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Purbeck Blows, PGS Roars, Northcliffe Whimpers

 

 

 

Northcliffe captain, Lee Terry (right), a little reluctantly, presents PGS skipper Hugh Whittow with the trophy.

Pic by Ian McIllgorm, words by Hugh Whittow
The Isle of Purbeck was quite simply turned into the Isle of Perfect for the PGS in our annual match against Northcliffe.

Gale force winds swept across the course,  once owned by Enid Blyton, perched high above Swanage and Studland in Dorset.

But the 40 mph gusts presented no problems for the 14 men and two women representing the PGS as they  literally blew away Northcliffe with a record breaking 12.5 point to 3.5 points victory.

History of this 30 year old hard fought encounter shows unpredictable PGS teams have usually performed brilliantly on Day 1 but then collapse dramatically on  Day 2 after  a night  of wine, “something “ and song.

This year it was a far different story.

PGS  Skipper Hugh Whittow enforced a strict 4 pints/ two bottles of red rule!!! and bed before 1am !!!!!

And it worked a treat.

Day 1 GREENSOMES saw an impressive 6.5/1.5 win for PGS and the  Day 2   4 BALL BETTER  BALL resulted in a splendid 6/2 victory.

Skipper Whittow who selected the team based on friendships forged in the PGS  over 35 years was absolutely delighted.

Philippa Kennedy despite suffering a few years of injuries flew in from the West  of Ireland and played brilliantly. She met up with long standing friends she once nicknamed the “monkey boys” because in their younger days their behaviour was so appalling .

Relatively new member Caroline Day (Ben Todd’s wife)also played splendidly

It was great to see another PGS lady member Hayley Barlow . Sadly she opted to play for Northcliffe ( big mistake!)

But Hayley a stylish 7 handicapper will soon be back supporting PGS events.Veteran ex Mirror sports executive, Kevin Price – a leading “monkey boy” nicknamed Whittow Hugh Woosnam at the trophy presentation.  Whittow pointed out it had nothing to do with his golfing ability but more to do with him being Welsh, his size and drinking ability.

Northcliffe Captain Lee Terry who confesses to having links to North London gangsters was not a happy man after the result and grunted “ We were well and truly butchered”.

The PGS team : Philippa Kennedy, Caroline Day, Jonny Bramley, Nick Cherrie , Colin Hancock, Ben Todd, PGS Captain Nev Appleton, Ian MacIlgorm, Nic Brook, John Quinn, Tim Allan, Lee Smith, Kevin Price, Ian Woods and Nick Jones, and Hugh Whittow.

As well as Hayley two other PGS men turned out for Northcliffe : Neil Darbyshire who works for The Mail and Jim Murray who stood in as a last minute replacement for a player who broke his arm.

Photos by Phillipa Kennedy, Nick Cherry & Ian McIllgorm.

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Lew beauty!

Captain Nev (centre) with the victorious Steve Lewis (right) and Tony Smith (left). Picture: Paolo Minoli

Steve Lewis claimed the Lord Riddell Memorial Trophy and the prize for the lowest gross score in our medal meeting at Worplesdon.

Our traditional season curtain-raiser was played in glorious sunshine on a course in superb condition – a very fitting way to get captain Nev Appleton’s year off to a great start.

Lewis scorched round in a gross 75, to record a net 69, with Paul Kelso second in Division One with a net 74 (gross 81) and Hugo Chambre third with a net 76 (gross 78).

In Division Two, Tony Smith pipped secretary Tim Allan to first place with a net 72 (gross 86), one ahead of the Ashridge man (gross 85). The resurgent Kevin Price was third with a net 74 (gross 88).

The top 16 qualified for the Emsley Carr – see the full draw here

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Jeremy Chapman – a personal tribute from his friend and former colleague Tom Clarke

Jeremy with his wife Christa and the winning trophy at an event organised by our friends
at the Association of Golf Writers in 2024

By Tom Clarke

I’m grateful to the Press Golfing Society for wonderful days in the sun and the rain, on courses from Royal Portrush to Vilamoura – but I’m more than grateful to the PGS for launching a friendship with Jeremy Chapman that lasted half a century and changed the course of my working life.

I joined the PGS in 1975. I was honoured to be captain in 1985 when Jeremy was secretary. We partnered well. It was a year of good golf, good weather, good social occasions (our annual dinner was at The Savoy), and growing membership.

Fast forward to 1993 . . . I was parachuted into The Sporting Life to be editor and to “clean out the stables”. It could have been a reference to the dark and grubby offices at the arse end of the Mirror Building in Holborn Circus. It was, in fact, a call to sort out the chaos of working arrangements that were, to be polite, less than professional.

I knew only three people with Life connections: Charlie Wilson, who had been my editor at The Times, was now deputy managing editor of Mirror Group and appointed me to be editor; Monty Court, a close friend since we met at a PGS day and a former editor of The Life (and he’s still going strong at the age of 97); and Jeremy, who was, whatever his actual title, the deputy editor of The Life.

On the morning of Monday, April 5, 1993, I walked into The Life offices for the first time. I was met by a barrier of stony faces. The previous day the owners of those faces had produced an excellent paper with reports, analysis and pictures of the infamous Grand National which was declared void when 30 of the 39 runners ignored the false-start and carried on racing.

I congratulated them, told them who I was and what I hoped to do (no mention of “clean out if the stables” at this stage). They got on with their work but there was a certain tension in the air.

Then, about 2pm, Jeremy arrived for his shift. He came up to me, shook my hand and wished me well.

That moment wasn’t an ice-breaker in my relationship with the rest of the staff but it showed them that one of the leaders of their team had some high regard for me.

For the next five years we delivered a very good paper, making the most of the writing skill of Alastair Down and David Ashforth and others, the race-reporting of Geoff Lester’s team, and the emerging talent of Bruce Millington, Peter Thomas and Chris McGrath – with Jeremy pulling them together with his page designs – by 1994 in our sparkling new offices at Canary Wharf.

That’s Jeremy the deputy editor. There was also Jeremy the golf betting tipster. His countless hours poring over form, mainly on the American circuit, then bringing the stats alive in a very readable way – and providing readers with a bundle of winners, notably Lee Trevino at 8-1 for the 1972 Open and Stewart Cink at 150-1 for a 2021 PGA Tour event.

I must make mention of Christa, Jeremy’s wife for 57 years. She never played in a PGS day but she was a special part of the society for 30 years or more. She was always there at the check-in table, collecting the money, handing out cards and checking them at the end of the day.

Thank you, Jeremy and Christa.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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