Gwent Junior Pro-Am - Dewstow (1st October 2006)
On Sunday 1st October 2006, a celebration day was held at Dewstow Golf Club to reward the youngsters who have performed for the county junior sides or county organised competitions throughout the season.
A ranking system was introduced to identify the chosen participants where points were allocated throughout the season depending on results for club matches, county matches, county competitions, South Wales Boys and Welsh Boys matches and competitions. The top 30 from the ranking system were invited with a couple of local reserves from Dewstow called in at the last moment.
A number of local professionals were also invited and these included Steve Truman (Dewstow), Steve Price (Llanwern), Paul Mayo and Paul Harris (Newport), Kevin Carpenter (Celtic Manor), Craig Smith (St. Mellons) and Paul Collins (St. Pierre).
The event was in danger of being called off due to the thunder and lightening storms in the vicinity during the morning with the course taking heavy downpours of rain but fortunately these passed and the day was blessed with sunshine.

The day started with Kevin Carpenter (Celtic Manor) performing his Trick-Shot Show which he has performed at the Celtic Manor at various high profile events inluding the Wales Open and the All-Star Cup. A big audience attended the show which took place on the Driving Range. A couple of the younger juniors including Toby Hunt (St. Mellons) and Alex Price (Newport) were invited to have a go - it isn't easy boys!

