Dorset County Golf Union

County Amateur Championship 2012

Parkstone Golf Club 25 -27 May 2012

Stroke Play Qualifier - Garrett Salver.

So summer was here and we were about to embark on the stroke play phase of this years County Championship with Parkstone Golf Club being our hosts.  Course Manager Steve Richardson and his men deserve all the praise that came from the players as the course was presented in excellent condition and just looked stunning, the greens were true and running well and it was now up to the field of 66 to take advantage and produce the scores as they played the 36 hole stroke play competition for the Garrett Salver with the top 16 places going forward to the match play stages and ultimately one becoming this year’s Champion.

Players soon got into their stride but it appeared the birdies were harder to come by than some though they would be.  As the scores came in all in the mid-seventies it was clear players were finding it tough, Parkstone’s Lee Booth was the best for the home club with a 75 none more than Broadstone’s Andrew Barber with 74.  County Youngster Tom Robson from Weymouth had a level par round along with Canford’s harry Shaw and Ferndown’s Fraser Dawson.   Ferndown’s Harry Mitchell found the course very much to his liking as he came home with a stunning 66 six under par 5 shots clear of his club Team mate sonny Wilkinson who was the only other player to break par with a fine 71.  Defending Champion Tom Leech  could only manage a 76 and was in 22 place after the morning round so it was all to do in the afternoon.

The heat of the day rose as did the scores coming in and it was clear the cut would be high.  County players Jon Welch and Robbie Mabb from Weymouth along with Yeovil’s Kevin Robinson were out as they failed to score low enough in the afternoon, as was the County Captain.  Defending Champion Tom rose to the challenge and came home with a fine 73 for a 149 total and a place in the match play draw.  Fraser Dawson kept it going to come home with a good 74 for 146 and third spot.  Sonny Wilkinson also 74 for 145 and second place and the only sub-par round was produced again by Harry Mitchell with a fine 1 under to give him a 137 total 7 under par and he made it a One Two three for Ferndown.  Harry Mitchell not only took the Garrett Salver he also took the Colts Championship lifting the Luffman Cup and along with Tom Leech and Giles Legg took the team Trophy for Ferndown pipping their ‘B’ team by 6 shots.  Lee Booth from Parkstone with a total of 149 became the Mid-amateur champion taking the Sika Trophy.

Friday winners were:

Garrett Salver: Harry Mitchell Ferndown 66 – 71 total 137
Runner Up: Sonny Wilkinson Ferndown 71 – 74 total 145
Third: Fraser Dawson 72 – 74 total 146
Sika Trophy (Mid-Amateur): Lee Booth Parkstone 75 – 74 total 149
Luffman Trophy (Colts): Harry Mitchell Ferndown 66 – 71 total 137

Top 16 Stroke Play Qualifiers 36 holes scores – for the Matchplay event:

1st Harry Mitchell Ferndown Golf Club 66 71 137 -7
2nd Sonny Wilkinson Ferndown Golf Club 71 74 145 +1
3rd Fraser Dawson Ferndown Golf Club 72 74 146 +2
4th Tom Leech Ferndown Golf Club 76 73 149 +5
5th Lee Booth Parkstone Golf Club 75 74 149 +5
6th Tom Peacock Parkstone Golf Club 75 75 150 +6
7th Gareth Hawkins Bournemouth & Meyrick Park Golf Club 77 74 151 +7
8th Thomas Robson Weymouth Golf Club 72 79 151 +7
9th Justin Morris Queens Park (Bournemouth) Golf Club 78 74 152 +8
10th Tony Lawrence Sherborne Golf Club 76 76 152 +8
11th Ben Churchill Dudsbury Golf Club 79 74 153 +9
12th Dominic Knight Ferndown Golf Club 77 76 153 +9
13th Harry Shaw Canford Magna Golf Club 72 81 153 +9
14th Iain Fullerton Parkstone Golf Club 79 75 154 +10
15th Mark Sudworth Dudsbury Golf Club 78 76 154 +10
16th Mark Balson Parkstone Golf Club 77 77 154 +10

Full Stroke Play Results click here.

