Top seniors aiming for home rule at Caldy

Oct 2 2007 by Harold Brough, Liverpool Daily Post

CALDY plays host this week to the leading seniors golfers from across the four home nations.

The Wirral course is staging the three-day Seniors Home Internationals, a major English Golf Union event that brings together teams from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

Staff have been busy throughout the last few days bringing the course to peak condition for the tournament, which starts today, following a practice day yesterday.

Caldy is in its centenary year and has, in the past few years, invested about £400,000 on additional drainage and the laying of six new greens to USPGA specifications to add further to the course’s quality.

Caldy’s secretary-manager, Gail Copple, said: “We are delighted to be hosting this event. We have hosted Cheshire Union events but as an EGU event this is the biggest event we have hosted in recent years.”

England have announced one new cap for their side.

Sam Smale (Royal St George’s) is the only new face.

The rest of the side is made up of the players who finished third in the European Seniors Championships in Slovenia – Douglas Arnold (Copthorne), David Lane (Goring and Streatley), Andrew Morrison (Appleby), Chris Reynolds (Littlestone), Roy Smethurst (Crewe) and Alan Squires (Oldham).

When selected the team filled the first seven places on the EGU’s Seniors Order of Merit, won this year by Lane.

Smale, 61, is a member of the highly successful Kent Squad that has dominated seniors golf in the south east and which has reached all three Seniors County Finals since its inception in 2005. A former club champion at Eastbourne and Northwood, Smale joined Royal St George’s over a decade ago and in the 2006 Brabazon Bowl carded 65, the lowest ever round by a member.

Smale is enjoying a successful season. He finished seventh in the English Seniors Championship at Enville and made the cut in the Seniors Open Amateur Championship in Nairn. He is also a long-standing competitor in the Grafton Morrish – he was in the winning team in 1976 – and the Halford Hewitt and he is the keeper of the Hewitt records.

Arnold, who has won three English Seniors Championships, has been an England regular since the Seniors Home Internationals started five years ago as well as the European Seniors Team Championships. He has also won several Sussex Seniors titles

Lane is another multiple seniors champion with one British, two Scottish and three English titles, the most recent in June at Enville, 10 years after his first. He has also played for England in every Seniors Home Internationals and European Seniors Team Championships.

Morrison earned a recall to the England team for the European Seniors this year, having played in the 2003 Seniors Home Internationals at Seaton Carew. He finished equal fifth in this year’s English Seniors and is a former Northern Counties Seniors Champion.

Reynolds, another member of the successful Kent Seniors side, made his England debut in last year’s Seniors Home Internationals in Dunbar. He also finished runner-up to Lane in this year’s English Seniors at Enville and fourth in the British Seniors Open Championship at Nairn.

Smethurst is another long-serving member of the England team at home and abroad. The Crewe man has an impressive record in seniors golf with one European, one British and four English titles not to mention a host of England caps and other domestic honours.

Squires, from Lancashire, has played in the past three Seniors Home Internationals as well as the past two European Seniors Team Championships, having finished in the top three in the past three English Seniors Championships.

England have been Home International champions on three occasions, in the inaugural year 2001, 2002 and 2004.

Wales include Bromborough’s Phil Jones in their side. He finished sixth in this year’s Welsh Seniors Championship at Aberdovey.

Defending champions Ireland include all six members of the victorious European Seniors team.

They are joined by Co. Louth’s Barry Reddan, winner of the Leinster Seniors title at Co Meath Golf Club.

British Seniors Champion and quarter finalist in the US Seniors, Arthur Pierse, is unavailable.

At Caldy the sides will play each other on a round robin basis, each match consisting of three foursomes and six singles, all over 18 holes.

Foursomes start at 8am, singles at 12.30. Admission is free.

ENGLAND: Douglas Arnold (Copthorne), David Lane (Goring and Streatley), Andrew Morrison (Appleby), Chris Reynolds (Littlestone), Sam Smale (Royal St George’s), Roy Smethurst (Crewe) and Alan Squires (Oldham).

WALES: Brian Cramb (Tenby); Basil Griffiths (Llanymynech); Phil Jones (Bromborough); Glyn Rees (Fleetwood); Michael Rooke (Llanymynech); Keith Stimpson (Wenvoe Castle); John Whitcutt (Burnham & Berrow)

IRELAND: Nigel Duke (Killiney); Tony Goode (Lucan); Maurice Kelly (Killeen); Seamus McParland (Greenore); Barry Reddan (Co. Louth); Val Smyth (Co. Louth); Hugh Smyth (Mourne)