Warwickshire Golf
EG Senior County Championships (Midland Qualifying) Report
EG Seniors County Championships (Midland Qualifying)
Monday 7th and Tuesday 8th August 2023 at Sandwell Park GC, Staffordshire
The Seniors' team representing Warwickshire at the regional EG Senior County Championship at Sandwell Park Golf Club in Staffordshire were:
Karl Smith, Simon Timmins, Ken Spencer, Shaun Young, Tim Cooley, Roger Neale and Peter Gordon.
Following unusually heavy rain for this time of year, Sandwell Park GC was looking green and lush. The greens were wet and soft but still very quick. With the course playing its full length and the notoriously difficult sloping greens, local knowledge would be at a premium… which would prove to be the case.
On day one Karl Smith produced a fine round of 73 to be the best placed of all the Warwickshire team. Ken & Simon shooting 75, Shaun & Roger 79, and Tim 80.
The best round of the day was a superb 68 from Dave Westwood of Staffordshire (3 under par).
Day two followed a similar scoring pattern from the Warwickshire players with Karl once again producing a fine 73 which included a fantastic 2 putt from way above the hole on the top side of the 18th green. The Warwickshire scores: Shaun 75 (which included a triple) Ken, Simon & Tim 78, Roger 79.
The competition unfolded as all the Counties' representatives, who had completed their rounds, watched from the patio with perverse pleasure, witnessing the mental stress of their competitors attempting to putt out on the severely sloping 18th green.
The competition between Staffordshire and Lincolnshire was extremely tight, with the last match coming up the 18th Lincs needed their final player to shot 70 (1 under par)… He required a par on the last to force a playoff but made a bogie 5 to finish with a fine 71.
Congratulations to the Staffordshire team and best wishes at the finals in October.
Congratulations to Dave Westwood for winning the individual prize.
Warwickshire finished 4th, 13 shots behind Staffordshire.
My thanks go to all the support that Warwickshire provide, Nev Gardner, Pete Clarke for helping with organisation for the event, Pete Gordon for taking the photos, Mark and Deb Reynolds, Graham Barton and John Duncombe and everyone else for turning up to supporting us.
On a personal note, thanks to Chris and Rob for caddying and attempting to “fix the unfixable- my golf!
Roger Neale
The final scores can be viewed here : FINAL TEAM STANDINGSCreated by intelligentgolf version 10.1.2.