Team Competition results click here

Graham Butler Trophy

Saturday saw the 16 Qualifiers get the Matchplay phase under way to find the 2012 Amateur Champion with Garrett winner Harry Mitchell led the way against local Mark Balson, Harry was still in great form and was soon in command of the match and ran out a comfortable winner 6&5.  Tom Robson from Weymouth beat Queens Parks Justin Morris 5&4 with some fine play.  Defending Champion had a very short morning as he saw of Canford’s Harry Shaw 9&8 Lee Booth was flying the flag for Parkstone and was soon 4 up against Ferndown’s Dominic Knight, but Dominic fought back well and squared the match with a par down the last so off to the first and sadly for Dominic a birdie 3 at the first by Lee was good enough to take him through to the afternoon.  The next match was a battle of the plus handicappers Ben Churchill from Dudsbury and Parkstone’s Tom Peacock both battled well but Tom always had the upper hand and ran out a 3&2 win.  The next pitched Fraser Dawson from Ferndown against Parkstone’s Iain Fullerton (Quote: "for the fuller belly")  Fraser was playing superb golf and when he rolled in a 25 yard putt for birdie on the twelve to go 4 up we all thought the writing was on the cards for Iain!  How little we knew as Iain fought back taking the next four holes and then the last to beat the Ferndown young gun and Club Champion Fraser Dawson who was left wondering where it had all gone wrong.  Tony Lawrence met Bournemouth’s Gareth Hawkins and this ebbed and flowed and after fifteen Tony was two up but all credit to Gareth who fought back and took it to extra holes winning on the twentieth. The last pair were well behind the field and it was nip and tuck all the way, eventually Sonny got the better of Mark from Dudsbury winning 2&1

So to the afternoons matches and getting us under way was Harry Mitchell playing Weymouth’s Tom Robson and as they walked off the seventh Tom was 6 up and cruising so imagine the spectators surprise as they walked off the fifteenth to find Tom was now only one up and what happened next was amazing as Harry holed in one on the sixteenth to level the match.  All credit to Tom who by now must have been shell shocked as he hung on in to take it to extra holes but  a poor tee shot on the second extra hole let Harry in and it was a remarkable win for the man in form.  This sets up a stunning semi with club team mate and defending champion Tom Leech tomorrow after Tom saw off Lee Booth 3&2 with some very fine steady play.  The all Parkstone encounter between Tom Peacock and Iain Fullerton was a cracking duel, Tom is the Club Champion so Iain had nothing to lose and played very steady golf and as Tom seemed to wilt in the heat Iain took full advantage and ran out a 3&2 win.  The last match saw Gareth and Sonny neck and neck for most of the round but a slip on the fifteenth by Gareth let Sonny in for a two hole lead and when they halved the seventeenth in birdie fours it was Sonny who took the spoils 2&1

Semi Finals:

Harry Mitchell v Tom Leech:  What a cracking semi we have here with the inform Harry against Tom looking to make his third successive final.  Harry drew first blood with a birdie on the third and both players birdied the fourth.  Harry then played the fifth so well and a birdie was achieved and he was now two up, again both players halved the sixth with birdies some stunning golf for the spectators.  A slip on the par three seventh by Harry let Tom get one back and this seemed to change the match as Tom went on to win the next three as Harry lost his way of the tee, SoTom was two up after eleven and with Harry then going on to bogey the twelve and thirteenth Tom was in the driving seat for his third final which he secured with a fine halve at the fifteenth to win 4&3.

Iain Fullerton v Sonny Wilkinson:  With Iain not even expecting to make the top sixteen it is to his credit he was on the tee in this year’s Semi-final after two outstanding wins yesterday.  Nerves we think got the better with his tee shot on the first and with Sonny making a birdie he was one up. Iain then won the second and when he chipped in for three on the par 5 third he was now one up.  The fourth went to Sonny and the fifth to Iain and the sixth to Sonny so all square after six and at last a halved hole on the seventh!!  Sonny took the eighth with a par and they halved the ninth and tenth.  Iain found trouble with his second on the eleventh and was now two down and after a halve at twelfth Sonny seemed to step up a gear winning the next three holes to secure his place in this year’s final with a 5&3 win.

2012 Final:

Tom Leech v Sonny Wilkinson:  An all Ferndown final and what a cracker, there were many spectators who were entertained with some stunning golf from both of these players as the sun shone. With both having par’s at the first and second and a birdie four at the next saw Sonny go one up, he followed that with a cracking birdie at the fourth with a wonderful chip from the rough on the right of the fairway and he birdied the fifth with a super second shot in to a couple of feet, so Sonny was now 3 up.  Both birdied the sixth and the ninth, so at the turn it Sonny was 3 up going out 5 under par and Tom went out 2 under.  Both players made par on the tenth.  Tom found trouble off the tee on the eleventh and Sonny took full advantage to move to 4 up.  Tom fought hard and birdied the next to bring it back to three and with some cracking play the next two holes were halved.  Both found trouble finding the left side rough on fifteen but Sonny sunk his 22 foot putt for par and when Tom failed to find the hole with his it was Sonny’s championship and he became the 2012 Amateur Champion with a fine win over Tom 4&3.  Both players are to be congratulated on providing such a cracking final with some stunning golf.

Full matchplay draw sheet and scores click here.

Lastly on behalf of the Dorset Golf Union a thank you to the Parkstone Management Committee, Captain Mike Hallowes, Members and staff for allowing us the use the course for the 2012 Amateur Championship.  The course was presented by the staff in excellent condition and proved a good test of golf for all players concerned, the bar and catering staff kept everyone fed and watered, the committee, club members and staff have been a delight making all the players and officials very welcome. Thank you.

We also thank our Sponsor Ringwood Brewery who kindly gave the club two barrels of their finest ale for hosting this years County Championship.

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