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The Pros Shop - June 2008 |
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ROYTON SWORD Crompton & Royton GC |
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Jolly Roger puts ’em to the sword ROGER Smithies rolled back the years when he won the Royton Sword for the third time. When the former Lancashire County player claimed the title in 1997 it was his first victory in the Mitsushiba Northern Order of Merit which he went on to win in 2002. His second success at Crompton and Royton came a year earlier and he has finished in the top five for the last three years. The Manchester Hopwood player, who is still off a scratch handicap, opened with a 74 then birdied the last hole in his second round 71 to beat Stamford’s Marcus Bent by a shot. Smithies moved up to ninth in the merit table as Sam Stuart, from St Annes Old Links and Chorley, stayed in pole position 250 points ahead of England team-mate James Robinson, from Southport and Ainsdale. DETAILS: 145 Roger Smithies (Manchester) 74 71; 146 Andrew Bent (Stamford) 75 71; 149 Simon Courier (Fairfield) 74 75, Andrew Terry (Manchester) 74 75; 150 Mark Garrett (Grange over Sands) 74 76; 153 Matthew Hough (Manchester) 76 77; 155 John Flint (Crompton & Royton) 77 78, Gary Melling (Crompton & Royton) 77 78; 157 Nick Jackson (Chorley) 80 77, Carl Thompson (Manchester) 79 78, James Frizzell (Crompton & Royton) 79 78. |