Golf: Simon Davies keeps his cool

Jun 27 2009 by Mel Booth, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

SIMON DAVIES kept his cool and remembered words of wisdom from his father Paul, the Meltham club pro, as he raced to a clear-cut victory in the Meltham Trophy.

Simon, 25, was out in the final group as the wind blew its hardest, making for tricky conditions, but he posted a net 67 off his six handicap and, following a first round 71, left the rest trailing by five shots.

His winning margin might have been wider but for an unlikely run down the stretch after being just a couple over par gross with four holes to play. A double bogey and other dropped shots saw him back in the pack, three shots off the pace at the halfway mark.

Undeterred, his sparkling 67 in the afternoon as others fell back left the field trailing.

He doesn’t have serious coaching from his father other than help with the short game. Paul said: “Otherwise, though we talk about course management, he plays his own game and has not had much real coaching since he was a junior up at Crosland Heath.”

Junior Jamie Bower produced the best 36-hole gross of 148, one better than Toby Garrett.

Scores: 138 - S Davies (6) 71 67; 143 - L Edmonds (5) 73 70; 144 - M Garrett (4) 74 70, J Bower (2) 74 70, M Johnstone (10) 68 76; 145 - A Hirst (11) 69 76, N Leader (5) 71 74, T Garrett (Crosland Heath, 2) 73 72.

147 - B Crowther (Dewsbury, 2) 74 73, C Mear (3) 71 76, D Hansom (5) 72 75, R Hunt (2)73 74; 148 - K Wadsworth (12) 68 80, T Birkhead (5) 73 75; 149 - A Sheard (1) 73 77, P Bramall (12) 72 77; 150 - D Jackson (Headingley, 6) 77 73, J Morelli (10) 75 75, M Latham (10) 73 77.

151 - A Broadhead (9) 72 79, G McLean (1) 72 79, P Gallagher (6) 78 73, P Wharton (13) 79 72; 152 - D Noble (12) 78 74, P Rostron (5) 79 73, R Byrne (11) 77 75, S Hazelden (6) 74 78; 153 - A Steel (9) 77 76, B Ellis (7) 79 74, I Saxton (7) 77 76, J Crosland (11) 76 77, P Helard (Wakefield, 9) 74 79; 154 - B Barret (10) 76 78, D Buckley (8) 70 84, E Battye (Dewsbury, 1) 73 81, J Moore (3) 78 76, L Pilkington (Crosland Heath, 6) 81 73, M Baker (18) 70 84, N Jackson (14) 73 81, P Ellis (9) 78 76, R Load (7) 77 77, R Johnson (14) 76 78, S Bower (4) 77 77.

155 - B Firth (Willow Valley, 8) 77 78, C Breslin (5) 79 76, D Campbell (7) 79 76, J Hemmings (13) 75 80; 156 - C Whiteley (5) 79 77, J Lawson (15) 84 72, M Laurie (Crosland Heath, 5) 82 75, M Styring (16) 78 78, P Kelly (16) 81 75, S Whiteley (11) 80 76; 157 - J Caine (Dewsbury, 4) 76 81, M Carr (6) 77 80, S Thornton (13) 72 85, S Irvine (6) 77 80; 158 - J Higgs (9) 78 80, R Busby (9) 81 77; 159 - P Branston (13) 82 77.

160 - M Butterworth (13) 85 75, R Clark (18) 81 79; 161 - B Ellis (12) 80 81, D Law (8) 81 80, M Guymer (8) 78 83; 162 - D Mallinson (Marsden, 13) 70 92, D Oldham (12) 79 83, J Baxter (Crosland Heath, 15) 75 87; 163 - A Mills (11) 78 85, S Blogg (5) 78 85; 164 - A Brown (Crosland Heath, 7) 85 79, D Jackson (Crosland Heath, 14) 82 82, J Wozniak (12) 87 77; 165 - D Thorpe (12) 79 86, P Farnsworth (12) 84 81; 166 - N Paxman (8) 84 82; 167 - D Heap (16) 86 82, N Birks (18) 78 90; 170 - M Wood (8) 85 85; 172 - H Haworth (16) 83 89; 180 - S Shaw (Longley, 15) 95 85.