THE AVON Open last week was well supported and involved 116 competitors in a four ball better ball competition at Bigbury on Friday and at Thurlestone on Saturday.

The best score at Bigbury was Graham Archer and Colin Short with 44 points. The best score at Thurlestone was John Smith and Cliff Eastwood with 45. 

First place overall, with a total of 89 points, were two local ladies from Dartmouth, Beccy Barrett and Maria Warman.

The Thurlestone ladies President’s team played their first match of the season away to Dartmouth last Friday. At Dartmouth, the round is long and tough so the players were out in the elements for well over four hours. 

Congratulations to the Thurlestone team for a fantastic 5.5-0.5 win. Both Pam Adams and Heather Spencer fought back from two down with three to play. Liz Sharman’s match also went to the 18th.

The first of the new format Sheelah Creasy matches against Dainton Park at home was an endurance test. The wind was such that trolleys were blowing over, balls were wobbling on the tees and vacillating on the greens and players were losing their balance.

The Dainton team were a delightful group of ladies, however, and the three singles matches and the two greensomes matches were all played in very good spirit. The occasion resulted in a decisive win for Thurlestone, 4 -1.

Diane Baker and Nikki Smith won their singles matches by a wide margin. 

Claire Guard and Lesley Davey ended up one up after their greensomes match, whilst Lesley Saffin and Sheila George won their greensomes match 4/2. Sadly Sheila Fairley lost  her singles match with the last putt on the 18th. 

Thurlestone GC
William Hoskin, left, gross winner and Ollie Chester, right, nett winner of the Telegraph Justin Rose qualifier. (Contributed)

Five juniors entered the Justin Rose Telegraph Qualifier on Saturday. Qualifying medals are played across the country throughout the year, participants can be at club, county or national level. The top scores from the national leaderboards, both gross and nett, will qualify for the trip of a lifetime to the finals at Quinta do Lago, Portugal in November!

Some great scores from our youngsters saw 11-year-old Ollie Chester (27) coming first with nett 66 and second place, nett 68, was Jake Brooker (22). Third place and the gross winner was William Hoskin (4) who shot 78 (nett 74).

On Sunday the Kennedy Cup Bogey was played at Thurlestone. This competition comprises two separate rounds of golf, the first being a Bogey competition in early May and the second being a Medal round played in July. The two winners play each other in a Matchplay final unless the same person wins each of the qualifying competitions.

The winner on Sunday was Derek Harwood (19) with +3, from Ashley Piggot (12) with +2 and third Malcolm Frank (12) with +1.