This Friday (21 May) starts the 2021 Guernsey Island Golf Championships where spectators will witness the island’s top players vying for the coveted Men’s, Ladies’ and Junior trophies.
To be played on the L’Ancresse golf links, and hosted by Royal Guernsey Golf Club, the DJW Prestige Vehicle Sourcing sponsored event begins with the Men’s 36-hole medal qualifier where the top 16 players off scratch will go forward to the knockout match-play rounds over the weekend. This final will be held on Sunday afternoon played over 18 holes.
The top eight players off handicap (if not in the top 16 off Scratch) will go forward to a separate knockout competition played on Saturday afternoon with the semi-final and final being played on Sunday (23 May).
Teeing off first at 8.30am and again at 1.30pm on Friday is the multiple island champion Bobby Eggo playing with four-time champion Danny Blondel. The defending champion Tom Le Huray will follow shortly afterwards in the company of Daniel Griggs.
Last year’s nail-biting match was won by Le Huray on the 18th when he holed a 40-foot birdie putt to defeat Danny Blondel to take his first Island Championship victory.
Geoff Orme, President of the Guernsey Golf Union (GGU), said; “It’s great to have the event return to its traditional May date, rather than last year when, due to the pandemic, it was moved to August. It’s also great to have secured local company DJW Prestige Vehicle Sourcing as our sponsor and to see such a healthy entry. I’m sure we are going to witness some very exciting and quality golf.
“As one of the highlights of the GGU’s calendar, with a 46-player entry, we look forward to crowning the men’s island champion on Sunday afternoon. Everyone is welcome to come and watch any of the matches and we anticipate a big crowd for the closing knockout rounds over the weekend."
In the Men’s line up are four quality junior players, Rory and Conor McKenna and Jayden Tucknott as well as Ollie Chedhomme.
“Ollie’s school has gone to great lengths to change the date and time of the second part of his French exam so that he can leave school at 9.35am on Friday morning to make the last tee time – many thanks to Les Beaucamps High School and RGGC for accommodating Ollie. It will be a great story if Ollie passes his French Exam and goes on to win his first Men's Island Championship,” said Orme.
The Ladies’ event will follow close on the heels of the Men’s final, with a match play knock-out beginning on Monday afternoon (24 May). Once again, a three-tiered competition tomirror the Jersey format (players with handicaps of 0-13, 13.1-19 and 19.1 and above) will determine the three division winners all off scratch.
In the top Championship section will be multiple island champion, 2020 title holder and on form, Veronica Bougourd who netted a 71 (seven points below the CSS) in last week’s medal competition. Last year Bougourd took Mandy Webber to the 19th to win the title for the 18thtime.
Also in the Ladies’ championship line-up is Kay Mapley, Di Hudson, Di Aitchison, Sue Wellfair, Di Stenner, Mary Bate, Mandy Webber and Sally Ingrouille as well as some of the island’s up and coming junior girls Chloe Domaille and Chloe Gaudion.
The Ladies event will be played over three days culminating in the final which will be played on Sunday 30 May.
All the finalists of both the Men’s, Women’s and Junior’s competitions will then take on their Jersey counterparts to battle it out for the Channel Islands Championship titles on Sunday 25 July hosted again at Guernsey’s L’Ancresse golf links.
“After such an unprecedented time, it is very exciting to see the return of the Channel Islands Championship against Jersey again and we are very fortunate that Dale Wilcock the owner of local company DJW Prestige Vehicle Sourcing is sponsoring the event,” said Geoff Orme.
The Junior Island Championships will begin the following bank holiday Monday (31 May), culminating in a final on Sunday 6 June.
Last year’s Boy’s winner was Ollie Chedhomme, who beat Rory Mckenna just one up and Chloe Domaille who took three extra holes to beat Chloe Gaudion to win the Junior Girl’s title.
“Thanks to a strong junior golf programme, the island is developing some really outstanding juniors. Hot favourites to reach the knockout stages will be Ollie and Rory but there will be keen competition for the other two spots. Tanner Austin and Conor McKenna have started the season strongly but there are six players who have what is required to qualify.
“The girls also have some really promising players, from Chloe Domaille, Chloe Gaudion, Lily McNeela and Jennie Ballay [last year’s Ladies winner of the over 19.1 handicappers],” said Orme.
Dale Wilcock who is a keen golfer of La Grande Mare said; "He was delighted to be the new sponsor of these prestigious golf competition and looks forward to watching some great matches across all sections.”