Welcome to the
Matchplay Championship Players Area

Due to the large number of entries that we have been receiving over the last few days we have taken the decision to extend the deadline for entries for an additional 7 days so entries will now close at midnight on 7th July. The first round draw will then take place and you will receive notification of your first round opponents as planned in mid July.

The Matchplay Championship 2009/10 will be screened on the 1st June 2010, 7pm-9pm on Sky Sports 3.

The 2 hour programme with then be repeated:
2nd June 00:00 Sky Sports 2
2nd June 07:00 Sky Sports 3
2nd June 11:30 Sky Sports 2

The dust has now settled, the competitors are back home and the tournament concluded. A big congratulations to the 2009/10 winners:

Men's CONGU Active: Luke Sandford and Adam Niblett

Mixed: Jim Giberson & Hannah Sneath

Men's CONGU Non Active & Strokes Golf Handicap: Nick Cruyer & Spence O'Leary

We will be posting all the pictures from the final over the coming weeks, for a sneak preview click here

We'd like to thank everyone who participated in this years event making it the biggest and best competition to date.

If you've not entered the 2010/11 competition do so now - entries close on the 30th June 2010. 

Click here to ENTER NOW for your chance to play in next years Grand Final at The Els Club, Dubai.

The final scores are in, it was the youngest  team, Welsh golfing duo Luke Sandford (19 years) and Adam ‘Ziggy’ Niblett (aged 23), who took first place with 131 points having held pole position throughout the three-day tournament and beating their nearest competitors by a massive 11 points.

It’s the first time that they have entered the tournament and they were delighted to lift the trophy on the final day of play.

“It’s been an incredible experience. The golfing trip of a lifetime,” said Ziggy.“We have played in the most fabulous golfing destination at Marriott Taba Heights, met some great people and been filmed by Sky Sports throughout.”

In second place were County Down duo Declan Quigly and Mark McQuoid with 120 points followed by Manchester duo Nick Waring and Ian Watson.

In the mixed pairs, Surrey couple Hannah Sneath and Jim Giberson took first place with 122 points having stayed in the lead throughout the three days of play.  In second place were Bathgate golfers Karen Burns and Graham Bell with 117 points and in third were Towcester husband and wife team David and Tracy Morris.

The non-active men’s handicap event saw Bristol based duo Nick Curyer and Spencer O’Leary with 114 points overhaul Downpartick golfers Patrick Turtle and Cyril Morris, who finished in second place with 102 points.

With the tournament now over the competitors have time to relax before this evenings lavish prize-giving gala dinner where no doubt there will be one or two drinks sunk. The competitors then have a couple of days off where they can take in the sites, relax by the pool or snorkle in the stunning red sea. Whatever they decide to do they have earned it after three days of competitive golf.

As ever John Woosey was on hand with his view as the tournament concluded “We have seen some fantastic play over the Grand Final in what has been a superb setting and it’s just wonderful to see the Matchplay Championship go from strength to strength. Both Luke and Ziggy did Wales proud. They were our youngest team and played some of the best golf we have seen in the Matchplay Championship.”   

Tournament Director Tom Cowgil also reflected "It's been a great competition, the competitors have all been fantastic and it's been a pleasure to be involved with. I'd like to thank the team behind me for the fantastic effort they have put in and we're already looking forward to next years event."

Men's CONGU Active

Winners = Luke Sandford & Adam Niblett

Runners Up = Declan Quigley & Mark McCoid

Mixed Competition

Winners = Jim Giberson & Hannah Sneath

Runners Up = Karen Burns & Graham Bell

Men's CONGU non-active & Strokes Golf Handicap

Winners = Nick Cruyer & Spence O'Leary

Runners Up = Patrick Turtle & Cyril Morris

The youngest team  in the Grand Final of the Matchplay Championship have an eight point lead after day two of the tournament.

Welsh golfing duo Luke Sandford (19 years) and Adam ‘Ziggy’ Niblett (aged 23) had an outward score of 23 but couldn’t sustain the pace and brought in a total of 44 points giving an aggregate of 91 after two days play.

In the second day of competition of the three day tournament the leader board shows the duo with a strong lead in the men’s pair active handicap with nearest rivals Nick Waring and Ian Watson retaining second place with 83 points.

