LESLIE WOOD: BOYCE TRIUMPH IN LAST GASP PLAY OFF

BOYCE HILL -- The first round match against Colchester in the Leslie Wood got off to a steady start on Sunday when the home team took a 3-2 lead into the afternoon from the morning foursomes .

Pack leader David Smith (above left), increased his team's advantage by a point in the singles with some fine assistance from caddie David Coates.

Smith rallied back from three down on the 4th.

Club captain Jim Shovelin resisted the urge to celebrate early, even as things were looking good on the course. Ryan Brommage (below left) was among six of nine Boyce players up in the early stages of the singles.

Brommage was drawn against another big hitting youngster.

The pair slugged it out in one of the highest quality matches of the day.

Charlie Goodwin aided by caddie Perry Lodge was another Boyce player in good form and up at the turn.

But the game began to swing back to Colchester after Phil Alderton (below right) suffered a surprise loss to another big hitter.

As news began to filter through that Colchester were strengthening their grip on some of the games, Tom Wilson (below) triumphed on 17 with a birdie.

Mark Preston knotched up another win to secure more points on the board.

Despite some excellent play, Goodwin (above) lost on the 17th to a fine opponet who was below par on the back nine.

Brommage too had struggled to stay with his opponent on the back nine, but he came back from dormie two down to earn a half with a par on the tough 18. His score meant Boyce needed just half a point from the remaining three matches.

After another excellent match, Boyce Hill's Gary Loveday had this putt on 18 for a half, and a Boyce win.

It just missed low side.

Losses for the last two Boyce players, Simon Haggett and Tom Ward, took the match into a play-off, with both teams on 7.5 points. Haggett was chosen by the home team to take it down the 1st.

Two wonderful shots meant he had two putts for the win from 10ft below the hole.

Haggett sealed the win when he made the putt back.

He was congratulated first by fellow team member Roy Soilleux, who won both his foursomes and singles matches.

Boyce go into another tough match against Burnham at home.

Other scores on the day were:

Chelmsford v BYE
Harwich and Dovercourt 12 v Braintree 3
Risebridge 9½ v Basildon 5½
Burnham on Crouch 8 v Stock Brook 7
Orsett 9 v Warley Park 6
Romford 12½ v Upminster 2½
Langdon Hills 11 v Abridge 4
Canons Brook 10½ v Top Meadow 4½
Weald Park 3½ v Thorndon Park 11½
North Weald 8½ v Frinton 6½
Three Rivers 10½ v The Burstead 4½
Nazeing 6½ v Colne Valley 8½
West Essex 13 v Maldon 2
Lexden Wood 7 v Ballards Gore 8
Bentley 11½ v Belfairs 3½
Gosfield Lake 6 v Maylands 9
Chingford 2½ v Thorpe Hall 12½
The Warren 10½ v Forrester Park 4½
Five Lakes 5½ v Clacton on Sea 9½
Stoke by Nayland 11 v Hainault Forest Golf Club 4
Rochford Hundred 11 v Castle Point 4
Stapleford Abbotts 6 v Benton Hall 9
Royal Epping Forest 8½ v Channels 6½
Toot Hill 9½ v St Cleres Hall 5½
Garon Park 5½ v Woolston Manor 9½
The Essex (Earls Colne) 6 v Wanstead 9
Chigwell 13 v Belhus Park 2
Lords (Rayleigh) 10 v Blakes 5
Crondon Park 11 v Theydon Bois 4
Ilford 12½ v Woodford 2½
Boyce Hill 7½ v Colchester 7½
Epping 11 v Hartswood 4

2nd round games to be played on May 17 are:


To be played on Sunday 17 May 2009



Three Rivers v Stoke by Nayland
Crondon Park v Clacton
The Warren v Thorpe Hall
Epping v North Weald
Maylands v Benton Hall
Royal Epping Forest v Lords (Rayleigh)
Colne Valley v Rochford Hundred
Canons Brook v Risebridge
Boyce Hill v Burnham-on-Crouch
West Essex v Ballards Gore
Harwich & Dovercourt v Wanstead
Thorndon Park v Orsett
Chigwell v Woolston Manor
Chelmsford v Romford
Langdon Hills v Bentley
Toot Hill v Ilford

ESSEX STILL UNBEATEN

LORDS GOLF CLUB -- Essex and Kent shared the spoils when they played at Rayleigh on Saturday April 25, 2009.

