Ray Marsh. Picture by Ashley Vaughan.
GOLF
KEITH Fryer held his nerve in a tight competition to win Newport’s rescheduled club championship.
The contest was due to be played a fortnight ago but the bad weather meant it was moved to last weekend, and this meant a slightly smaller than normal entry.
Nevertheless there was ideal conditions for the first day’s round, and Fryer (6) shared the clubhouse lead with Steve Newman (6) and Ray Marsh (8) on scratch 76.
Meanwhile, the handicap competition Russell Hartnell (16) scored a gross 86, nett 66 to hold the lead on countback from Marsh in second. Newman was third with nett 68.
Windier and, at times, wetter, conditions greeted the golfers for the second day. All the leaders played in the final group, but Fryer held his own and shot a steady 78 to score a gross 152, just one shot ahead of three players who all finished on a total of 153 — Marsh, Mike Greenwood and Rob Turner.
The handicap title would have been Hartnell’s but Paul Arnold (22) spoiled the party with a nett 62 on the second day to tie with him on a total of 132, and then win on countback.
Arnold completed the double when he also won the Hewitt Cup (for best handicap score for handicaps 13-28), while Marsh took home the Westridge Cup, for the best handicap score for handicaps 0-12, for his nett score of 137.
Rex Ringer took home the McKenzie Cup for the most birdies, with four.
• More pictures in the Friday, August 3, County Press.