AFTER suffering the heartache of falling one short in the Men’s Strokeplay Championship, Sam Quail quickly brushed disappointment aside to pick up the JW Messervy Salver just one week later.
The 22-year-old Royal Jersey member was polished throughout at his home course, firing rounds of 72 and 71, to finish on three-over-par for the 36-hole contest, three clear of Alex Guelpa in second.
“The strokeplay championship was a slight kick in the teeth,” said Quail.
“I played some really good stuff, but the third round kind of got away from me.
“But to bounce back with a win the next tournament out was definitely what I needed to get the confidence back.”
The links remain very punishing for any shots off-line, with lost balls and high numbers the theme of the day in the thick, unforgiving rough.
While the weather proved kind, much like in the strokeplay, the Royal Jersey yet again provided a stern mental test for the Island’s best.
Quail continued: “I think the biggest thing at Royal Jersey with the course playing like this, is to remain really patient.
“When you have a long 36-hole day, it’s pretty taxing on the body, but when the course is this brutal, then it’s just as mentally draining.
“You really have to think your way round and leave the driver in the bag as much as possible.
“Hitting fairways and greens are crucial and I think the need to focus on those aspects has elevated my game to a point I didn’t know I could get to.”
Victory has taken the Royal Jersey player up to second in the Jersey Golf Order of Merit race, from just two counting competitions this season, 13 points adrift of defending champion Josh Ozard.
Quail’s game has been on an upward trajectory over the last couple of years, which culminated in a debut in Jersey red during their annihilation of Guernsey in the inter insular at La Moye last season.
He would finish ninth in the order of merit every sign pointed towards a greater campaign in 2024.
“I didn’t manage to win any of the bigger comps last year, so that was a clear goal for 2024.
“I feel like I have developed a lot as a player and am better at handling the highs and lows that this game brings.
“The finishing stretch at the Royal is tricky, so it was important not to get ahead of myself and think about what other people were doing.
“I managed to stay really solid for the last few holes, which was very pleasing.”
Meanwhile, runner-up Guelpa took a slender one stroke advantage over Quail into the final round, but a triple-bogey seven up the 11th proved costly.
A birdie at 14 would again give the first-round leader hope, but another triple-bogey at the tricky par-three 15th gave Quail a buffer out in front.
The Royal Jersey member bounced back impressively with birdies at 16 and 18 to seal second place by a stroke from Matthew Parkman and Ozard in third and fourth respectively.
La Moye’s Andrew Clarke, who finished in sixth spot, enjoyed a moment of magic at the par-three second hole in the closing round.
His tee shot took one bounce before nestling in the cup, sparking scenes of celebration between him and playing partner Guelpa.
The ace was Clarke’s first in a competitive round.
Elsewhere, La Moye’s Charlie Kiberd improved on his morning round by seven strokes for a 72 (+2), shooting up the leaderboard into fifth.
Next up in the Jersey Golf calendar is the La Moye Trophy over 36-holes on 15 June.
JW Messervy Salver (top 10)
Rd 1 Rd 2 Total
Sam Quail 72 71 143Alex Guelpa 71 75 146Matthew Parkman 74 73 147Josh Ozard 73 74 147 Charlie Kiberd 79 72 151 Andrew Clarke 76 75 151Steven Anderson 76 76 152Samuel Jaakola 74 79 153Richard Hansford 80 76 156Richard Clarke 78 78 156
Jersey Golf – Men’s Order of Merit standings
P Pts
Josh Ozard (RJGC) 4 53Sam Quail (RJGC) 2 40Matthew Parkman (RJGC) 3 40Steven Anderson (RJGC) 3 30Alex Guelpa (RJGC) 2 28Jeremy Phillips (LMGC) 2 28Andrew Clarke (LMGC) 2 20Samuel Jaakola (RJGC) 2 18Kyle Turmel (LMGC) 2 16Richard Ramskill (LMGC) 2 16