The annual match, which is always fiercely competitive despite its friendly status, saw the teams come home with six points a piece.

Essex were the better team in the morning foursomes. Adam Burwood (Harwich) and Andrew Shakespeare (Five Lakes) finished 3 under par, with a good win too from Ross Spurgeon (West Essex) and Ross Dee (Orsett).

“Things were looking good for the Essex team, but we knew this young and talented Kent side would be fighting back, and they did,” said David Miller, County Captain and team manager.

After nine holes in the singles, Essex were down in seven of the matches. But with good wins from Jack Clarke (Chelmsford) and the inform Jack Winer (Woolston Manor) and great fight backs from Andy May (Boyce Hill) and Ross Spurgeon to get halves, the home side had a total of 5½ points, with two matches still on the course.

Down in both games, an excellent last hole win from new boy Perry Morgan (Woolston Manor) to get a half, saved the day and an overall 6-6 draw was the result.

Essex's unbeaten record lives on.

WINER'S A WINNER

FRINTON GOLF CLUB -- Woolston Manor’s Jack Winer secured The Keating Trophy on Sunday April 18.

Winer was one of 14 qualifiers who teed off in the match play event on the Saturday in strong winds. By lunchtime the 14 were reduced to eight and the afternoon contests produced four semi-finalists for Sunday morning.

One of the highlights of the afternoon was a hole-in-one at the 6th par 3 by Ross Spurgeon (West Essex) who booked a place in Sunday’s semi-final with a 3&1 victory over Orsett’s Ross Dee.

The other three semi-finalists were Jack Clarke (Chelmsford), Jack Winer (Woolston Manor) and Andrew May (Boyce Hill). All four are established first team members.

Sunday morning dawned cloudy and cold with the north east wind providing challenging conditions. Jack Winer triumphed over Andrew May on the 19th hole thanks to a birdie that took him through to the final. Ross Spurgeon won 3&1 against Jack Clarke. Spurgeon began with the final with a birdie on the first to take an early lead.

Winer won the 2nd hole with a par score and after 2 halved holes took the lead at the 5th. By the 10th hole Winer was 4up but Ross hit back to take the 11th. The next four holes were halved in birdies or pars before Winer found himself 3up with three to play.

Spurgeon fought back well by taking the next two holes and they went down the 18th with Winer just 1up.

On the long Par 5, the last hole, they were both on the green in three shots, Winer having a four foot putt with Spurgeon being faced with a considerably longer one. Spurgeon could not make his putt and Jack came out the winner by one hole.

The Essex President, Mike Thirkettle presented the trophy and praised the players for the high standard of golf produced.

NEW OL' BOYS BEAT OL' OLD BOYS

UPMINSTER GOLF CLUB – Essex Seniors triumphed over Suffolk with the help of two new players on Thursday April 16.

Steve Hazell ( Romford) and Mike Copin (Upminster) both came home with victories in wet conditions.

The home team won the close run friendly match 6.5 – 5.5.

ESSEX BOYS WIN TWICE IN A WEEK

THE WARREN -- Essex Under 18s squad shone on Easter Sunday to convincingly beat the Warren's Thornton Cup team.

The team produced a 4-1 lead in the morning foursomes, although the matches were close with 3 of the 5 going to the last hole. Best performance of the morning was a 6&5 win for the Essex pair of Arthur Leonard (Rochford) & Ben Leigh (Thorndon Park).

With only 4 points required from the 10 afternoon matches for victory, Essex’s top order quickly established dominance with notable 5&4 wins for Captain Jay Beisser (Rochford) & Joe Kelly (Woolston Manor).

The Warren players fought back to take four of the games to the last hole with wins for Jamie Head and Mark Sicheri. The day ended in a 12-3 victory to Essex, with captain Jay Beisser collecting the second trophy of the week.

