62nd Worcestershire Open Championship
for the GUY BIGWOOD CUP
Retained by Holder: Chris Nugent, Fulford Heath
Played at Redditch Golf Club, Thursday 1st September 2011

On a perfect day for golf, warm and dry with little wind, and on a beautifully presented and challenging course, the best Professionals and Amateurs in the County met to play for the Guy Bigwood Cup.

This trophy has been played for since 1949 and there are several famous names from the County who have won the trophy, some repeating the feat, and a very few who have won it three times.

Joining this illustrious group is Chris Nugent, Fulford Heath, who won the trophy this year for the second time in successive years.

New comer to the County was Neil Rowlands, who has just become Professional at Gay Hill. He and Chris had identical scores, 72 in the first round and 75 in the second, so to resolve the winner a three hole play-off took place. The scores were still level so play continued under "sudden death". Another hole in pars saw the fifth extra hole being played down the Redditch ninth hole. Good drives saw Neil's iron shot comfortably onto the green about 15 feet from the flag. Chris, however played a delightful shot which landed, checked, and rolled to fifteen inches from the hole. Neil's par was not good enough to match the simple birdie.

The scores generally were quite high, as evidenced by the increase in the CSS of 3 strokes for both rounds. The reasons were clear in that the prolonged dry weather was giving drives significant bounces and run. This had the effect of narrowing the already testing fairways. Pin positions were also testing with few central areas being used for the flag.

Our congratulations to the winners, four amateurs in the top six is a great result as is the fact that three of the amateur winners were under 18.

Our thanks to Worcestershire PGA for helping to organise the event, to Brenda, the Referees, Starters and Recorders who made the running so smooth. Finally our thanks to Redditch Golf Club, members and staff, who were so hospitable and helpful. Thanks in particular to RGS Secretary Willie Kerr for his help in staging a really excellent event.

 

The Worcestershire Open Results     PROFESSIONALS CAPITALS - Amateurs lowercase
SSS 72 CSS                 AM & PM                   75	Club	The Guy Bigwood Cup			The Secretaries Bowl for Amateurs		The Union Tankard for Professionals
		First Round Score	Second Round Score	36 Hole Total Score	36 Hole  Score from     County	72 Hole Total score	36 Hole Score from Pro S/P	72 Hole Total score
C. Nugent	Fulford Heath	72	75	147	142	289
N ROLANDS	GAY HILL	72	75	147
R. Sadler	Moseley	77	73	150	150	300
D.  CLEE	EVESHAM	76	74	150
G. Palmer	Kidderminster	76	75	151	135	286
P. Reeves	Redditch	74	77	151	151	302
T.  WARBRICK	THE  VALE	77	75	152			156	308
W.  HOLLAND	WORCESTERSHIRE PGA	79	73	152			163	315
R.  PRICE	MOSELEY	76	76	152			156
D.  LAKE	ABBEY  HOTEL	80	72	152			143	295
S.  GABBITAS	HAGLEY	75	78	153			154	307
M. Vigurs	Gaudet Luce	80	73	153	147	300
R.  LEWIS	THE WORCESTERSHIRE	84	71	155			151	306
M.  SLATER	BEWDLEY  PINES	76	80	156			167	323
A.  RICHARDSON	REDDITCH	74	82	156			157	313
I. CLARK	HAGLEY	81	75	156			148	304
O. Farrell	Evesham	78	78	156	146	302
M.Tweddell	Blackwell	77	79	156	157	313
S.  GREGORY	THE  VALE	82	75	157			153	310
H. James	Kidderminster	77	80	157	148	305
J.  COX	THE WORCESTERSHIRE	81	76	157			148	305
T.  ROBINSON	OMBERSLEY	82	75	157			151	308
M.  GRIFFIN	MOSELEY	79	78	157			146	303
I.  HENRY	WORCESTER	79	80	159			158	317
S.  JOHNSTON	FULFORD  HEATH	78	81	159			152	311
S.  STRUDLEY	ABBEY  HOTEL	83	77	160			161	321
M.  PAYNE	WORCESTER GOLF RANGE	77	83	160			144	304
K. Austin	Hagley	82	78	160	149	309
J.  HODGES	OMBERSLEY	81	80	161			174	335
P. Garey	Moseley	79	82	161	154	315
N. Seabourne	Gaudet Luce	75	86	161	153	314
S LUCAS	John Letters Golf Ac.	78	83	161
R.  CLEARY	EVESHAM	78	84	162			153	315
D.  NICKLIN	BLACKWELL	78	84	162			153	315
A.  WHITING	DROITWICH	87	76	163			165	328
J. Payne	Evesham	85	78	163
P. Dyke	Bromsgrove	78	85	163	155	318
I. Martin	Kings Norton	82	81	163	147	310
R. Croft	Droitwich	80	84	164	153	317
G. Higgitt	Stourbridge	86	81	167	151	318
G. Wallace	Bransford	86	84	170	158	328
M.  JONES	DIRECT  GOLF  UK	82	88	170			160	330
P Broadrick	Droitwich	90	82	172	153	325
M.  REA	STOURBRIDGE	85	88	173			170	343
A. Longmore	Kidderminster	84	N/R	N/R	147	N/R
J. Robinson	Redditch	DQ	71	N/R
A. Ottway	Worcester	81	N/R	N/R	154	N/R
S.  CLARKE	KIDDERMINSTER	N/R	N/R	N/R			153	N/R

