Star City Open - Sunday 27th January

The traditional Season opener.

The 2013 British Minigolf Association season begins on Sunday 27th January when the Adventure Island Minigolf course at Star City, Birmingham hosts the BMGA Star City Open.

British Minigolf Association (BMGA) Tour players, along with a number of local competitors, are expected to be in action over three rounds (54 holes) on the challenging Lost Hut Trail 18 hole indoor Adventure Minigolf course (the upper course). The tournament will tee-off at 9am and the entry fee is £20.

BMGA Tour Pros can take advantage of a £10 day rate at the course on production of their valid 2013 tour card.

An entry form for the event can be found at http://www.minigolf.org.uk/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=59:forms&catid=36:tournamentsforms&Itemid=56

It's not too late to enter - players can pay on the day - just contact chairman@minigolf.org.uk in advance to confirm your place.

The 2013 Star City Open competition will be the fifth national ranking minigolf tournament the Adventure Island Minigolf course will have hosted.

PLAYERS CONFIRMED FOR THE EVENT:

1) John MOORE (MMGC)
2) Brad SHEPHERD (LMGC)
3) Chris JONES (LMGC)
4) Alan NORMAN (LMGC)
5) Gareth HOLMES (LMGC)
6) Adam KELLY (KMGC)
7) Tony KELLY (KMGC)
8 ) Michael SMITH (KMGC)
9) Chris SMITH (CMGC)
10) Brenda SMITH (CMGC)
11) Jon ANGEL (LMGC)
12) Richard LINDEN (LMGC)
13) Jam TRUBRIDGE (MMGC)
14) ROb DODD (MMGC)
15) Richard GOTTFRIED (MMGC)
16) Emily GOTTFRIED (CMGC)
17) