16 Oct 2012 at 10:52 | Published by: Hans | Views: 16969 | News search

Michael Smith winner of the Planet Hastings Crazy Golf Club Open  (Photo by Richard Gottfried 2012)

BMGA News Report
Supplied by Richard Gottfried

Oxford’s Michael Smith retained his title in the twelfth edition of the Planet Hastings Crazy Golf Club Open competition played on all three seafront Miniature Golf Courses in Hastings.

Michael Smith won the three-round Planet Hastings Crazy Golf Club Open Championship on Sunday 14th October as 18-players competed over 54-holes of Adventure, Pirate and Crazy Golf in the twelfth-annual tournament. Smith, the British Number One player and member of the Kent Minigolf Club scored rounds of 36 (par) on the Adventure Golf, 31 (-5) on the Pirate Golf and 34 (-2) on the Crazy Golf course for a total of 101 (-7) to win the coveted Claret Jug for a second year in-a-row.

Two-time Planet Hastings Crazy Golf Club Open Champion Michael Smith said "I'm delighted to have won the 2012 Planet Hastings Open and to have defended the title I had won last year. As always, the Planet Hastings Open was the most enjoyable event of the year and special credit should go to Ted McIver for running the event with typical enthusiasm. The weather was great, as was the company of my fellow BMGA players and it was a fantastic day. Congratulations to Emily Gottfried on a fantastic second place. I look forward to returning to Hastings for the World Crazy Golf Championship later this month."

Luton’s Emily Gottfried was the tournament runner-up, with the Cambridgeshire Mini Golf Club player recording rounds of 44 (+8) on the Adventure Golf, a new personal best of 31 (-5) on the Pirate Golf and another personal best of 32 (-4) on the Crazy Golf course. James Rutherford of the Cambridgeshire Mini Golf Club finished in third-place on a total of 108 (par) after rounds of 42 (+6), 32 (-4) and 34 (-2).

The top novice player was Thame’s Craig Patterson finishing in tied fourth place alongside British Minigolf Association Tour Veteran Ruth Burke with a score of 110 (+2). David Bodycombe finished the tournament in 16th place with a three-round total of 133 (+25).

John ‘Big Top Ted’ McIver, Captain of the Planet Hastings Crazy Golf Club and tournament organiser said “The oldest Minigolf club in Great Britain has successfully hosted the twelfth Planet Hastings Open, the most popular Minigolf tournament in the country. British number one Michael Smith deservedly won and went home with the Claret Jug trophy and an armful of quirky prizes. It was a funderful wonderful day.”

The Planet Hastings Crazy Golf Club Open tournament is a unique event in the British Minigolf Association Tour calendar and offers players throughout the field an opportunity to compete for a wide-range of interesting prizes. All players scoring at least five holes-in-one during the three-rounds qualified for the ‘Big Top Ted Tombola’ and a chance to win a good, or not so good, prize. Eleven of the eighteen players in the field managed the feat and got to pick a number and win the corresponding prize. As the competition winner Michael Smith received two goes in the ‘Big Top Ted Tombola’ and received an array of prizes alongside the Claret Jug.

Planet Hastings Crazy Golf Club and the British Minigolf Association would like to thank the Mayor of Hastings, Councillor Alan Roberts for attending the prize giving ceremony.

Planet Hastings Crazy Golf Club Open Roll of Honour:
• 2012 Michael Smith
• 2011 Michael Smith
• 2010 Marc Chapman
• 2009 Andy Exall
• 2008 Trevor Exall
• 2007 Tim Davies
• 2006 Tim Davies
• 2005 Tim Davies
• 2004 John McIver
• 2003 Tim Davies
• 2002 John McIver
• 2001 Mark Spry

The Hastings Seafront Crazy Golf course will be hosting the tenth-annual Castle Golf World Crazy Golf Championships on the 27th and 28th of October. Over 50 players from around the world will be competing to become World Crazy Golf Champion and take a share of the £3,000 prize fund.

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