May-June 2002 Issue No. 26 Captain: Brian Hope
It's been a great few weeks for Werneth members playing in major events on other courses.
Leading the way was Angela Whaley who won the ladies' Chronicle Cup at Brookdale with a splendid net 68.
And there were more successes in the men's event a week later at Oldham with 12-year-old Jonathan Wilde becoming the youngest ever overall runner-up with a remarkable score of 78-17-61 on a course he had never played before.
Mike Fogo was the first division runner-up and Paul Walker went one better in taking the second division title - with another of our talented 12-year-olds, Jonathan Dooley, in second place.
Steve Hodgson won the Saddleworth invitation day event to add to the success of Albert Kingham at Oldham's invitation day.
Since then, Jonathan Dooley and his dad, Les, have also won a junior-senior open at Dukinfield with a net score of 61.4. Les also shot a three-under-par gross 69 in a mixed open at Fleetwood, while John Stockley and Terry Marner were runners-up in a seniors open at Disley.
Earlier, Jonathan won a Chronicle Cup qualifier at Werneth with a score of 82-20-62.
Inevitably, the Rowbotham boys have refused to be outshone and, in the May monthly medal, 11-year-old Adam (85-27-58) ,won the second division with his 12-year-old brother, Aaron (81-19-62), in second place.
The first division winners were assistant pro. Lee Murray (70-6-64), and Ken Holt (76-12-64).
Budding Tigers Johnny Wilde and Adam also occupied the first two places in an earlier medal round. Teamed with James Buckley, Aaran also won a betterball medal with a net 62, pushing seasoned campaigners Geoff Dawson and Adrian Brierley into second place a shot adrift.
The eldest of the Rowbotham boys, Lee, won a pro's comp. with 43pts - defeating his second placed dad, Paul, by five shots.
A field of 148 competitors battled against strong winds and occasional squalls of rain in the club's Seniors Open - but everyone voted the event a huge success.
And with prizes on offer on every hole, this was hardly surprising. The overall winners were Werneth's Roy Fletcher and Ken Savage, of Blackley, with 42 Stableford points.
Home players also figured among the major prizes - Terry Marner and his brother-in-law, Derek Moores (Tunstall), were second with 41pts, just pipping Bob Butterworth and Roy Cooper (Rochdale), on a countback.
A couple of visitors just pipped David Bielby and ex-member Charlie Stewart (Fleetwood) in the combined 130-139 age group. Their 40pts equalled the winning score but the victors had a better back nine.
In the 140-plus age group, Vets' president Tom Blackshaw and Jack Cooper took the honours with 37pts.
Werneth scored a thrilling 4-3 victory at Blackley GC in the second round of the Archie Preston mixed foursomes knock-out competition. Captain Brian Hope and Lady Vice-Captain Ann Fallows, conceding five shots, led the way with a 3 and 2 victory over the home club's joint captains.
But the other three winners all had to play extra holes. The Les Dooley-Sylvia Haq and Tom McNamara-Joan Hughes pairings both won at the nineteenth.
The most nailbiting performance came from Terry Marner and Denise Fletcher. Four down at the 9th, the fought back to level the scores at the 18th.
They eventually triumphed with a birdie at the third extra hole.
Members were deeply shocked by the sudden death on May 11 of Alan Topping, one of the club's most popular stalwarts, at the age of 66.
Alan, who lived with his wife, Freda, in Merton Street, Oldham, had been hoping to begin playing golf again this season following his heart bypass operation, but suffered another massive attack from which he never recovered.
A regular in the gent's games room, he regularly offered his services as a starter in major competitions and, in the past, had joined in tree planting programmes.
A key member of the veterans' section, he was the secretary for several years.
The large turnout at his funeral paid testament to his popularity.
He will be greatly missed.
The seniors' Spring Meeting, postponed for a week due to the death of Alan Topping, almost had to be called off for a second time when an unseasonable hailstorm flooded the course.
Happily, the weather improved and Trevor Crick won the trophy on a CPO from Eric Webb.
The over-70s prize went to Gordon Lockett. In the Lawrence Batley League, following defeats by Wortley (A) and Huddersfield (H), our men have shown better form with home draws against Ryburn and Queensbury.
As reported on page 1, Werneth juniors have enjoyed some spectacular individual successes.
As a team, and restricted to a maximum handicap of 18, they narrowly lost 4-3 in the Ian Anthony Trophy at Fairfield. Four of the games were decided on the last hole, and another at the 19th.
They were more successful in a Thameside and District Golf League match, winning 5-2.
Werneth suffered a 6-1 defeat at Houldsworth in the Manchester Alliance Foursomes.
Our only winners were Adrian Brierley and John Andrew who were five up at the turn but finished all square.
They owed their victory to an Alliance rule which stipulates that the away pair are awarded the match in such circumstances.
Our team also lost their home tie against Mytton by 4-3 in a Dunham Forest match.
Denise Fletcher took the honours on Lady Vice-Captain's day with a score of 91-21-70 to head off the challenge of Sally Newton, who carded 106-34-72.
As well as winning the Grandmothers Trophy Aand LGU Medal (106-40-66), Sheila Waterhouse also triumphed on both days when the ladies visited Patshull Park, near Telford, to celebrate Vice-Captain Ann Fallows' birthday.
Hilda Garner, Kath Lomas, and Irene Howes won the Dorothy Ayrton Three-Ball Alliance with a score of 61.
In a break with tradition, there is to be a social evening on June 29th to celebrate Lady Captain Jane Fletcher's day.
Admission is free and everyone is invited. The artist is Ricky Menzies, who was extremely popular when he performed after the Captain's drive-in in March
Geoff Dawson at the 3rd and Fred Whittingham at the 10th both holed in one on the same day.
Paul Egan also had a later ace at the third.
Winners of the four-person Stableford event to mark the Queen's Golden Jubilee was the all-male team of Steve Oldham, Aaron Rowbotham, Adrian Buckley, and John Armstrong, with 94pts. Second were Jonathan Dooley, Shaun Rattigan, Grahame Holt, and Roy Garforth, with 89pts.