Garnett on Golf: Ipswich teenager Islam enjoying good start to the season

SECKFORD WINNERS: Liam ODonovan (left) and Steve Brown who won the Suffolk Winter Alliance prize on their home course. Photograph: CONTRIBUTED (Image: Archant)

He finished joint 19th in a field of 120 in the 89th Portuguese Amateur Championship at Montado Golf Club near Lisbon last week.

Almost the entire field held a handicap of plus two or better. Suffolk’s James Biggs and Monty Scowsill were on a reserve list and disappointed to not to have a start.

All three Suffolk players are on the reserve list for the Spanish Amateur Championship at Las Colinas next week with Biggs having the best chance of a start. He is 12th in the list, Habebul is 25th and Scowsill 26th.

Habebul started at Montado with a round of one under par 71 which included a dropped shot at a par five which he birdied the following day.

His second round of 73 was spoiled by four-putting the 12th hole. On the next hole he holed his bunker shot for a birdie.

On the third day a round of 69 ensured that he was safely into the 46 who made the cut for the final round.

Habebul finished level with Jake Bolton who has been named in this year’s men’s England B squad.

Players against whom Suffolk have played in the Anglian League are named in this year’s England squads.

Ben Jones (Northants) is in the main squad while Sam Done (Lincolnshire) and Callum Farr (Northants) are in the A squad. Four round scores from Montado are in brackets.

England: Jake Burnage (Devon),

Bailey Gill (280) and David Hague (Yorkshire), Ben Jones (Northants), Billy McKenzie (Hampshire), Tom Plumb and Tom Sloman (Somerset).

England A: Jake Bolton (Wiltshire) (286), Sam Done (Lincolnshire) (283), Callum Farr (Northants), Harry Goddard (Herts) (283), Ben Hutchinson (Yorkshire), David Langley (BB&O), Joe Long (Gloucester).

- Seckford members Liam O’Donovan and Steve Brown made full use of course knowledge to win the Suffolk Winter Alliance meeting on their home course with a better ball score of 46 Stableford points.

The runner-up spot was settled on count back. Two pairs had 43 points but Bob Filer and Terry Mitchell of Stoke by Nayland had 22 on their back nine while Brett Vale’s Gareth Morgan and Steve Carr had 21.

Stowmarket’s Sam Forgan won the professional prize with a round of five over par 71. His only rival, Luke Tyler of Bramford, had a no return.

A field of 64 players enjoyed pleasant sunny weather. It was warm for the time of year with only a hint of a breeze.

The next Alliance meeting will be a better ball for the Millennium Cup at Diss on Sunday

Other scores

40: P Sandfield and T Carman, G Vandervord and I McKay, L and J Hastie, P Bartlett and S Rex, B Paton and P Garnett.

39: Lyn Fish and A Fish, A Hammond and N Spong, R Spong and G Clemson, D Simpkin and G Borthwick, M Milner and R Holmes, J Mair and M Firmin, I Benson and T Warren, G Davis and C Ward.

38: M Baxter and J Partridge, P Lockwood and S Lockwood.

37: S Forgan and G Evans, J Williams and R Davies, D Roope and T Daniels, L Tyler and S Read, I Smith and D Brace.

36: R Walters and P Samain, M Mansfield and T Lyons, P Nuttall and G Holland, J Wiseman and S Piotrowski, J Snow and S Lythell.

34: J Paterson and R Brazier, A Austin and A Brown.

33: M White and C Bradnam.

32: J Gilham and K Stuart.

- Suffolk PGA champion Richard Beadles is leaving Royal Worlington Golf Club to become owner of Brampton Park Golf Club.

Beadles, a leading player in Suffolk for the past decade, will be installed at his new club by the time Suffolk meet Cambridgeshire on his course in the Anglian League on July 7.

Beadles, an advanced PGA professional, coached Cambridge University to victory over Oxford in the varsity match at Royal Porthcawl last year.

Royal Worlington will start interviewing applicants for the job at the start of next month.

The club was founded in 1893 and has featured amongst the most highly-rated in the country over many years. Course manager Jonathan Kitchen has the greens back to their very best.

Dr M B Morrison has written “The Origin of the Sacred Nine” to mark the 125th anniversary. It includes a photo of Queen Victoria in the club house. The book costs £20 plus postage. Contact secretary Scott Ballentine if interested.