Golf: Top awards for Brewerton and Matthews

Oct 26 2007

SOLHEIM Cup star Becky Brewerton was celebrating another top honour last night at the end of a fantastic season, while Walker Cup player Llewellyn Matthews also picked up an award as consolation for failing to make it to the professional ranks at the first attempt.

Brewerton was named the Towergate Professional Player of the Year at the Ryder Cup Wales gala dinner at the Vale of Glamorgan resort last night, while Matthews picked up the award as the amateur player of the year.

Conwy was named the golf club of the year and Monmouthshire ladies coach Neil Matthews was the Towergate GDW/ PGA coach of the year in the Golf Union of Wales awards.

Brewerton has had a historic season, becoming the first Welsh player to qualify for the European Solheim Cup team, as well as winning her first title on the Ladies European Tour at the Ladies English Open in July.

Matthew, a 23-year-old from Southerndown, forced his way into the Walker Cup team after winning the St Andrews Links Trophy with a record low aggregate in June, qualified for the Open at Carnoustie, retained his Order of Merit title and successfully defended his Welsh Amateur Championship in August at Royal St David’s.

Conwy Golf Club staged the Ryder Cup Wales Seniors Open this year, having held qualifying for The Open Championship at Royal Liverpool last year.

Membership and visitor numbers have increased and it was named the Golf Monthly Gold Award Winner for 2006 and 2007 and was voted the Golf Punk reader’s favourite course in Wales during 2006.

Matthews is the PGA professional at Pontypool Golf Club and is heavily involved in the Golf Foundation and Golf Development Wales Golf Roots Programme which involves taking golf into large urban areas.

Tourism Minister Rhodri Glyn Thomas, said, “These awards are a clear signal of the efforts to drive up standards in the lead-up to the Ryder Cup in 2010.”

John Jermine, chairman of Ryder Cup Wales, commented, “Winning the bid to host the Ryder Cup in 2010 is helping to establish Wales as an international golfing destination and we are already enjoying an increase of over 30 per cent in our golfing visitors.

“Our golfing reputation is greatly enhanced by our growing band of world class golfers and I am delighted to see four such marvellous winners.”