County king Connolly gets Northants call
New county champ Neil Connolly forms the spearhead of a six-man Northamptonshire team to compete in the English Counties Champions Midlands qualifier at Sandwell Park GC, West Mids today.
Connolly, who won the county crown for the first time last weekend on his home Northants County course, joins up with the man he beat by four strokes, Matt Bird.
Harry Larkins has been rewarded for his fourth place in the weekend competition with a call-up for the 36-hole event, while 2008 county champ Stuart Ashwood makes it four County members in the side.
With all six scores to count in both rounds, Northampton teenager Lewis White has been selected alongside Cold Ashby's Graham Bott.
Connolly's round opponent in the County Matchplay Championships is Wellingborough's Jon Harris.
Double defending Matchplay champion Ryan Evans, who is competing in the prestigious Berkshire Trophy this weekend, has a home tie with Richard Brown (Staverton) in the last 16.
With Bird and Ashwood unable to play in the event due to their US college commitments, Matt Landers (Kingsthorpe) is the second seed. He faces Cold Ashby's Fraser Carnihan.
Larkins plays at home to Rod Handyside (Kettering), Lee Hitchcock (Kingsthorpe) hosts Farthingstone's Darren Matthews, while Collingtree Park's Dave Morris takes on the youngest competitor in the last 16 Daniel Ashcroft (Kettering).
Northampton duo Alex Izzard and White will both have home advantage as they face Michael Franklin (Staverton) and Sam Buss (Whittlebury) respectively. Jez Kidby was second by two from Tony Banyard.
Darren Matthews secured first place in the main category from Ollie Salter on countback, with Mick Barnett one stroke behind following a net 71.
Ken Harridine was the leading player in the third division as a net 74 secured a two-shot win from Andy Murphy and Duncan O’Neill.
SNGC
Brian Meadows and Barry Armitage were too strong for a large field of 48 pairs in the Spring Meeting at Northampton GC as they carded a winning betterball tally of 44 points.
The inaugural Former Presidents of the Society Competition was won by current president Robin Seabrook and his two predecessors Bryan Barwick and John Kelly. As they look to repeat their unbeaten 2008 campaign, the SNGC team has made a good start to the season with three wins already secured.
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Thursday 24 May 2012
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