Golf Round-Up

STYAL Director of Golf Glynn Traynor's hopes of making the Manchester Alliance Matchplay finals at Flixton in April came to an abrupt end at Wilmslow.

Glynn took on Denton's big-hitting professional Mike Hollingworth, a frequent Manchester Order of Merit winner and a finalist several times in this competition in the past. And Mike's extra power saw off Glynn's brave effort in a 4/3 win.

Styal seniors were involved in two singles Stablefords and the first saw Alan Hunt win on 38 points with Jack Scott, Brian Mannel and Phil Moore a point of his pace.

The second competition needed a card play-off on 37 to give Colin Rihards the verdict from Cliff Harrison and Ernie Knight.

  • CHESHIRE-based players dominated the leader-board in the Manchester Alliance Greensome at Astbury with Wychwood Park's Frank Kiddie and Melvyn Thompson topping the pro-am section with a fine 44 points.

Next in on 42 were Astbury professional Ashley Salt and captain Dave Roberts as they won a cpo on 42 from Didsbury's Danny Wardrop and Richard Walker.

Mere duo Chris Wright and Giles Terry won the am-am section for the second successive week with their 43-point haul finishing three clear of Paul and Joe Yates of Lymm, with Mere's Mark Boler and Dave Madeley in third spot on 39.

The day's sponsor Simon Harris of Tatton Build kindly donated £250 to a charity of the Alliance's choice, and it will be sent to Christies Hospital Charity.

  • THE Annual Dinner for the Manchester Alliance will be staged at the traditional venue of the Cresta Court Hotel in Altrincham.

The date is Friday, March 4, and the guest speaker is Brian Voyle Morgan, a radio scriptwriter who is guaranteed to provide great entertainment.

Tickets are available at £25 each and individuals and clubs wishing to book their tickets should contact the Alliance secretary Bert Thompson on 0161 962 5094.

  • LOCAL golf clubs can give their members the chance to play at the home of golf by making one of their club competitions a qualifier for The International Pairs which has moved in at the home of golf - St Andrews.

The magnificent resort at St Andrews Bay is now officially the home of the International Pairs - a unique agreement between one of the world's great golfing facilities and the biggest competition of its kind in the world.

Since the tournament hosted its first Scottish grand final at the resort, the relationship between the two has blossomed and grown. Now that relationship is manifest in this development.

It will mean the International Pairs UK finals trophies will have a permanent home, displayed in the hotel at St Andrews Bay.

The trophies, for the UK men's, ladies' and mixed categories, plus the national champions trophies for each category for England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, will be housed in a special presentation cabinet.

Tournament founder Ross Honey said it was a natural move for the tournament to have a permanent spiritual home - and where better?

He said: "The first grand final in Scotland was hosted at the home of golf and at St Andrews Bay.

"The grand final was a magnificent occasion and ever since then we have been working on this idea. The tournament now has a place at the home of golf where the trophies can be seen - rather than being stored away in a safe somewhere.

"We hope this development will help promote the International Pairs in Scotland and also to all the thousands of golfers from around the world that have the privilege of visiting St Andrews Bay."

Contact details to get your club into the International Pairs competitions can be obtained from P Richardson Communications - tel 08700 330 550.