2003 British Open

September 14, 2003

Nearby Sandwich may have hosted the Open golf Championship earlier in the year, but Clambers in Hastings was again the venue for crazy golf’s equivalent, the British Open International Minigolf tournament.

The 56-strong field included players of all ages and abilities, from those new to competitive minigolf through to leading professional players from Austria, Italy and the Czech Republic. In the UK, minigolf has been seen as purely a leisure activity – the competitive sport is still very much in its infancy. No British player had ever won the Open, although two Hastings players – Tim Davies and John McIver – were tipped to lead a strong home challenge this year.

British number one Davies certainly looked on form. A faultless second round of 32 – six under par – lifted him to the top of the overnight leaderboard ahead of Germany’s Christian Zimmermann and Ernst Hubner of Austria. McIver was ten shots off the pace, but remained upbeat: “I still believe I can qualify for the Super Final,” he said after a frustrating round. “It’s all about focus and self-belief.”

True to his word, McIver looked a different player when the competition resumed on Sunday morning. Relishing the chance to showcase his skills in front of the television cameras, he rattled in five aces in a row. Further holes-in-one at the 16th and 17th brought him home in a sensational 29, a new national record for Clambers adventure golf.

But McIver’s record was to stand for less than twenty minutes, for out on the course Davies was also playing the round of his life. His mesmerising 28 included an ace at every other hole and a two at the par-three 15th. Zimmermann and Hubner, playing in the same group, could only look on in awe.

Though McIver’s 29 was enough to earn him a place in the Super Final, his uninspiring first day – coupled with Davies’ sensational performance – had left him too far adrift to challenge for the Title. He eventually settled for third ahead of Thomas Zeininger, a former Open Champion and pre-tournament favourite.

Davies began the final round with a five-shot cushion over 20-year-old Zimmermann, his only realistic challenger. But he looked the more nervous of the players at the start of the round and dropped two shots over the opening three holes. Aces at the downhill 2nd and 6th repaired the damage, as Zimmermann’s ace attempts for ace stopped on the edge of the cup at holes 7, 8 and 9.

The turning point came on the 11th hole. Zimmermann’s luck finally turned as he struck his first ace of the round. Davies, playing after the German, slumped to an uncharacteristic three. At the 15th, again it was Davies who felt the pressure. He did well to escape with a par three after his tee-shot missed the bridge and ended up in the stream.

After Zimmermann fired another ace at the 17th, the Hastings player’s ball cannoned off the wall at an awkward angle, leaving him a near impossible putt for two. It meant that a one at the last would guarantee Zimmermann victory. Davies breathed again when the German’s putt shaved the cup, but he knew he still had to make a hole-in-one to force his way into a play-off. To the delight of the partisan crowd, his putt was perfect in weight and line; and dropped sweetly into the cup. In a show of sportsmanship, Zimmermann was the first to congratulate Davies on making the pressure putt.

In the sudden death play-off both players made two at the first hole. At the second, Davies’ ball came to an agonising standstill against the rock. When he failed to hole out from there, he knew it was over. Christian Zimmermann played a sensible first shot and tapped in for what he later described as the most important win of his career.

Davies was left to rue his missed putt at the 11th. “I let the pressure get to me in the Final round,” he said. “I know I did well, but I’m disappointed because I should have won.”

Others were not so harsh. “Tim averaged under 33 shots per round,” said Peter Parr, Chairman of the British Minigolf Association. “His round of 28 took UK minigolf to a new level. He should be proud of his performance at Clambers this weekend.”

Local players also fared well in the British Women’s Championship. Ruth Bullin pipped fellow Hastings player Vicky Sweeting to the title, although neither was able to match minigolf prodigy Olivia Prokopova. The eight-year-old carded a three-under-par 35 in her final round to finish thirteenth of the 56 players overall. Robert Smith of St Leonards was the leading British junior breaking the junior course record with a 38 in the final round.

