Dorset County Golf Union

County Amateur Championship 2010

Lyme Regis Golf Club 21 -23 May 2010

Stroke Play Qualifier - Garrett Salver.

Lyme Regis were hosts for the 2010 County Amateur Championships and with the forecast for the hottest weekend of the year so far and the sun shining down the 36 hole Stroke Play competition for the Garrett Salver got under way. The field had some well known names along with a few new comers and with a course presented to the players in excellent condition and little wind there was every opportunity for the players to score well.

Players soon got into their stride and birdies were the order of the day. The pressure was on the home players to play well and in the morning they didn't disappoint with young Ed Lawrence and Roger Seed leading the way with 1 under 70's. County junior Robbie Mabb made good use of his early start to shot a splendid 5 under 66 and had a one shot lead from Kevin Robinson Yeovil (67) who was closely followed by Ferndown duo Andy Windsor and Corey Coshan on 68 along with the Parkstone pair David Talbot and Norton on 69. Defending Champion David Cook was some way back on 2 over.

As the heat rose in the afternoon so did the standard of play Roger Seed was steady coming home as in the morning with a 70, Local Matt Searle got his game going to be home in 69 but for the young Ed Lawrence a missed birdie putt on the last was going to prove costly a little later on. Matt Hector Ferndown produced the best round of the afternoon with a 67 some 10 shots better than his morning round. Robbie Mabb found the heat tough in the afternoon returning a 71 and a 137 total which was the early leader for the Garrett Salver this was short lived as Kevin Robinson came home in 69 giving him a one shot lead on 136. David Norton birdied the last for a splendid 68 sadly coming up one short of Kevin but taking second spot on count back from Robbie. Sadly for last years champion it was going to be an early trip home as another 73 was not going to be good enough to make this year's top 16.

The Friday winners were:

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

K Robinson 67 + 69 136 - D Norton 69 + 68 137 - R Mabb 66 + 71 137 - R Seed 70 +70 140 - D Talbot 69 + 71 140 - T Leech 71 + 70 141 - A Windsor 68 + 73 141 - M Searle 73 + 69 142 - H Shaw 71 + 71 142 - D Southern 70 + 72 142 - C Coshan 68 + 74 142 - M Hector 77 + 67 144 - D Fidge 73 + 71 144 - T Lawrence 72 +72 144 - J Welch 70 + 74 144 - J Morris 73 + 72 145 on count back from Ed Lawrence on 145.

For the full 36 hole results click here.

Graham Butler Trophy

Saturday saw the 16 Qualifiers get the matchplay phase under way to find the 2010 County Champion with a sizzling weekend weather forecast being for a very hot the match play golf did not disappoint there was some great matches in prospect as all players seemed up for the challenge to become this years champion. Kevin Robinson hung in was never in control of the match and the first extra hole Justyn pulled his tee shot into the trees on the left thus losing the match that he perhaps will feel he should have won. Matt Searle had a great tussle with young Harry Shaw who came out on top with some splendid golf being played by both players. Roger Seed and David Fidge had a friendly game with David just taking it eventually on the last. Robbie Mabb who was level when the match finished went down to the experienced Tony Lawrence 6 & 4 The last match went all the way to the last as Tom Leech finally got the better of Corey. David Norton and Jon Welch went to extra holes sadly a lost ball for David ended his hopes.

The afternoon saw again some great golf being played Kevin was up against Harry Shaw who early on continued his great form of the morning but he appeared to tire as he got round to the twelfth and Kevin took control of the match seeing him off on the sixteenth. David Fidge kept up the hopes of the locals and walked off the ninth 3 up against David Talbot by the eleventh he was four up and cruising, David to his credit gave himself a dressing down and started to play some better golf and as he walked off the sixteenth was now only 1 down. He then won the next to level and drove the eighteenth green to seal a remarkable come back winning 1 up. Jon Welch and Andrew Windsor had a great tussle with some splendid golf to watch and birdies every where, the match swung one way then the other and they stood on the eighteenth all square, Jon missed the green with his drive but Andrew stuck his to within a foot of the hole for an eagle and a place in the semi's. The last match was a tussle and Tom Leech stayed really focused there was never much between the pair both holing out when required, Tom held a one hole lead for most of the later part and then a great birdie on the seventeenth secured a great 2 & 1 victory and ensuring a new name was to be engraved on the trophy this year.

So to Sunday and the Semi-Finals, the first was between Kevin Robinson and David Talbot refereed by Mr W Kennedy. The early holes saw Kevin winning the second then David taking the third, Kevin then won the third and as David struggled with the putter Kevin was two up by the turn, he then went three up as David bogeyed the twelfth and with a great birdie on the sixteenth took the match 4 & 3.

The other semi was between great friends Tom Leech and Andrew Windsor both Ferndown refereed by Mr I Clark Tom got off to a great start winning the first and a birdie on the fourth saw him two up, he really was focused for this and with Andrew slightly out of sorts Tom piled on the pressure to be 5 up by the turn and by the thirteenth it was all over and Tom had at last made a final.

So here we are a County Championship Final contested by Kevin Robinson Yeovil and Tom Leech Ferndown with the match referee being our newly qualified referee Mr J White Bridport. The first three holes were halved in par and one could see right from the start there was going to be little to separate these two players as both were striking the ball well and Kevin seldom if ever missed a fairway. A birdie 4 at the forth saw Tom take the lead only to be pegged back at the next by a birdie 3 from Kevin. Tom then birdied the sixth to go back to one up, the seventh and eight were halved and Tom took control with a splendid birdie on the ninth to reach the turn two up. A rare slip by Tom bogeying the tenth reduced the lead back to one and then again a bogey at the 13 saw his lead gone and the match was back to all square. With them both missing opportunity to take the lead on fourteen a pushed second on the fifteenth by Tom let Kevin in to take a one shot lead. With a superb second fired into the sixteenth by Tom it looked like it would go back to level but the birdie put just slipped by the hole and Kevin remained one up. On seventeen Kevin put his second to the back of the green and the put back was a little strong leaving one of those twitchy ones coming back. Tom was in for four and Kevin did in fact miss the one back so they went to eighteen all square. Tom found the right side of the off the green with the bunker between him and the flag, Kevin found the front fairway bunker. Kevin found the front edge from the bunker and left his putt some 6 feet short of the hole, Tom did not play for the flag and plonked his safely on the green putting to within a foot of the hole for his par Kevin sadly saw his putt slip by and Tom was crowned the 2010 County Amateur Champion. Ferndown must be proud as they have both the Ladies and Men's County Champions at the club.

 For the full Match play results click here.

Lastly on behalf of the Dorset Golf Union a thank you to the Lyme Regis Club Committee, Members and staff for allowing us the use the course for the 2010 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 would also like to 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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