Golf - Mark is tops in county - Still _ UPDATE
- Fri 30th Jul 2004
29/7/2004
Mark Thistleton (Hayling) beat S Tiley (Royal Cinque Ports) by 2 holes
28/7/2004
R Luke ((Wynyard) lost to M Thistleton (Hayling) 7 and 5 -
27/7/2004
Mark Thistleton (Hayling Golf Club) beat C McLaughlin (Royal Jersey) 2 & 1 in the Amateur Golf Championship.
HAYLING star Mark Thistleton has capped a superb year by becoming the top amateur in Hampshire.
The 22-year-old started the year without being guaranteed a place in the county team. But he’s now the undisputed number one after a stunning victory at North Hants.
The most prestigious tournament on the Hampshire amateur calendar is a tough one to win.
First there is a strokeplay competition to qualify for the matchplay stages, and Mark finished joint top of that. Then it was down to the matchplay – a format that he has always enjoyed and excelled at.
He said: ‘I qualified well and I was hitting the ball very nicely – I wasn’t holing anything spectacularly on the greens, but I wasn’t making too many mistakes.
‘I made a good start by beating Dave Lovegrove of Dummer 5 & 4 and then had to play Tim Markwick, who is a county player. That ended up being a really tough game. It went all the way to the last green, when Tim missed a putt from 4ft and I managed to get mine in to reach the semi-finals.’
That pitted Mark against Ryan Henley, one of the best players on the county amateur circuit. Officials felt the clash would have made a good final – and they were right.
Mark – who had his dad as his caddy for the day – went three up with six to play but back came Henley to level. And it went again all the way to the 18th.
‘Ryan put his shot into a bunker and made five, and I had two putts from long distance to win the match,’ said Mark,
‘I have to admit that my hands were shaking when I stood over my first putt. I can never remember being so nervous on the golf course in my life.’
In comparison, the final was an anti-climax for the 50 people or so who followed the match, as he powered to a 5 & 4 win over Stoneham teenager Mark Bicknell.
Mark said: ‘If everything goes to plan, I could turn professional in the summer of 2006. The championship will be staged at Hayling in two years – and I’m definitely staying an amateur to play in that one.’
By forum user, Bruce_Bennett
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