Kevin Carpenter - Trick-Shot Demonstration
(Click on image for larger picture)
Trick-Shot Show
Kevin Carpenter
(Celtic Manor)
hitting balls off different heights!
Trick-Shot Show
Kevin Carpenter
(Celtic Manor)
blasts one down the range!
Trick-Shot Show
Kevin Carpenter
(Celtic Manor)
explaining body angles!
Trick-Shot Show
Toby Hunt
(St. Mellons)
it ain't easy!
Trick-Shot Show
Kevin Carpenter
(Celtic Manor)
one hand - no problem!
The Pro-Am was held on the Valley course with 40 players representing 14 different clubs throughout Gwent. The junior players were allocated their professionals by draw and were grouped depending on their ranking position.
  • Group 1 included PGA Professional Steve Truman (Dewstow), along with Gwent Under 14 player Andrew Harris (Dewstow), Gwent Under 18 player Josh Channing (Parc) and Tom Whitcombe (Pontnewydd).
  • Group 2 included Welsh Boys Champion Richard Merchant (Monmouthshire), Champion of Champions winner James Zanotti (Llanwern), a current Gwent Under 16/18 player and Welsh Squad member, local boy Rhys Briscoe (Dewstow) and Gwent Under 14 player Toby Hunt (St. Mellons).
  • Group 3 included former British Amateur Champion and European Tour professional, Paul Mayo (Newport), Welsh Boys International and Gwent Under 16 Captain, Richard Bentham (Celtic Manor), Gwent Under 14 players David Morgan (Pontnewydd) and Julian Sansom (Greenmeadow).
  • Group 4 included PGA Teaching and Touring Professional Paul Collins (St. Pierre), a former Dewstow Junior Club Champion, Gwent Golf Union Academy player Robert Baggett (St. Mellons), Gwent Under 18 player Chris Pritchard (Newport) and Gwent Under 16 player Michael Griffiths (Dewstow).
  • Group 5 included EuroPro Touring Professional Craig Smith (St. Mellons), Gwent Under 14 Captain Daniel Gizzi (Newport),Gwent Golf Union Academy team member Matthew Morgan (Pontnewydd), and local junior Wil Morgan (Dewstow).
  • Group 6 included PGA Professional Steve Price (Llanwern), Gwent Under 16 and Welsh Under 16 Squad member Liam Eley (St. Mellons), Gwent Under 18 player and Gwent Strokeplay Champion Kieron Davies (Peterstone Lakes) and Gwent Under 14 player Robert Smith (Parc).
  • Group 7 included PGA Head Professional Kevin Carpenter (Celtic Manor), Gwent Under 16 Chris Cox (Peterstone Lakes), Gwent Under 14 member Luke Ralph (Wernddu) and Gwent Under 16/18 team player Anthony Cadwallader (West Monmouthshire).
  • Group 8 included PGA Professional Paul Harris (Newport),Dewstow Club Champion and Gwent Under 16 player Luke Sandford (Dewstow), Woodlake Park Junior Club Champion Gary Owen (Woodlake Park) and Gwent Under 18 player Ian Llewellyn-Rowe (St. Pierre).
  • Group 9 included Gwent Under 18 player Daniel Udry (Peterstone Lakes), Gwent Under 14 member Jonathan Orum (Dewstow), Gwent Divison 2 Champion Alex Price (Newport) and Welsh Under 12 Squad member Otto Mand (Dewstow).
  • Group 10 included Welsh Boys International Joe Vickery (Newport), Welsh Under 16 squad member Tom Vickery (Newport), Dewstow Junior Champion Robert Hardean (Dewstow) and Gwent Under 16/18 player Gareth Dalgleish (Raglan Parc).
Gwent Junior Pro-Am - Group pictures
(Click on image for larger picture)
Group 1
Andrew Harris (Dewstow)
Steve Truman (Dewstow)
Josh Channing (Parc)
Tom Whitcombe (Pontnewydd)
Group 2
Richard Merchant (Monm'shire)
James Zanotti (Llanwern)
Rhys Briscoe (Dewstow)
Toby Hunt (St. Mellons)
Group 3
Richard Bentham (Celtic Manor)
Paul Mayo (Newport)
David Morgan (Pontnewydd)
Julian Sansom (Greenmeadow)
Group 4
Robert Baggett (St. Mellons)
Chris Pritchard (Newport)
Michael Griffiths (Dewstow)
Paul Collins (St. Pierre)
Group 5
Daniel Gizzi (Newport)
Matthew Morgan (Pontnewydd)
Craig Smith (St. Mellons)
Wil Morgan (Dewstow)
Group 6
Liam Eley (St. Mellons)
Kieron Davies (Peterstone)
Steve Price (Llanwern)
Robert Smith (Parc)
Group 7
Chris Cox (Peterstone)
Luke Ralph (Wernddu)
Kevin Carpenter (Celtic Manor)
Anthony Cadwallader (W.Mon)
Group 8
Gary Owen (Woodlake)
Ian Llewellyn-R. (St. Pierre)
Paul Harris (Newport)
Luke Sandford (Dewstow)
Group 9
Jonathan Orum (Dewstow)
Daniel Udry (Peterstone)
Alex Price (Llanwern)
Otto Mand (Dewstow)
Group 10
Robert Hardean (Dewstow)
Gareth Dalgleish (Raglan Parc)
Joe Vickery (Newport)
Tom Vickery (Newport)
Gwent Junior Pro-Am - Action pictures
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Action
Tom Whitcombe
(Pontnewydd)
gets the action underway
off the first tee!
Action
Richard Merchant
(Monmouthshire)
Welsh Boys Champion
tees off the first!
Action
Craig Smith
(St. Mellons)
EuroPro Tour professional
in action!
Action
Gareth Dalgleish (Raglan Parc)
Robert Hardean (Dewstow)
Joe Vickery (Newport)
Tom Vickery (Newport)
Action
Richard Bentham
(Celtic Manor)
Gwent Under 16s Captain
Welsh Boys International
Action
Steve Truman (Dewstow)
PGA Golf Professional
Josh Channing (Parc)
looking on!
Action
Rhys Briscoe (Dewstow)
James Zanotti (Llanwern)
Toby Hunt (St. Mellons)
anticipating their next shots!
Action
Otto Mand (Dewstow)
showing off his short game skills
with Alex Price (Newport)
admiring!
Action
Liam Eley
(Newport)
Welsh Under 16 Squad member
putting out!
Action
Steve Price (Llanwern)
PGA Golf Professional
Liam Eley (Newport)
holding the flag!
The final part of the day was held in the restaurant at Dewstow Golf Club where dinner was served to all the players and invited guests which included special guest, Brian Davies (Golf Development Wales), Nigel Collins (Chairman Gwent Golf Union), Roger Floyd (Vice-Chairman Gwent Golf Union), Graham Harris (Boys Secretary), Brian Waters (Dewstow Club Captain), and members of the Junior Committee.

After the meal, an awards presentation was held with Tony Griffiths (GGU Under 14/16 Organiser) welcomed everybody to the celebration and introduced the guests to the audience.
Master of Ceremonies, Kevin Eley (GGU Under 14/16 Organiser) gave the audience a review of the season for the Under 14 and Under 16 teams and thanked in particular Richard Bentham and Daniel Gizzi for their outstanding contributions as Under 16 and Under 14 captain's respectively. Kevin also announced that the in-coming captain's for 2007 will be Daniel Gizzi (Under 16) and Toby Hunt (Under 14).

