Jason Savident won the handicap competition .(Picture by Steve Sarre, 0605287)
STEVE MAHY birdied the last to edge out close friend Jamie Blondel on countback and earn his third L’Ancresse Club championship at the weekend.
The island match-play finalist shot a second-round 71 on Saturday to add to his opening 75 to finish level on aggregate with his island teammate, but Blondel had to settle for the runners-up spot having carded a closing 74.
‘It is a competition I look forward to because it is nice to be your club’s champion and also because it is over two rounds on two different days, which makes it a bit more challenging,’ Mahy said.
‘This time, conditions the first week were really tough and my 75 felt five shots better, so when I heard that Jamie and Jason [Savident] had 72s, I was surprised and knew I needed probably a 70/71 to stand any chance of winning.’
Mahy started his second round in ideal fashion with a birdie three at the first, but by the time he had reached the turn, he was one over for his round.
‘I played 11 and 12 really well into the wind and actually had chances at 10 to 13, but I didn’t pick up any birdies until 14,’ he said.
‘Jamie was playing in front of me and I got the impression he wasn’t going too well, but then I bogeyed 15 and 17 and I thought I had chucked it away.
‘As it happened, I holed a six-footer for a two at the last – the second time I birdied it in the competition – and it proved to be enough with countback.’
The victory was made the more remarkable by the fact that Mahy has been unable to practise recently as he has just bought a house and has been ‘spending time in my overalls painting’.
However, sticking to his game plan did the trick.
‘I kept the ball in play and putted well,’ he said.
Blondel admitted he was ‘a bit gutted to lose on countback’, but was pleased for his mate, Mahy.
‘I knew I probably needed to shoot 71 or 72 [in the second round] and I was right. Unfortunately, I had a 74,’ he said.
‘I scrambled well on Saturday, but it didn’t really happen for me on the day. It is slightly disappointing because I have been playing well of late.’
Meanwhile, Savident continued his purple patch by adding the handicap honours to last month’s UV Trophy win.
He was initially concerned that his second round net 71 was not going to be enough, but his aggregate of 138 gave him victory by one stroke.
Best net score of the second round, though, came from Guernsey Golf Union president Alan Mahy, who handed in an excellent 66 to finish third.
Second was the club’s current ‘order of merit’ table leader Colin Bourgaize while Lionel Pettinger was a popular winner of the best-veteran prize on 144.
Article posted on 16th July, 2008 - 2.29pm
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