A View from the 12th
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Syd Pugh Salver – Another Nail‑Biter on the Hill
Another weekend of stiff competition on the hill, with our top three teams separated by just a single point. The Syd Pugh Salver is always a special event, and for those who knew and played with Syd, he was a true Llanymynech stalwart — a gentleman of the club and a name we are proud to honour.
For the second week running, Tom Walsh found himself right in the mix… and once again on the wrong side of a countback. Tom, along with teammates Dave Barbour, Steve Beckett and Andrew Gilbert, posted an excellent 101 points, and for a while it looked enough.
But after a full review of the cards and the countback calculations, our winners — also with 101 points — were new members Joe Davies, Joe Haycock, Sam Geary and Adam Turner. A fantastic effort from a team settling in brilliantly at Llany.
Chasing hard in third place were Rob Williams, Mark Williams, Ralph Pell and Ryan Jones, finishing just one point back on 100 points.
Congratulations to all of our prize winners. Once again, the leaderboard shows just how tough it is to get your name onto the honours boards — and how competitive our weekends continue to be.
Seniors Update – Captain’s Weekend & Tom Wardrop Trophy Results
A message from Senior Captain Charlie Jones.
It was another brilliant week for the Seniors, topped off by a fantastic Captain’s Weekend at the Forest of Dean. Before we get to that, here are the results from this week’s Tom Wardrop Trophy competition:
Tom Wardrop Trophy Results
- 1st – Russ Smith, Derrick Williams, Ian Walker & Terry Barlow – 88 pts
- 2nd – Steve Pritchard, Gary Roberts, Darren Ellis & Keith Davies – 87 pts
- 3rd – Andy Jones, Emyrs Evans, Pete Humphreys & Ray Clark – 85 pts
Superb scoring all round on what was a very hot day.
Captain’s Weekend – A Huge Thank You
A massive thank you to everyone who supported my Captain’s Weekend at the Forest of Dean. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and with no hiccups along the way, it certainly made the weekend far less stressful for me.
I’d like to express my gratitude to everyone who helped behind the scenes, especially the committee:
John Line, Tush Maitra, Andy Jones, Steve O’Donnell, Gary Carter and Ian Farquharson.
A special mention to:
- Rob Evans, who ran the auctions brilliantly and took his role as chief fines officer very seriously — even catching me for “not loud enough shirt”, and both Steve O’Donnell and Cracker for their questionable vest choices.
- Charles Armstrong, for his incredibly generous £200 donation to the Lingen Davies Cancer Charity.
- Martyn Smith (Mr Vice), who won the fourball raffle and immediately donated it back to be auctioned again.
With everyone’s generosity combined, we will be donating £1,500 to Lingen Davies — which will be doubled to £3,000 by Telford County Council. A remarkable effort and a reminder of what a special club Llanymynech truly is.
Finally, a big mention to Ray Clark, who has been announced as Senior Captain for 2028. A fabulous choice, and we wish him a brilliant year when his time comes.
Looking Ahead
- Next Tuesday: 4‑ball Texas Scramble — always a popular competition.
- The team also face Hawkstone next week.
Another Midweek League Ace – Jamie Kirkham Strikes on the 3rd
Here we go again — another hole‑in‑one in the Midweek League, and this time it’s new member Jamie Kirkham, who has claimed his first ever ace on the 3rd hole.
That makes two holes‑in‑one in the Midweek League in a very short space of time, and Jamie’s couldn’t have come at a better moment. Since joining the club, he’s made a fantastic start to life on the hill, with his handicap coming down and his golf improving week by week.
A brilliant achievement, Jamie. Congratulations, and we’re delighted to see you enjoying your golf and settling in so well at Llany.
County Golf Round‑Up – Llanymynech Making Their Mark
A strong week for Llanymynech on the county stage, with success in both team and individual competitions.
Handicap League – Quarter‑Final Place Secured
Llanymynech have qualified for the quarter‑finals with a game to spare, following a determined and hard‑earned victory over Meole Brace 4&2. A superb effort from the whole squad and a well‑deserved place in the knockout rounds.
County Championship – Sam Roberts Shines at Burghill Valley
The County Championship also took place this week at Burghill Valley Golf Club, where Sam Roberts delivered an outstanding performance.
Sam posted the best gross score of 70 in the second round, an excellent achievement on a demanding course.
He finished 7th overall, returning a six‑over gross across his two rounds — a fantastic result and one he should be very proud of.
Wilson Cup – Drama on the Hill
We never struggle for stories from the hill, and this week’s Wilson Cup has delivered plenty. First, a sign of just how tough the course is playing right now: only three players came in under handicap. A real testament to the superb work our greens staff put in every single day.
Now… onto the drama.
For most of Saturday, it looked like Tom Walsh had the Wilson Cup sewn up. A brilliant nett 68, card signed, job done. Tom relaxed, chatted, headed home — only to discover his card was still in his pocket.
Cue a quick call to Al Davies, who kindly drove back up to the club to hand it in. At 6pm, Tom’s card was officially verified and still leading.
But golf loves a twist.
We waited for the final group, and in that group was our eventual winner Paul Prust, who matched Tom’s score and beat him on countback. A fantastic effort from both players and a finish worthy of a board competition.
A mention too for Mr Vice, the only other golfer to beat his handicap, taking third place with a strong nett 69.
And finally, a masterclass from George Rodger, who produced a superb gross 73 — a standout round in the conditions.
Another memorable week on the hill.
Welsh Men’s Seniors Championship – Llanymynech Duo Make the Cut
A huge congratulations to Ian Rodger and David Caldwell, who both successfully made the cut to play in the final day of the Welsh Men’s Seniors Championship.
David finished the second day tied 46th, with Ian just ahead in 38th place, and both players represented Llanymynech with real pride and determination throughout the event.
A fantastic achievement on a national stage — well done, gentlemen.
Seniors Club Championship – Inaugural Event in Memory of Mungo Munro
We begin with Sunday’s historic Inaugural Seniors Club Championship, played in memory of Mungo Munro. Our thanks go to Liz Munro, who kindly attended and presented the trophies to our Gross and Nett champions.
Nett Competition
- Winner – Jeff Johnson – Nett 65
Jeff’s round was anything but straightforward — losing three balls along the way.
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- One vanished on the 4th
- One found the water on the 7th
- And the third disappeared into the penalty area right of 16
Despite the setbacks, Jeff held his nerve superbly to post an excellent winning score.
- Runner‑Up – Frank Marsh – Gross 80, Nett 66
- 3rd – Murrel Morris – Nett 70
Gross Competition
The Gross prize could not have been more dramatic, with a three‑way playoff after all three players returned gross 80:
- Ian Tomkewycz
- Steve Gauge
- Paul Dunn
There could even have been a fourth, but Frank Marsh was unable to return for the playoff.
In the end, Steve Gauge produced a brilliant playoff performance, mastering the 1st, 2nd and 9th with a composed 4, 4, 5 finish to take the title.
Paul Dunn finished runner‑up, with Ian Tomkewycz third.
Congratulations to both Jeff and Steve on becoming our first Seniors Club Champions.
Saturday – Twenty Cup & Monthly Medal
Saturday saw the playing of the Twenty Cup, which was won by:
- Steve Meredith – Nett 70
We also had three divisional medal winners:
- Division One – Craig Hughes – Nett 68
- Division Two – Alex Pritchard – Nett 69
- Division Three – Theo Williams – Nett 68
A Fantastic Weekend All Round
Congratulations to all of our winners and to everyone who took part across a packed and enjoyable weekend of golf. The course proved a challenge, the competition was strong, and the atmosphere across all events was superb.
Steve Gauge becomes the inaugural Seniors Champion after a play off and above Jeff Jonson becomes the first Seniors nett champion, presenting the Trophies Liz Munro.
Sam Roberts Lands His Fifth Hole‑in‑One
Lightning really does strike twice — or in Sam Roberts’ case, five times. Sam recorded yet another hole‑in‑one last night during the Midweek League, this time on the 1st hole.
We asked Sam to talk us through it, and in his usual understated style he said:
“It was 154 yards with the wind off the right. I hit a gripped‑down punch with an eight‑iron — it never left the pin, two bounces and ran into the hole.”
A beautifully controlled shot and a moment most golfers dream of, let alone achieve five times.
Congratulations, Sam — an incredible milestone and a fantastic way to start the evening.
