76=162; Paul Suddes (Truro) 91-79=170. Total (best seven scores to count): 553.