Chairman Amrik is Shield marvel
Famous win for the second time
SENTINEL Golf committee chairman Amrik Rai took another notable scalp in this year’s competition by defeating a former winner in the second round. Amrik, representing Westwood, beat 2022 Sentinel Shield winner Richard Sutton (Market Drayton) 6&5 to reach round three. It followed his round one success against last year’s runner-up Terry Ansell (Burslem).
He will now meet Trentham Park’s Sean Cooper who beat Neil Frain (Burslem) 4&3 in the second round. Amrik said: “I managed to birdie the first three holes, which was a dream start, as
I was very fearful of taking on Richard.
“I played out of my skin and I somehow managed to be 7up after 7 holes, then
Richard pulled back 3 holes in a row, but I managed to win the 12th and 13th to win the match 6&5.
“Richard is a far better golfer than me, but for the match I hit form and everything went my way.”
Club colleague Heath Van
Rooyen joins Amrik in the next round having come out the winner against 2023 semi-finalist Lee Hares (Burslem) who managed to win the last 3 holes of the match but just couldn’t quite close the match out on the 19th hole.
Burslem’s Stephen Heald, playing on home turf, put up a tremendous performance overcoming a tricky opponent in Trentham Park’s James Sargeant.
He now faces an intriguing tie against club colleague and 2013 Shield winner Andy
Mannion.
In the Cup competition there was a fine win for Jordan
Bowcock
(Astbury) the lowest indexed player in this years competition
(2.1) who overcame 2017 Cup winner Mark Lawton (Burslem) 5&4.
Last year’s Shield winner John Gardiner (Market Drayton) is still on track to be this year’s cup winner, after overcoming Newcastle’s Jack Hilditch by 6&5, while Mick Biddle (Malkins Bank) continues his fine form in the Cup competitions by overcoming 2023 runner-up John Ryan (Wolstanton) 4&3.
The competitions have raised in excess of £90,000 for local charities/good causes since they started in 1977. Greenway Hall’s Russell Cartlidge currently holds The Sentinel Cup and Market Drayton’s John Gardiner the Shield after finals day last year.