Mixed pair  team Hannah Sneath and Jim Giberson also retained their first place position in the second  day with 82 points but have lost the five point lead of day one and have Karen Burns and Graham Bell snapping at their heels with 80 points.

The non-active men’s handicap saw Patrick Turtle and Cyril Morris lose their top ranking with an aggregate score of 66 to new leaders Nick Curyer and Spencer O’Leary’s 73 points.

“It’s been a lot breezier on day two and that has shown in some of the play,” said John Woosey, Managing Director of The Golfers Club which promotes the Matchplay Championship. “It’s been great to see our youngest Grand Finalists storm the course and they look set for victory but you never know what might happen. The mixed pairs now looks like it could be very close and all eyes will be on that tomorrow.”

Day One of the UK’s largest amateur golf tournament is finally underway. Who will be crowned Champion? handling the exceptional heat, the tricky Taba Golf Course and the pressure of the Sky Sports cameras.

At the end of a dramatic first day the leader board indicates it will be a close competition for the contestants.

Leading the field so far in the men’s pairs are Adam (aka Ziggy) Niblett and Luke Sandford from Rogiet in Wales with a score of 47.

In the mixed pairs Jim Giberson and Hanah Sneath took pole position with 43 points whilst in the men’s non-active category Patrick Turtle and Cyril Morris  lead with 33 points.

Managing Director of The Golfers Club, John Woosey summarises Day One:

“It’s target golf out in Taba, a very unusual and challenging course. It’s very different to what competitors face week-in and week out in the UK. It’s a long course and was trickier today due to the breeze. Greens were marginally quicker than practice day which caught out a few and the temperature today was 34 degrees. Competitors have now left the course for the hotel (bar no doubt) and will start again for Day Two at 8am tomorrow, with leaders out last.”

The 2009/10 Grand Finalists are due to travel to Egypt tomorrow, leaving Gatwick at 4pm and arriving in Taba late evening.

The Finalists will be travelling with Tournament Director Tom Cowgil and his assistant Ian Lancaster. They can all expect a warm welcome in Taba from the Matchplay Organisers John Woosey, Paul Wilson and Colin & Lousie Whitehead.

The week long trip will commence on Sunday with a Welcome meeting and their first taste of golf in Taba with a practice round. From then on it gets serious - the Sky camera's will start rolling as the three day competition begins to see who will be crowned overall winner in the three competitions.

As always good luck to all the finalists, updates will appear on the site during the course of the week.

An exciting and tense days golf at Marriott St Pierre saw the following teams through to Egypt:

Men's CONGU Active

1st Qualifier: Team McCarthy with 39 points (countback 9:8). 2nd Qualifier: Team Belch with 39 points (countback 9:17). 3rd Qualifier: Team Jacobs with 38 points (countback 6:14). 4th Qualifier: Team Waring with 38 points (countback 6:13 9:19). 5th Qualifier: Team Niblett with 38 points (countback 9:18 6:13). The 6th place and just missing out was Team Wagner with 38 points (countback 6:12)

Men's NON Active & Strokes Golf Handicap

Qualifier: Team Cruyer 42 points. 2nd place and just missing out was Team Sidebottom with 35 points.

Mixed Competition

1st Qualifier: Team Morris with 43 points. 2nd Qualifier: Team Sneath with 41 points. 3rd Qualifier: Team Durling with 38 points. 4th Qualifier: Team Perry with 37 points. 5th place and just missing out was Team Ellis with 35 points (countback 6:14)

To view the image gallery click here

A cold day in the hills above Bradford was the setting for the 2010 Nothern Regional Final once again held at the fantastic Marriott Hollins Hall.

Men's CONGU Active

1st Qualifier: Team Quigley with 40 points. 2nd Qualifier: Team Burke with 38 points. 3rd Qualifier: Team Anderson with 38 points. 4th place and just missing out on the countback was Team Walsh with 38 points

Men's Non Active & Strokes Golf Handicap

Qualifier: Team Turtle with 38 points. 2nd place and just missing out was Team Holmes-Morris with 34 points.

Mixed Competition

1st Qualifier: Team Burns with 37 points. 2nd Qualifier: Team Greene with 36 points (countback 12:23). 3rd place and just missing out on the Grand Final at Taba was Team Elborn with 36 points (countback 12:22).

To view the image gallery click here