Glorious sunny weather greeted the 23 teams who took part in the Charity Pro Celebrity Am tournament at Brean Golf Club on Tuesday (May 13th).
After having to postpone the popular event in 2007 due to problems with the greens, this year the players found the course in superb condition thanks to the hard work of Robin Williams and his greenstaff.
Sportsmen from horse racing and cricket, along with the local professionals, accompanied the teams around the course during what was an enjoyable day for all.
Unfortunately, the event did suffer a couple of late withdrawals from some of the jockeys due to injuries and being called up to ride elsewhere. This included former Champion Jockey Tony McCoy and the 2008 Gold Cup winning jockey Sam Thomas.
The winners were the Brean Ladies ‘B’ Team, who surprised themselves to win the Tom Childs Memorial Trophy. Their score of 127 (11 under par) tied with four other teams but, thanks to a great up and down for a par at the last by Irene Trumper, they finished just ahead of the rest.
The team consisted of this year’s Lady Captain at Brean Golf Club, Debbie Windmill, Jenny Dodd and Irene Trumper, along with their ‘celebrity’ Chris(tine) Payne. They compiled their score steadily and with the countback situation required, the final hole was to be prove to be the one which separated them from the second placed team from Holiday Resort Unity.
The HRU team had been successful in the past in this event but had to settle for second place this time. The team was led by Somerset Golf Union player Curtis Edwards alongside Ryan Edwards, Tim Piper and Brean Leisure Park Chef Pat Culkin.
Third place went to the Scottish & Newcastle team, who also returned a score of 127 with the team of Somerset County Cricketer Pete Trego partnering Mark Short, Adam Horsborough and Dave Willis. This team may have missed out on the top prize but between them, they managed to collect all three nearest the pin prizes!
In fourth place was the last team off the course. This team is yet to win the event but has been close now on a number of occasions. Team Jay Vee consisted of Brean Head Professional Andrew March with Jim Vearncombe, Russell Shaw and Paul Plume. They were left to rue a couple of missed putts on the back nine which proved costly in the end.
March’s team’s back nine score pushed the other team on 127 into fifth place. This team were the first out on the course in the morning and were representing Burnham Golf Range. Brean Director of Golf David Haines led the team of Jordan Jones, Graham Exton and Mike Preddy, who were unlucky to miss out on the prizes in one of the closest finishes anyone can remember in the event.
The prizes and trophy were presented afterwards in the Tavern by the Tom Childs’ daughter, Jo.
“Thanks must go to all who helped organise and run the event and to the celebrities who turned up to play. We will all now look forward to another successful Pro Celebrity Am in 2009 which will hopefully be played over the new extended Brean layout,” said Andrew March, Head PGA Professional at Brean Golf Club.
The event is expected to have raised a bumper sum for the Injured Jockeys Fund, St Margaret’s Hospice Taunton and The Alzheimers Society.
Martin Bosley, third from right, is a racehorse trainer of national hunt and flat horses
National Hunt jockey Jodie Mogford, left, was on the ‘Jones Brothers’ team
Somerset county cricketer Pete Trego played on the Scottish & Newcastle Team
