Jonathan proves a real rock

Oct 9 2008 by Golf North East

THIS year's The Rock tournament at Matfen Hall in Northumberland - one of the highlights of the North East golfing calendar - proved a huge success, and threw up an unusual winner.

Jonathan Graham beat the cream of the region's professionals to win the biggest event of his career - and then revealed that lessons from Matfen Hall's director of coaching, John Harrison, had helped him on his way.

Harrison, who was Graham's playing partner in the final round of The Rock, has been coaching the 33-year-old Silloth-on-Solway club professional for the first time this season and provided the impetus for the former Cumbria junior the £5,000 winner's cheque.

Graham said: "John has changed my game by persuading me to work more with my body and less with the club. He is a patient man with a good sense of humour and he does not try to make out there is any big secret in golf.

"He has just been working away on my swing and that made the difference. It was certainly not my putting because I missed four from eight feet. In a tight finish, it was the accuracy of my approach play which won me the title over the closing holes when the pressure was mounting.

"In fact, I only missed three greens all day and that is down to my lessons with John. It was great playing the last round with him because he's helped me so much. When the breeze got up, I felt quite at home because I'm used to playing knock-down shots to keep the ball under control in the wind at Silloth."

Harrison responded: "He used the right strategy on a windy day. He didn't go for anything and he let others make mistakes."

Graham had five birdies and a bogey in a four-under 68 which left him on a three-round total of 211, five under for the tournament.

The event closed in dramatic style though with Andrew Barnett, from the North Wales Driving Range and playing in the final group, needing a birdie at the last to take Graham into a play-off but he couldn't manage it.

Former Newcastle professional Gary Donnison, who is now based in Cheshire, had been sharing the tournament lead with Barnett after the first nine and stayed in the frame until finding wild rough from the tee on the 17th.

But he still finished tied third on three under, two shots clear of a pack of golfers in fifth place that included US Tour player Kenneth Ferrie, Morpeth's David Clark, Jonathan Lupton from Middlesbrough and George Cowan from the Westerhope club.

Cowan, only 17 months a professional, had led the field by three shots overnight.

Final Scores

211 J Graham (Silloth-on-Solway) 73 70 68; 212 A Barnett (North Wales DR) 69 71 72; 213 N Ludwell (Selby) 70 72 71, Gary Donnison (Mobberley) 67 74 72; 215 D Shacklady (Mossock Hall) 73 74 68, C Corrigan (Haigh Hall) 77 68 70, K Ferrie (Matfen Hall) 72 72 71, D Clark (Morpeth) 70 72 73, Jonathan Lupton (Middlesbrough) 69 72 74, G Cowan (Westerhope) 68 69 78.

216 P Bradshaw (Boothferry) 76 70 70, S Doherty (Bury) 67 73 76; 217 N Sargent (Eastham Lodge) 74 73 70, C Hanson (Crosland Heath) 73 72 72, B Taylor (Houghwood) 71 72 74 218 M Sheppard (Darland) 72 73 73, M Archer (Newcastle United) 74 71 73, P Carman (Huddersfield) 73 72 73, G Bell (Eaglescliffe) 70 73 75, M Bradley (Chorley) 72 70 76; 219 A Belt (Bridlington Links) 79 69 71, M Hamer (Ellesmere) 77 69 73, M Nesbit (Westerhope) 74 71 74, R Wragg (Hallowes) 73 72 74, F Valenti (Pryors Hayes) 72 69 78.

220 P Eales (Northern Rock) 73 73 74, T Maxwell (Knutsford) 75 70 75, J King (Lindrick) 70 75 75, P Grannell (Pryors Hayes) 76 68 76; 221 B Toone (Marriott Worsley Park) 76 71 74, I Keenan (Royal Liverpool) 71 73 77, F Kelley (Malton & Norton) 73 70 78; 222 A Rishworth (Howley Hall) 75 73 74, V Guest (Tees-side) 73 74 75, S Edwards (Clays) 76 71 75, A Rossington (Peter Cowan GA) 74 72 76, P Scott (Kendal) 72 71 79

223 S McKenna (City of Newcastle) 75 72 76, D Smith (Swinton Park) 72 75 76, A Ambler (Walton Golf Centre) 76 70 77, G Brown (Ganton) 72 74 77.

224 A Turner (Knaresborough) 79 68 77, Jamie Garner (Sandfield) 73 74 77, J Senior (Heysham) 75 71 78, J Harrison (Matfen Hall) 72 71 81; 225 R Hutt (unatt) 72 74 79; 226 A Laing (Mount Murray) 75 73 78, K Gaskell (Penwortham) 76 72 78, J Richardson (unatt) 72 75 79, R Pace (Hornsea) 72 73 81; 227 A Wainwright (DPC) 75 73 79, M Allen (Hillsborough) 74 73 80, N Stead (Queensbury) 74 72 81; 234 R Carroll (West Derby) 75 73 86.