The Worcestershire 36 Hole Strokeplay Open Championship Conditions

1)       The Championship shall be played in accordance with the Rules of Golf as approved by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, and with the Local Rules of the host club, as approved by the Championship Committee.

2)       Times of starting:

A)   The Championship Committee reserves the right to fix and alter starting times.

B)   Competitors shall start at the time laid down by the Championship Committee, Rule 6-3(a). However, it is a condition of this Championship, that, if the competitor arrives at his starting point, ready to play, within five minutes after his starting time, in the absence of circumstances which warrant waiving the penalty of disqualification, as provided in Rule 33-7, the penalty for failure to start on time is two strokes at the first hole to be played. Penalty for lateness beyond five minutes is disqualification.

C)   Competitors will be notified on the website of their starting times, together with times allowed for practice prior to the Championship.  http://www.mens.worcestershireamateurgolf.co.uk/worcestershire-open/

3)       a)   The Ball the competitor uses must be named on the current List of Conforming Golf Balls issued by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, Rule 5-1.

b)   Artificial Devices 14-3, The use of distance measuring devices, (laser, satnav, etc) is permitted.

Penalty for any breach of these conditions: Disqualification.

4)       Entries:

A)   Entries shall be made on the Entry Form provided and must be received on or before the closing date. Return of the Entry Form acknowledges and accepts the conditions of the competition and certifies that the Amateur entrants conform in all respects to the Rules of Amateur Status.

B)   Entry Fees, which must accompany the completed Entry Forms, cheques being made payable to "Worcestershire Union of Golf Clubs", are:     for Full Professionals and Amateurs aged 21 & over £30

                                                                          for Registered Trainees                                      £20

                                                                          for Amateurs, under 21, or in full time education  £20

The closing date for entries is Wednesday 1st September 2011.

5)       Entry Fees will not be refunded in the event of an entrant having to withdraw after the closing date.

6)       Championship Committee:

A)   All entries shall be subject to the approval of the Championship Committee, which reserves the right to accept or refuse, or having accepted, subsequently reject any entry without giving reason for its decision.

B)   The decisions of the Championship Committee or its delegated officers shall, in all matters, be final.

7)       Qualification for entry:

Only Amateur male members of Golf Clubs, affiliated to the Worcestershire Union of Golf Clubs, who have qualified at the 2011 Worcestershire Amateur Championship may enter, with members of the Worcestershire Professional Golfers Association who have qualified in their 2011 Strokeplay Event. The WUGC and WPGA have the option to invite up to five Amateurs and five Professionals who have not qualified through the relevant events.

8)       Ties:

A)   In the event of a tie for the Guy Bigwood Cup, for the Open Champion, the competitor with the lowest 36-hole aggregate score, there will be a play-off on the same course, and on the same day, over nominated holes. If the aggregate scores remain tied then play shall continue "by sudden death" over the same holes or as directed by the Championship Committee.

B)   In the event of a tie for the Amateur Gold Medal, for the Amateur with the lowest 36-hole aggregate score, then the competitor with the better or best score over the last 18, 9, 6, 3, or 1 hole will be declared the winner.

9)       The Secretaries' Bowl:

The Secretaries' Bowl will be won by the Amateur competitor with the lowest aggregate gross score for the 72 holes played in the 2011 Worcestershire Amateur Championship and this Worcestershire Open Championship.

10)   The Union Tankard:

The Union Tankard will be won by the Professional competitor with the lowest aggregate gross score for the 72 holes played in the 2011 Strokeplay Event and this Worcestershire Open Championship.

11)   Dress:

At the end of the day's play, jackets and ties will be worn by all competitors in the Redditch Clubhouse and at the Presentation.