E.G.U. County Qualifying

The winning Team from left to right:
Tony Cheese, Richard Prophet, Jason Timmis, Dave Walley, Paul Griffiths, Jarred McKnight with County President, Professor David Thomas, County Captain, Brian Belcher, Dean Porter,Captain Elect and Second Team Captain, Kevin Beattie.

EGU County Qualifying Sandwell Park Golf Club

20^th June 2009

Sandwell Park Golf Club hosted the EGU County Championship ?Midland Qualifying rounds on a very well turned out golf course. The format is six players from each 10 Counties playing stroke play over 36 holes with all six scores counting with the lowest combined score going through to the EGU County Finals at Chipping Sodbury Golf Club on the 25^th-27^th September 2009. After the morning rounds Shropshire & Herefordshire led with a combined score of 429 with Leicestershire & Rutland second, with 437. Staffordshire were twelve shots back on 441 with scores from Jason Timmis 71, Jarred McKnight 72, Paul Griffiths 74, Dave Walley also 74, Tony Cheese 75 and Richard Prophet 75. The afternoon rounds saw Staffordshire suddenly come back into the running again with good scores from Jason Timmis 73, Jarred Mcknight after playing so well all day, came unstuck on the last few holes, just by finishing the wrong side on the greens to finish with 77. Paul Griffiths played another good round of 74, Dave Walley finished with 77, having an 8 on the 17^th and a good two put on the last for a par. With Staffordshire?s four players in, it was soon noted that other Counties there, were finding Sandwell a little more difficult in the afternoon, our last two players, Tony Cheese & Richard Prophet, still to come in and come in they did. Tony Cheese shot a fantastic 69 to suddenly bring Staffordshire within touching distance of the winning post. Shropshire?s last player finished with a 79 to put them on 884. Lincolnshire were winning on 882. That left Leicestershire?s last player needing a 69 to win by one shot but finished with a 73, their final score 885. That left Staffordshire?s Richard Prophet needing a par on the last for Staffordshire to win by a shot, he hit a great drive up the middle to leave a wedge to the flag, he hit it to about 8 inches to finish with a birdie for a 69, for Staffordshire to finish on 880 and win by two shots, a tremendous achievement from all the players. I would like to thank the players & caddies for representing the County so well and I am very proud of their achievement. I am looking forward to taking the Team to the Finals in September at Chipping Sodbury.

Brian Belcher
County Captain

The President of the Midland Golf Union, Mr. Jim Dean, presented an MGU shield to Mr. Roger Walker, the Captain of Sandwell Park Golf Club, as a memento of the day and in thanks for hosting the event. (See picture. Click on picture to enlarge)