El Higueral - Bowmaker
Sunday 13th March Unfortunately El Paraiso was closed after recent heavy rainfall. Thanks to Tony Miles the Bowmaker was re-located to El Higueral, a 9 hole golf course on the road to Benahavis. Although it was wet underfoot the course was very playable, a point proved by Shaun Hall who 'got it round' in a seven-under-par score of 65 (43 points). Kevin Saunders (36 points) was a distant second with Peter Rodgers and Ian Roper (33 points) in joint third. Shaun's excellent score helped Dean Jones to take victory in the Bowmaker with Andy Dowland in second place. Martin Baily took third place and Alex Marshall was fourth. Twelve Amateurs won Bowmaker prizes.
Monday 14th March The Old Course at San Roque was closed, which was probably a blessing in disguise as it was a wet old day, not one to be playing golf. A lunchtime thunderstorm emphasised the point.
La Canada
Tuesday 15th March La Canada provided the perfect venue after the recent rainfall. The fast draining hill-top course was appreciated by all the competitors as the 72 hole Pro-AM finally got underway. David Wilton (Muswell Hill) and Mike Steadman (Swingrite Golf) shared the first round lead. Wilton's team of Paul Graham, Mario Constantinou and Steve Walsom led the Pro-AM with 84 points, three ahead of Daniel Westermark's team of Tony Daly, Frank McCarroll and Tony Miles.
Old Course at San Roque
Wednesday 16th March Monday's round on the Old Course at San Roque was now played on the 'rest day'. Pros and Amateurs alike enthused about the famous links, which were playing long after the recent rainfall. Daniel Westermark (El Paraiso) and Mark Smith (Botley Park) matched par with Kevin Saunders (34) and Ian Roper (33) the best of the rest. In the Pro-AM Smith's team were the big movers with 78 points, one better than Graeme Lisle's team (77). Wilton's team retained the lead but their advantage was cut to just a single point.
La Canada
Thursday 17th March It was back to a windy La Canada as El Paraiso was still not fully open. Alvaro Quiros, who was born in nearby Guardiaro, made an appearance on the practice ground which caused a bit of a stir. Ian Roper and Kevin Saunders both shot 34 points and with Daniel Westermark (31) moved into a three-way tie for the lead. David Wilton was in fourth place three shots behind. Mark Smith's team (76) had the best Pro-Am score moving up into fourth place. With one round to go David Wilton's team (228) increased their lead to three shots over Daniel Westermark's team (225) with Saunders in third on 223.
Old Course at San Roque
Friday 18th March A close finish was on the cards in the Professional event and so it proved. Ian Roper was first to finish, setting the Clubhouse lead on 133 points. Kevin Saunders (134 points) improved on this score and it was left to see if Westermark or Wilton could better this score. Within minutes Westermark (135) had completed a level par round to take victory by a single point, despite a double bogey at the eighteenth. A fast finishing Wilton shot a 'best of the day' 38 points but fell one shot shy of Westermark's winning total. It was the fifth time that Westermark had won the event in the last nine years but only the second time he had won the title outright having previously shared the honours with Rob Edwards (2005), David Porter (2006) and James Ablett (2007). Consolation for Wilton was his team's victory in the Pro-AM with a winning score of 308 points, eleven ahead of Westermark's team. Special mention of Kieren Baldwin's 'hole-in-one' at the 204 yard eighth hole. Also of Shaun Hall, who started the week with a round of 43 points and closed with a round of 37 points.
Leading Professional scores: Daniel Westermark (El Paraiso) 135 points Kevin Saunders (Brokenhurst Manor) 134 points David Wilton (Muswell Hill) 134 points Ian Roper (Corhampton) 133 points Shaun Hall (The County) 124 points Leading Pro-AM Team scores: David Wilton, Paul Graham, Steve Walsom & Mario Constantinou 308 points Daniel Westermark, Frank McCarroll, Tony Miles & Tony Daly 297 points Kevin Saunders, Martin Baily, Terry Sanders & Phil Thomas 294 points Mark Smith, David Huxtable, Bob Leatherbarrow & Ken Saint 291 points El Higueral GC Urb. Capanes Golf. Km. 3,7 Ctra. de Benahavís, 29679 Benahavís, Marbella, Malaga, Spain Tel.: (+34) 951 896 052 Email: reservas@elhigueralgolf.com San Roque Club The San Roque Club CN 340 KM 127 11360 San Roque (Cádiz) Tel: (+34) 956 613 030 Email info@sanroqueclub.com La Canada GC Carretera de Guadiaro Km 1. 11311 Guadiaro San Roque (Cádiz) Tel: (+34) 956 794 100 Email: secretaria@lacanadagolf.com or reservas@lacanadagolf.com PYR Hotel Avenida Rotary Internacional s/n, Puerto Banus 29660, Marbella, Costa del Sol, Spain. Tel.: (+34) 95 281 73 53 Email: golf@hotelpyr.com