There was a double success for Cheshire at the grand final of the Sky Sports-televised Matchplay Championship in Egypt, as the county supplied both pairs of champions.
Vale Royal Abbey Golf Club’s Gordon Livingston and Ian Brandon emerged as the men’s champions by a nine-point margin after fighting off the challenge of seven other pairings during the three-day event.
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| A victory champange shower from Mixed Pair winner Steve Aylott for his partner Lesley Mifsud and fellow competitors |
And Lesley Mifsud and Steve Aylott, from Carden Park, took home the mixed pair title – by just three points from their nearest challenger at the Marriott Taba Heights Beach Resort
For Livingston, it was all a bit overwhelming.
He said: "To win is incredible and it’s not really sunk in yet. It's been a fantastic week and winning the competition is the icing on the cake.
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Mens winners Gordon Livingston and Ian Brandon | |||
"The course is a difficult test of golf, but one that can be enjoyed by any standard of golfer. The hotel is superb and the weather fairly hot – but we knew that was going to be the case here in Egypt.
"It has been a great experience and one that we will never forget. We played pretty well throughout the competition and coped well with the strong breezes we have had here over the last three days, not to mention the tough course set up on the final day…"
His playing partner echoed his sentiments.
Brandon added: "The other players have been tremendous, all so friendly; it's like we've known each other for much longer than the few days we have been together.
"We'll certainly be signing up for next year's competition as soon as we get back home and would urge others to do the same. We certainly can't argue with the value for money.
"That's certainly the best £20 either of us has ever spent."
As he gazed out across the stunning Taba Heights course and came to terms with his achievement, mixed pair winner Aylott concurred about the value he and Mifsud had received for their relatively small entry fee.
"We've had a wonderful time and have really enjoyed playing the course," he said.
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First the effort - then the reward! 2008/9 mixed winners, | |||
"It’s 7,100 yards long and is challenging for any level of player. This is now becoming one of the most popular competitions around - meeting great people, playing fantastic courses, and ending at one of the best golfing resorts in the world: all for £20…"
Like Brandon, Mifsud was quite taken with the outstanding camaraderie on display during the whole event.
She said: "I have made some wonderful friends, some of whom I know I will see again. We have all had fun both on and off the golf course together. They're such a great group of people.
"The course is beautiful, like an oasis in the middle of the desert, surrounded by stunning backdrops. And the third hole, across water, is the most difficult par-three I have ever played."
John Woosey, managing director of The Golfer’s Club which promotes the Matchplay Championship, was on hand to congratulate all competitors at the cessation of competition.
"This has been a particularly exciting event played in conditions many of the competitors would not have experienced before, whether in terms of the competition – in front of the Sky Sports cameras – or the weather, which is slightly different to that we get at home in the UK," he smiled.
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| The 2008/9 finalists line up for the Sky Sports cameras against the spectacular backdrop of Taba Heights |
"But that is what makes it special. Win through the regional final and you’re here," he added, with a sweep of his arm. "It’s a fantastic place to come and play golf, win or lose.
"Everybody here has done tremendously well to reach this stage and it’s rewarding for us, as organisers, to hear every player say how much they’ve enjoyed it.
"The Matchplay Championship is a great way for golfers to play competitively against pairs from different clubs and – for just their £20 entry fee - be in with a chance of winning a trip to play golf in one of the most stunning locations on the planet.
"Entries are already being accepted for next year’s tournament, which will be bigger and better than ever."
The Matchplay Championship, which costs just £20 per person to enter, is one of Europe’s biggest amateur competitions with more than 1,150 teams from the UK & Ireland competing.
In total 16 teams from across the UK & Ireland – eight men’s and eight mixed pairs – qualified for the week-long expenses paid trip to play at Taba Heights, nestling on the Sinai Peninsula on the Red Sea coast.
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| See you next year! |
The 2008/09 Matchplay Championship was sponsored by american golf, Rewards4Golf.com and Today’s Golfer.
Golfers are now able to enter next year’s event, which will be sponsored by Golf Monthly, Rewards4Golf.com and Direct Golf UK, and promoted in association with The Daily Telegraph, by clicking here, and full details are available on www.matchplaychampionship.co.uk.
Click here for full results of the Grand Final, as well as the regional finals
May 23, 2009
