The third and final event of the BJGT ‘Wales Swing’ in 2021, Dinas Powis, is very much a bit of a hidden gem, with fairly flat-looking holes on display from the clubhouse.
However, move through the trees to the tricky Par 3 7th, and from there on you have some of the most spectacular holes that you’re likely to find.
Our thanks go to Ian and his team, the Club Captain on the 1st tee, the marshals out on the course, and the buggy drivers who brought the younger players back to the clubhouse, the club made us feel very welcome.
6 & Under Category
Brody MacIver made it a hat-trick of wins in Wales, as he also added the 6 & Under Division title at Dinas Powis, with his round of 41 giving him the perfect trip down from Nairn in Scotland. Jake Smith added another BJGT trophy to his cabinet, and continued his rise up the OOM table, just getting the better of Zachary Blayney for second place, but only after a countback as they both fired matching 46s.
The race for 2nd, 3rd and fourth on the Order of Merit table is incredibly close and will almost certainly go right down to the Tour Championship.
7-8 Category
Ruaan Vamadevan re-took the top spot on the Order of Merit with a fine win here after his round of 35 gave him a 5-shot cushion from Marcus Karim, who came home in second on the day with his round of 40, as the 7-8 Division is another that looks likely to go right to the wire. Marcus may have edged second, but this was only after a 3-way countback as he, Mihir Pasura, and Oliver Smith all had rounds of 40. Mihir was the one who grabbed the final podium finish based on the last three holes.
There were an unbelievable 13 players who finished within six shots of the lead!
9-10 Category
There was another 3-way tie in the 9-10 Division, this time for the Top 3 places, as the day saw some incredible results, with Thomas Maclean, Albert Lees and Oliver McDonnell all signing for scores of 40. Thomas came out on top of the resulting countback based on the final six holes, Albert Lees took second, again decided over the last six holes, with Oliver completing the Top 3.
11-12 Category
Maxi Moore claimed his second win of the ‘Wales Swing’ after his Major victory the day before. This victory was a little more comfortable, as his 75, which included a hole-out from the fairway for an eagle 2, left him six shots clear of William Finally (81) in second, while Ambrose Eaves finished in third just a single shot further back.
13-14 Category
Fred Gannon secured his first win of the season in the 13-14 Division at the final event in Wales, as he produced a solid round of 78 to take the winners’ trophy, while Charlie Jenkins also had a good round, finishing just two shots behind Fred to finish as the runner-up.
Junior Open Category
Thomas Loynes from Neath certainly enjoyed himself at Dinas Powis, as he topped both divisions in the Junior Open, signing for a round of 80, which gave him a 3-shot winning margin in the Gross Division over three players who shot matching 83s. Matthew Vearncombe edged second, Seb Williams grabbed third place, while Hamza Sarfraz narrowly missed out on a podium finish.
Thomas’s 80 resulted in a brilliant Net 63 giving him a 10-shot victory, and the daily double, to make two nice additions to his trophy cabinet. Seb Williams again had to settle for the runner-up trophy in second after his 73, while Mustafa Sarfraz took third just one shot further back.
The BJGT now moves to The Hertfordshire GC for the Rai Challenge, our fourth Major of the year, where those big Order of Merit points will be on offer, as the Tour Championship at Foxhills edges closer.
