Over the weekend of October 11th and 12th, Seacourt hosted the annual Dougie Sharp Cup, featuring a total of 10 players aged over 50 competing with handicaps. In the Saturday group, which included some stronger handicap players, Mark McMurrugh and Patrick Lewis fought hard in their matches. However, it was Matt Boulton and Simon Armstrong who successfully advanced from the group.
On Sunday morning, Group 2 consisted of Rosie Law, Nick Atkins, and Vince Dobbin. Rosie played well but couldn’t overcome the aggressive strategies of Vince and Nick. Ultimately, Vince defeated Nick with a score of 8/5 to win the group. Group 3 featured Simon Flynn, Graham Law, and Neale Turner. This group also showcased some closely contested matches, but it was Neale’s consistency that allowed him to progress.
At the semi-final stage, the first match had Matt Boulton facing Vince Dobbin. Despite the handicap disadvantage, Matt won the first game, but Vince ultimately defeated him 6/1. The second semi-final pitted Simon Armstrong against Neale Turner in a much closer match, with the score tied at 3-all before Simon’s game plan paid off, leading him to a 6/3 victory.
In the final, both Simon and Vince were eager to compete. The match was played to 8 games, with Vince receiving a handicap of 30 to 15. Both players worked the court well and found their rhythm, leading to some great rallies. In the end, Simon emerged victorious, winning the match and the Dougie Sharp Cup with a score of 8/4.
Thank you to everyone who participated, and a special thank you to Amanda Sharp for her generous sponsorship of her father’s tournament and her kind words during the prize-giving ceremony.
Best regards, Andy Lyons
