10:44am Saturday 9th September 2006
ALISTAIR James, from Cumberwell Park, has marked the first of his two years as Wiltshire vice-captain by winning the county's Gillson Trophy, writes ERNIE NEWELL.
The trophy was presented to the Wiltshire County Golf Union in 1985 by former president Col Hugh Gillson, and is awarded annually to the player scoring the most points for the county in the two match-play events, the Daily Telegraph Channel League and South Western Counties Championship.
Former winners include Swindon Ryder Cup star and world No 12 David Howell, who picked up the trophy in 1992 during his amateur days at Broome Manor. He was 17 and in his second year in the county team.
James 22, has been a member of the Wiltshire team since 2000 and is a former Wiltshire boys' and colts' champion.
He started playing golf at the 12-year-old Cumberwell club at Bradford-on-Avon 1995 and has been coached by the club's professional, former Broome Manor assistant John Jacobs.
An old boy of King Edward's School in Bath and a graduate of Exeter University, he will be Wiltshire's youngest-ever skipper when he takes over from his namesake, Jonathan James (Wrag Barn), in 15 months' time.
He took the trophy with 11.75 points (in the league, one point is awarded for a win in the singles a half-a-point for a victory in the foursomes, while in the South Western one point is awarded for a win in the singles and three-quarters-of-a-point for a foursomes win).
He won four and halved two of his nine games in the South Western Championship, in which Wiltshire finished third to Gloucestershire at Minchinhampton with three wins, while in the Channel League he won nine and halved two of his 12 games as Jon James and his men finished down the table with one victory and three ties.
Broome Manor's Miles Mackman was second with 10.37 points, winning four and halving two in the South Western and notching up seven wins and three halves in the league.
Matt Swales, the county boys' captain from (Cumberwell Park) was third with 9.50 and Wrag Barn teenager Richard Scarrott, Swales's predecessor as boys' skipper and last year's winner of the coveted trophy, fourth with 8.87.
Sam Matton, the Wiltshire colts' strokeplay champion from Broome Manor, was fifth in the table with 7.25, Ashley Monaghan (Cumberwell Park) sixth with 7.00 and Ogbourne Downs teenager and 2005 Wiltshire champion Ben Newman seventh with 5.50.
Other totals included: John Haugh (South Wilts) 5.00 points, Sam Elkins (South Wilts) 4.12, county champion Mark Searle (High Post) 3.25 and twice Gillson winner Tom Burley (North Wilts) 2.50.
n South Wilts county player John Haugh has withdrawn from the forthcoming Wiltshire Matchplay Championship and has been replaced in the 16-strong field by title holder Mike White (West Wilts).
White won the championship during the last of his two years as Wiltshire skipper last September by defeating Miles Mackman (Broome Manor) in the final at Kingsdown by two holes.
The leading 16 players in the Wiltshire County Championship in May qualified for the matchplay stage at Hamptworth on Saturday and Sunday, September 23 and 24. White failed to make the 16 by two shots.
He will play Ogbourne Downs teenager Ben Newman in round one.
Other first round matches: Sam Elkins (South Wilts) v Ashley Monaghan (Cumberwell Park; Joe Johnson (Broome Manor) v Andy Cooper (Cumberwell Park); Jonathan James (Wrag Barn) v Sam Matton (Broome Manor); Richard Scarrott (Wrag Barn) v Jack Hiscock (Marlborough); Ben Loughrey (Wrag Barn) v Miles Mackman (Broome Manor); David Bauer (Marlborough) v Matt Swales (Cumberwell Park); county champion Mark Searle (High Post) v Tom Ruddle (Broome Manor).
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk