Bonnybridge Golf Club pair, John Maxwell and Stephen Brown, who finished runners-up in the Internatonal Pairs World Final (image by Hugh Hunter).TEIGNMOUTH DUO CROWNED WORLD
PAIRS CHAMPIONS AT HOME OF GOLF
PRESS RELEASE
Devon duo Deen Graves and Martyn Ashcroft added the world title to their UK crown in emphatic style after storming to victory at the 2008 International Pairs World Final at the Home of Golf.
Graves and Ashcroft, from Teignmouth Golf Club near Torquay, shot impressive back-to-back rounds of 44 Stableford points at The Duke’s, St Andrews, to overwhelm the 34-team international field in Scotland and win by seven points.
Scottish champions John Maxwell and Stephen Brown briefly threatened their lead as they mounted a second-day charge on home soil.
But Graves and Ashcroft, who won the UK title at Carnoustie last year, raised their games to pull clear of their rivals and be crowned world champions in the largest competition of its kind for club golfers in the world, with the Scots forced to settle for second with 81 points and Irish pair Jerry Kearney and Matt Twomey third with 79 points.
Graves, who plays off 14, said: “It’s an incredible feeling to be crowned world champions and it will take a while to sink in.
“The Duke’s is a very tough course. We had a few problems during our practice round and actually ran out of balls at one stage, but we stuck to a plan and thankfully it paid off.
“We dovetailed perfectly and were able to help each other out when we found trouble, while the fact that I’m right-handed and Martyn is left-handed seemed to suit our style of play on a lot of the holes.”
Graves and 19-handicapper Ashcroft began the second day with a three-point lead over Kearney and Twomey, with Bonnybridge duo Maxwell and Brown a further point adrift, in the global event – which featured competitors from 24 different countries.
The winners, who also won the International Pairs UK title in 2001, looked like facing a battle on their hands as nerves started to get to them in the 36-hole event – which is played off threequarters handicaps.
But Ashcroft rolled in a five-foot putt for birdie at the ninth hole and they never looked back after that to record a comfortable win – and follow up English duo Shaun Smith and Simon Deaves’ victory in the event in 2007.
Twomey, who plays off 11, said: “We thought we had a really good chance of winning but we just couldn’t live with them. They played some incredible golf and fully deserved their victory.”
Graves and Ashcroft’s triumph brought to an end three memorable days of action and events at the fifth International Pairs World Final – which is run in association with VisitScotland.
Competitors from countries including America, South Africa, Malaysia, Singapore, Iceland and Nigeria paraded across the historic links of the Old Course to St Andrews Town Hall led by the City of St Andrews Pipe Band as part of a spectacular opening ceremony which also involved schoolchildren from across the Fife region.
The action then switched to The Duke’s where players received a fierce examination of their golfing skills on the course, which has undergone an extensive series of changes over the last two years.
Measuring 7,500 yards off the back tees, the majority of the bunkers have been remodelled while the addition of new tees, heather, gorse and trees and the re-design of the closing stretch of holes makes the heathland championship layout one of the ‘must play‘ courses.
Ross Honey, founder and chairman of International Pairs, said: “There can be few finer settings for a world final than the Home of Golf itself and St Andrews provided the perfect stage for what was an incredible few days for everybody involved.
“Deen and Martyn played some wonderful golf to be crowned worthy winners, but they were pushed all the way and it never ceases to amaze me the standard of golf that is produced under extreme pressure.
“International Pairs continues to grow as a global brand, the competition is going from strength to strength and we’re looking forward to forging ahead over the next 12 months and welcoming even more countries on board.”
To find out more details about International Pairs or to register a club, please call 01489 878509, or e-mail info@internationalpairs.com. Alternatively, visit the Pairs’ website at http://www.internationalpairs.com/.
