July 2012 / Issue 212
/ 21
Bruce McDonald
ajor
Bucks end 34 years of hurt
Photo finish at Epsom Bruce McDonald (Pentland Golf) and Andrew Butterfield (Sundridge Park) produced a photo finish at the PGA South Region Pro-Am at Epsom, tying with two-under-par 68s. The winners were the only players to break par on a day when the wind threatened to overwhelm the event. Both players found they had what it took to handle one of the region’s most original courses. Laid out well over 100 years ago, the greens are completely natural and full of small swales and humps, leading McDonald to state that he’d never seen greens like them – a sentiment with which co-winner Butterfield completely agreed. “The greens were unbelievable – great surfaces, but very tricky to read,” Butterfield said. “It’s definitely a course to play to understand how golf used to be, before all the courses were designed and built professionally. For a pro-am, it’s a great experience.”
There’s an old saying that goes something along the lines of ‘those that can, do; and those that can’t, teach’. It’s a rather unfair assessment of the teaching profession in general, and certainly not an idiom that applies to 34-year-old PGA Professional Ryan Fenwick, whose golfing CV proves that he’s rather good at both. Fenwick, who is now based at Goodwood Golf Club, following a move from Slinfold earlier this year, is proof that top-flight golfers can also become excellent coaches – not something that is always true in a profession where passing on skills is not quite so straightforward as in other sports or career paths. Fenwick came through the same England Boys’ team that produced players of the calibre of Luke Donald, Paul Casey, Justin Rose and Simon Dyson, although he readily admits that he never quite made it to their dizzy heights. Turning professional in 2000, he enjoyed a five-year career on the European Challenge Tour, and the Sunshine Tour in South Africa, competing in 16 different countries and winning in Johannesburg in 2005. On the domestic front, Fenwick won the Sussex Open in 2006, and again last
Buckinghamshire has reached the finals of the Women’s English Counties Championship for the first time in 34 years. They claimed their place at County Finals at East Devon in September when they won the Midland South Region county match week at Mentmore. Their success made up for last year’s disappointment, when they lost out on the top spot on countback to Northamptonshire. This time round they won four points out of a possible five, beating Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire, Berkshire and Warwickshire. They were beaten only by Worcestershire & Herefordshire. County captain Sue Lee commented: “I am on cloud nine! I am so pleased and proud that Buckinghamshire have won the Midland South county match week. We knew it was possible after we came so close last year, but this win has been a long time coming, and we are all excited about competing in the finals in September.”
championship wins 18 : MASTERS • 17 : US OPEN 5 : THE OPEN • 19 : USPGA
Fenwick finds his feet at Goodwood
year, and only last month he collected the prestigious Sussex PGA title at Royal Ashdown Forest, with his twounder par total around the testing layout showing that he still has what it takes to cut it on the competitive scene. But it is the ability to pass on his talent, knowledge of swing mechanics, and psychological understanding of what it takes to compete at the highest levels, that motivates him these days. A fully qualified PGA professional, Fenwick is now a central part of the teaching
team at Goodwood, a 36hole facility that provides a winning combination of affordable membership mixed with quality facilities The lead coach for Sussex County golf, as well as the current England regional and ASSE coach, Fenwick has taken a growing number of county players, England internationals, and aspiring young professionals on the developmental tours, under his expert wing. He has also been working with rising Ladies European Tour player Hannah Ralph.
, the stunning new game-improvement iron from MacGregor, matches looks with performance and feel. The ‘hot’ thin face maximises distance, and the optimised CG location makes the most forgiving MacGregor iron ever. MacGregor’s acclaimed wing-back technology and a deep undercut cavity generate maximum clubhead stability at impact, with the feel-enhancing medallion providing the ultimate responsive feedback. All this technology is presented alongside a refined face-profile and slim top-line, and encased in a durable rich black PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition) finish. , another modern classic from MacGregor.
www.macgregor-golf.co.uk Available at selected golf shops and authorised online retailers