Brian Waters then presented the prizes for the Junior Pro-Am which went to:

  • Best Team - Paul Harris (Newport), Luke Sandford (Dewstow), Ian Llewellyn-Rowe (St. Pierre) and Gary Owen (Woodlake Park).
  • 1st Junior - Rhys Briscoe (Dewstow) 36 points
  • 2nd Junior - Gary Owen (Woodlake Park) 35 points
  • 3rd Junior - Matthew Morgan (Pontnewydd) 32 points
  • Nearest the Pin (Juniors) - Liam Eley (Newport)

A review of the season was given by Graham Harris which saw some outstanding results for Gwent juniors including:

  • Central Wales Boys Championship - 2nd - Richard Merchant (Monmouthshire)
  • South Wales Boys Spring Medal - Best Gross - James Zanotti (Llanwern) and Best Net - Michael Griffiths (Dewstow)
  • Gwent Under 14 Championship - Best Gross - Daniel Gizzi (Newport) and Best Net - Alex Price (Newport)
  • North Wales Boys Open - 3rd - Joe Vickery (Newport)
  • Welsh Youth Championship - 2nd - Joe Vickery (Newport) and course record at Monmouthshire
  • South Wales Boys Matchplay Championship - 1st - Tom Phillips (St. Mellons)
  • Gwent 36 Hole Strokeplay Championship - 1st - Kieron Davies (Peterstone Lakes)
  • Welsh Boys Strokeplay Championship - 1st - Richard Merchant (Monmouthshire)
  • Welsh Boys Matchplay Championship - 1st - Richard Merchant (Monmouthshire)
  • Welsh Boys Under 15 Championship - Best Net - David Wham (Monmouth)
  • Gwent Matchplay Championship - 1st - James Zanotti (Llanwern)
  • Champion of Champions - 1st - James Zanotti (Llanwern)
  • Gwent Division 1 Order of Merit - 1st - James Zanotti (Llanwern)
  • Gwent Division 2 Order of Merit - 1st - Alex Price (Newport)
  • Gwent Division 3 Order of Merit - 1st - Daniel Webb (Dewstow)

Following a brief talk from Brian Davies congratulating Gwent on the efforts that the juniors, professionals and the organisers are putting-in and the rewards that are now being won, hoping that other counties follow our initiatives which will only be in the best interests of Welsh golf going forward.

Tony Griffiths announced the main awards of the evening which included:

  • Gwent Junior Club of the Year
    1. Dewstow
    2. Newport
    3. Parc
  • Gwent Under 14 Player of the Year
    1. Julian Sansom (Greenmeadow)
    2. Daniel Gizzi (Newport)
    3. James Flower (Dewstow)
  • Gwent Under 16 Player of the Year
    1. James Zanotti (Llanwern)
    2. Richard Bentham (Celtic Manor)
    3. Anthony Cadwallader (West Monmouthshire)
  • Gwent Under 18 Player of the Year
    1. Tom Phillips (St. Mellons)
    2. Joe Vickery (Newport)
    3. Kieron Davies (Peterstone Lakes)
  • Gwent Player of the Year 2006
    1. Richard Merchant (Monmouthshire)

The day was concluded with a round-up of the days events by Roger Floyd who thanked the organisers of the event and Dewstow Golf Club for hosting the day and hoped that it would become a permanent fixture in the County calendar.

Gwent Junior Pro-Am - Presentation pictures
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Presentation
Winning Team
Llewellyn, Sandford,
Harris, Owen
Presentation
Nearest the Pin
Liam Eley
(St. Mellons)
Presentation
Best Individual
Rhys Briscoe
(Dewstow)
Presentation
Gwent Junior Club of the Year
Dewstow
Michael Griffiths (Vice-Captain)
Presentation
Gwent Division 1 Champion
James Zanotti
(Llanwern)
Presentation
Gwent Division 2 Champion
Alex Price
(Llanwern)
Presentation
Best U14 Player 2006
Julian Sansom
(Greenmeadow)
Presentation
Best U16 Player 2006
James Zanotti
(Llanwern)
Presentation
Best U18 Player 2006
Tom Phillips (St. Mellons)
Toby Hunt receiving
Presentation
Gwent Player of the Year
Richard Merchant (Monm'shire)
Anthony Cadwallader receiving
The Gwent Golf Union would just like to say thank-you to the people who made this day possible and enjoyable; Dewstow Golf Club, Brian Waters, Tony Griffiths, Kevin Eley, Graham Harris, Martin Hardean, Kevin Morgan, Kevin Carpenter, Steve Truman, Paul Collins, Paul Harris, Paul Mayo, Craig Smith, Steve Price and all the Juniors and guests.