2008 INTERNATIONAL PAIRS WORLD FINAL RESULT.
Graves/Ashcroft (Eng) – 88 points
Maxwell/Brown (Sco) – 81 points
Twomey Kearney (Ire) – 79 points
PAIRS CHAMPIONS AT HOME OF GOLF
PRESS RELEASE
Devon duo Deen Graves and Martyn Ashcroft added the world title to their UK crown in emphatic style after storming to victory at the 2008 International Pairs World Final at the Home of Golf.
Graves and Ashcroft, from Teignmouth Golf Club near Torquay, shot impressive back-to-back rounds of 44 Stableford points at The Duke’s, St Andrews, to overwhelm the 34-team international field in Scotland and win by seven points.
Scottish champions John Maxwell and Stephen Brown briefly threatened their lead as they mounted a second-day charge on home soil.
But Graves and Ashcroft, who won the UK title at Carnoustie last year, raised their games to pull clear of their rivals and be crowned world champions in the largest competition of its kind for club golfers in the world, with the Scots forced to settle for second with 81 points and Irish pair Jerry Kearney and Matt Twomey third with 79 points.
Graves, who plays off 14, said: “It’s an incredible feeling to be crowned world champions and it will take a while to sink in.
“The Duke’s is a very tough course. We had a few problems during our practice round and actually ran out of balls at one stage, but we stuck to a plan and thankfully it paid off.
“We dovetailed perfectly and were able to help each other out when we found trouble, while the fact that I’m right-handed and Martyn is left-handed seemed to suit our style of play on a lot of the holes.”
Graves and 19-handicapper Ashcroft began the second day with a three-point lead over Kearney and Twomey, with Bonnybridge duo Maxwell and Brown a further point adrift, in the global event – which featured competitors from 24 different countries.
The winners, who also won the International Pairs UK title in 2001, looked like facing a battle on their hands as nerves started to get to them in the 36-hole event – which is played off threequarters handicaps.
But Ashcroft rolled in a five-foot putt for birdie at the ninth hole and they never looked back after that to record a comfortable win – and follow up English duo Shaun Smith and Simon Deaves’ victory in the event in 2007.
Twomey, who plays off 11, said: “We thought we had a really good chance of winning but we just couldn’t live with them. They played some incredible golf and fully deserved their victory.”
Graves and Ashcroft’s triumph brought to an end three memorable days of action and events at the fifth International Pairs World Final – which is run in association with VisitScotland.
Competitors from countries including America, South Africa, Malaysia, Singapore, Iceland and Nigeria paraded across the historic links of the Old Course to St Andrews Town Hall led by the City of St Andrews Pipe Band as part of a spectacular opening ceremony which also involved schoolchildren from across the Fife region.
The action then switched to The Duke’s where players received a fierce examination of their golfing skills on the course, which has undergone an extensive series of changes over the last two years.
Measuring 7,500 yards off the back tees, the majority of the bunkers have been remodelled while the addition of new tees, heather, gorse and trees and the re-design of the closing stretch of holes makes the heathland championship layout one of the ‘must play‘ courses.
Ross Honey, founder and chairman of International Pairs, said: “There can be few finer settings for a world final than the Home of Golf itself and St Andrews provided the perfect stage for what was an incredible few days for everybody involved.
“Deen and Martyn played some wonderful golf to be crowned worthy winners, but they were pushed all the way and it never ceases to amaze me the standard of golf that is produced under extreme pressure.
“International Pairs continues to grow as a global brand, the competition is going from strength to strength and we’re looking forward to forging ahead over the next 12 months and welcoming even more countries on board.”
To find out more details about International Pairs or to register a club, please call 01489 878509, or e-mail info@internationalpairs.com. Alternatively, visit the Pairs’ website at http://www.internationalpairs.com/.
2008 INTERNATIONAL PAIRS WORLD FINAL RESULT.
Graves/Ashcroft (Eng) – 88 points
Maxwell/Brown (Sco) – 81 points
Twomey Kearney (Ire) – 79 points
Labels: Amateur Ladies, Amateur Men
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Wednesday, September 24, 2008
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