Foursomes

Jay Beisser & Lewis Adair 3&1 Mark Turner & Nathan Tucker
Jack English & Joe Sullivan 1up Mark Sicheri & Nick Beardall
Ben Leigh & Arthur Leonard 6&5 Steve Atwood & Steve Hawkins
Joe Kelly & Mike Lane ½ Jamie Head & Ian Brogan
Harrison Ellis & Tom Prewer ½ Dave Ransley & Alan Morris

Total Foursomes 4 - 1

Singles

Joe Sullivan 4&3 Paul Wrench
Harrison Ellis 1up Mark Sicheri
Arthur Leonard 1up Nick Beardall
Jay Beisser 5&4 Nathan Tucker
Jack English 3&1 Gary Simmons
Ben Leigh 1up Jamie Head
Joe Kelly 5&4 Ian Brogan
Tom Prewer 2&1 Steve Hawkins
Lewis Adair 1up Dave Ransley
Mike Lane 3&2 Alan Morris
Total Singles 8 - 2
MATCH TOTAL 12 - 3

ESSEX BOYS ON TOP AGAIN

By Mark Jackson

HIGHGATE GOLF CLUB, MIDDLESEX – Essex under 18s won the annual triangular match against Kent and Middlesex on Thursday April 9. The county team performed strongly in the cold and showery weather conditions, winning 12 of the available 30 points in the morning foursomes, while Kent and Middlesex shared the rest at 9 points each.

The afternoon singles saw many matches going the full 18 holes, until the last three of the ten triangular matches. The Essex tail end won maximum points defeating both opponents in all three matches to secure a convincing win for Essex, for the third consecutive year.

Players winning maximum points were Spencer Wells of Thorpe Hall leading off against two England boys squad members. The ever reliable Steve Jones of Canons Brook, Jack Heasman of West Essex and the last three matches, Jack English of Colchester coming in at short notice, Joe Sullivan of Stockbrook Manor and Jay Beisser of Rochford Hundred.

The Resultant scores were:
Foursomes Essex 12 Kent 9 Midd’x 9
Singles Essex 28 Kent 21 Midd’x 11
Total Essex 40 Kent 30 Midd’x 20

The Essex team - Under 18 players.

James Webber (Capt), Three Rivers
Spencer Wells, Thorpe hall
Andy Milne, Thorpe Hall
Matthew Capps, Thorpe Hall
Harrison Ellis, Romford
Steve Jones, Canons Brook
Jack Heasman, West Essex
Joe Sullivan, Stockbrook Manor
Jack English, Colchester
Jay Beisser, Rochford Hundred

THE MIGHTY MASTERS

EPPING -- Young Essex Masters teed up for the annual event at Epping Golf Club on Thursday April 9.

About 150 young hopefuls accepted an invitation from club proprietor Neil Sjoberg to
try their hand at golf as seniors prepared at Augusta for The Masters.
Contests in putting and Tri Golf, the plastic equivalent of the game favoured by
some Essex Schools, plus coaching on the driving range by PGA professionals were
the background activities to the real golf played on the course.

Each group of three youngsters accompanied by an adult Epping
Golf Club member played 3 holes, 6 holes or 9 holes according to their age and
ability.

To be a Mighty Master you must be an absolute beginner, so the winner must not have a club handicap. Kyle Toby, aged 14, shot a 43 to take the Trophy. He plays
occasionally with his father at Theydon Bois.The best score of the day, 40 over 9 holes went to Orsett Golf Club’s William
Percival.

ESSEX BREAK HERTS TO WIN CHESHUNT SALVER

STAPLEFORD ABBOTTS -- Essex boys won back the Cheshunt Salver in stunning form when the under 18s and under 16s comprehensively beat Hertfordshire under 18s.

Essex won the morning foursomes 4 to 2 in dry and windy conditions, with contributions by both under 18 and under 16 players. The afternoon singles was even more impressive, winning 8 of the 12 singles matches and halving 3 matches.

Two players gained their first county colours. George Evans, of Wanstead, achieved the biggest win margin of the day 5 and 4, while Harrison Ellis, of Romford, managed to halve his match with a very experienced Marcus Fox of Herts.

Team captain Jay Beisser, of Rochford, collected the trophy from Terry Trude, President of the Hertfordshire Golf Union. Essex Under 18’s team manager, Mike Hart, said: “This was the first match of the season. “Historically winning the Cheshunt Salver promises a good season ahead for a very strong Essex Boys squad for 2009.”

Essex under 18 team

Jay Beisser (capt) Rochford Hundred
Harrison Ellis, Romford
Andy Milne, Thorpe Hall
Matthew Capps, Thorpe Hall
Spencer Wells, Thorpe Hall
Jack English, Colchester

Essex under 16 team

Ben Franklin, Rochford Hundred
Murray Rose, Braintree
Lloyd Glover, Warley Park
George Evans, Wanstead
Devon Dunmore, Thorpe Hall
Reece Francis, Loughton