10:19am Thursday 24th September 2009
By Dick Marshall
SOUTH-EAST Essex have enjoyed superb success in the past week in major English Golf Union events.
And now they’ll be hoping for rewards when the English county finals are staged at Chipping Sodbury from Friday to Sunday.
Glory came the way of Rochford’s Jay Beisser when he finished in a three-way tie for honours in the inaugural junior county champion tournament at Woodhall Spa.
The trio finished on two-round 143 totals — three under par — Beisser after a closing 69 against rounds of 71 from Suffolk’s Alastair Hall and 75 from James Burnett, Lincolnshire.
Beisser was the first to post the target, his 69 containing eight birdies but also four dropped shots. He fired five of his birdies in his first six holes.
He said: “I got off to a flying start and had three successive threes from the first. I had a lesson from my coach David Brooks last week to check up on things and I played terrible in the first round here with a 74.
“But it came good in the second round and this tops off a very good season for me. I played solid today, but it was a pity I three-putted the 17th which has proved costly.”
Under the rules of the competition, the winning trio will share the trophy.
South-east Essex’s second success came in the English County Champions tournament over the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa. For Thorpe Hall’s Matthew Southgate was runner-up on 141 - a shot behind winner Chris Lloyd, the Gloucester champion, who birdied the 18th for his win.
Southgate, who closed with a 72, said: “I played well and don’t feel I lost it. Chris won it by finishing with two birdies in the last three holes.
“I’m delighted to have come to such a testing course as this and shot the nscores I have.
“I had an idea of the situation, but I tried not to concentrate on the scoreboards. I’ve worked so hard on my game over the last few weeks and this is a nice way to finish the season — but we in Essex have the county finals next week.”
Both Southgate and Beisser are in the Essex team trying to win the title at Chipping Sodbury, Gloucester, for the first time in the county’s history this weekend.
Orsett’s Ross Dee and James Webber (Three Rivers) are also in the six-strong line-up.
Essex are up against northern qualifiers Cumbria first on Friday and will then meet five-times previous champs Staffordshire and Wiltshire.
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