Golf: Nigel’s on a Bon voyage as Europe reign in Spain

May 1 2008 by Anthony Woolford, South Wales Echo

HE helped Europe reign in Spain, keeping the Bonallack Trophy on the continent for another two years.

But Whitchurch’s Nigel Edwards wasn’t entirely happy with his weekend’s work against Asia-Pacific at Valderrama.

For the 39-year-old double Walker Cup winner could only muster one-and-a-half points from a possible five for the European cause on the Costa del Sol.

Even so, Europe chalked up a comprehensive 20-12 victory over the course which staged the 1997 Ryder Cup and hosts the European Tour’s traditional end of season Volvo Masters event.

“It was a good team win, but personally one-and-a-half points from five was a bit disappointing,” said Edwards, whose fourth consecutive appearance in the Trophy equalled Gary Wolstenholme’s record haul.

“The Bonallack Trophy is always a great occasion, and to play it at Valderrama was just fantastic.

“It really is a great honour to play for Europe and all the games I was involved in were close-run affairs.

“We played a Korean pairing and were four under-par after 17 holes and lost 2&1 as they were seven under,” said Edwards, right.

“We beat the Australians, but in the singles I was disappointed with the way I played.

“But ultimately the team did the business and that’s what matters most.”

Edwards was in the team in Japan eight years ago and subsequently played in Rome and New Zealand.

Victory last weekend takes Europe’s tally to four, with two events won by the Asia-Pacific team.

Edwards went into the event bang in form, finishing runner-up in the South Africa Matchplay Championship before three weeks ago winning the Duncan Putter tournament for the third time since 2000.

He paired up with Irishman Shane Lowry on the first day foursomes to earn half a point against Thailand’s Varut Chonchalam and Anthony Fernando of the Philippines.

In the afternoon fourballs he was out with Lowry again and went down to a one-hole defeat against Australian duo Rohan Blizzard and Tim Steward.

Day two opened up with Edwards and Lowry losing out to the red-hot Korean pairing of Bi-O Kim and Yeong-Su Kim in the fourballs before getting their revenge over the Aussies, winning a second clash with the men from Down Under by one hole in the foursomes.

In the singles, Edwards was 11th man out from the 12-strong European team, featuring world number one England’s Danny Willett. But the victory was already in the bag long before Edwards’ 2&1 loss to Ming-Chuan Chen, of Taipei, was rubber-stamped.

The Bonallack Trophy is traditionally a closely-fought affair, but Europe’s 20-12 victory is one of the biggest margins in the event’s 10-year history.

WITH Edwards engaged in action down in sunny Spain, a major obstacle was out of the way for Ben Westgate to stroll to victory in the Trubshaw Cup with an impressive display over the Tenby and Ashburnham links.

The Trevose-based Welsh international finished runner-up in both the Tenby Golden Eagle and the Carmarthenshire Open Championship which paved the way for victory for the 72 holes.

Westgate recorded an aggregate of 277, comprising of rounds of 71 and 67 at Tenby and 69 and 70 at Ashburnham, for a six-stroke victory over Zac Gould.

Vale of Glamorgan-based Gould won the Eagle with a 137 total consisting of rounds of 69 and 68, while Glamorgan Order of Merit holder James Frazer captured the Carmarthenshire title.

The next Pinnacle Order of Merit event is the three-day Lytham Trophy at the Royal Lytham course, starting tomorrow.

Order of Merit: 1 Nigel Edwards (Whitchurch) 225pts; 2 Ben Westgate (Trevose) 191.5pts; 3 Ben Enoch (Truro) 89pts; 4 Oliver Farr (Ludlow), James Frazer (Pennard) 52.5pts; 6 Nick James (Wenvoe Castle) 38; 7 Joe Vickery (Newport) 33; 8 Rhys Pugh (Vale), Stephen Whitty (Dewstow), Jonathan Bale (Royal Porthcawl) 24.5; 11 Tim Hayward (Woodlake Park) 21; 12 Jack Guerreiro (Tenby), Luke Thomas (Vale) 18.5; 14 Stuart Runcie (Abergele), Richard Hooper (Neath), Rhodri Harston (Felixstowe Ferry) 16; 17 Richard Scott (Haverfordwest) 14.

anthony.woolford@mediawales.co.uk