ARNOLD SEEKS SENIORS HAT-TRICK AT JOHN O’GAUNT - 24th May 2004

Defending champion Doug Arnold will be chasing an unprecedented third successive victory when the English Men’s Seniors Championship is played at John O’Gaunt Golf Club in Bedfordshire on 2-4 June.

The 57 year old from the Copthorne club in Sussex first took the title on his debut at Heswall in 2002 and successfully defended it at Frilford Heath a year ago.

No one has managed to win three successive Seniors titles since the inaugural championship in 1981 although Gordon Edwards completed three victories between 1988 and 1996, one being in a tie.

Arnold’s initial success denied Crewe’s Roy Smethurst three-in-a-row, the 61 year old retired computer systems designer having won at Moor Park in 2000 and at Sherwood Forest in 2001.

The pair are likely to be at the forefront of the battle again this time along with fellow senior internationals David Lane (Goring and Streatley), also twice a winner of the title, and 1998 champion Jon Marks (Woodbridge).

Andrew Morrison (Appleby) and Anthony Smith (Hill Valley), members of the England team in last year’s Seniors Home Internationals, are also competing, as is Bob Turner (Wearside), capped in 2001.

Arnold gets his defence underway on the Carthagena at 2.10pm on Wednesday 2 June, while Smethurst and Lane tackle the John O’Gaunt at 10.10am and 11.10am respectively.

The field also includes two more former winners in Graham Steel (Moor Park), joint champion at Parkstone in 1994, and Brian Berney (East Brighton), joint winner at West Lancashire two years later.

Other notable competitors include former international Harry Ashby (Consett), who won the English Amateur title in 1972 and ’73, Bernard Yates (Dyke), the newly installed President of the Sussex Golf Union, and Charles Kemp (Bedford & County) father of England cap John Kemp.

Two hundred and forty of the best over-55 golfers in the country will be in action over the two courses, the John O’Gaunt and the Carthagena, over the first two days after which there will be a cut, the leading 60 players and ties competing for the final 18 holes over the John O‘Gaunt course. As usual, there are four subsidiary competitions based on age groups.

The leading players from this championship are likely to be in the forefront of selection for the seven-strong team to represent England in the annual Seniors Home Internationals at Aberdovey on 28-30 September.

Related Links

• http://www.englishgolfunion.org

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