Davies’ next big challenge will come on 18-19 October, when the seafront courses will host the inaugural World Crazy Golf Championship. Local players, including beginners, are welcome to take part.

Words: Peter Parr

		*Rd.1*	*Rd.2*	*Rd.3*	*Rd.4*	*Final*	*Total*	*Average*
1	Christian Zimmermann** (GER)	31	35	34	30	34	164	32.80
2	Tim Davies	32	32	28*	33	39	164	32.80
3	John McIver	37	37	29	33	34	170	34.00
4	Thomas Zeininger (AUT)	38	35	32	33	34	172	34.40
5	Ernst Hόbner (AUT)	37	31	35	35	36	174	34.80
6	Marco Del Bianco (ITA)	40	35	32	33		140	35.00
7	Mr Michael Webb	33	35	37	35		140	35.00
8	Antonio Dibernardi (ITA)	34	37	34	35		140	35.00
9	Philip Busche (GER)	37	34	36	34		141	35.25
10	Jon Angel	34	38	37	35		144	36.00
11	Carlo Consoni (ITA)	40	34	37	35		146	36.50
12	Peter Parr	39	38	36	38		151	37.75
13	Olivia Prokopovα (CZE)	44	38	37	35		154	38.50
14	Andrι Kuhn (GER)	41	40	35	38		154	38.50
15	Lionel Bender	40	42	33	42		157	39.25
16	Graham Southern	39	43	36	40		158	39.50
17	Michael Conneely	41	41	42	41		165	41.25
18	Matthew Blake	46	42	43	37		168	42.00
19	Lyndon Hogg (NZ)	43	44	44	37		168	42.00
20	Jonathan Oakes	43	45	37	44		169	42.25
21	Simon Garry	44	43	43	39		169	42.25
22	Robert Smith	40	47	47	38		172	43.00
23	Andrew Raeburn	41	45	44	42		172	43.00
24	James Baker	45	43	48	45		181	45.25
25	Tom Restell	43	41	49	w/d		133	44.33
26	William Eagar	39	41	w/d	w/d		80	40.00
27	Will Knight	40	42	w/d	w/d		82	41.00
28	Ralph Harris	42	45	w/d	w/d		87	43.50
29	Nigel Keal	41	48				89	44.50
30	Paul Moore	46	43				89	44.50
31	Stephen Garton	46	44				90	45.00
32	Steve Wilson	45	46				91	45.50
33	Tom Tribe	45	47				92	46.00
34	Ruth Bullin***	42	51				93	46.50
35	Kushal Patel	52	42				94	47.00
36	Rolf Niven	50	44				94	47.00
37	Steven Garside	50	44				94	47.00
38	Tim Earl	48	46				94	47.00
39	Ian Sleight	46	48				94	47.00
40	Paul Tribe	46	48				94	47.00
41	Steve Court	46	48				94	47.00
42	Etienne Bender	47	48				95	47.50
43	Vicky Sweeting	46	49				95	47.50
44	Russell Dent	46	49				95	47.50
45	Roy Harper	49	48				97	48.50
46	Chris Parnell	49	48				97	48.50
47	Bill Bullin	46	52				98	49.00
48	David Webb	50	49				99	49.50
49	David Baker	54	47				101	50.50
50	Stephen Gow	51	50				101	50.50
51	Sally Weddell	58	44				102	51.00
52	Katherine Oakes	55	47				102	51.00
53	Austin Marshall	53	49				102	51.00
54	Helen Blake	49	54				103	51.50
55	Chris Raeburn	52	54				106	53.00
56	Lucy Cunningham	63	60				123	61.50

**Christian Zimmermann won the play-off at the second extra hole

* New BMGA and course record, which was held for 20 minutes by John McIver

Both Tim Davies and John McIver recorded nine aces in their rounds of 28 and 29 respectively.

*** Ruth Bullin is the first official British Womens Champion

Scoring Blue Sub 30 Green 31-34 Red 35-39 Black 40+

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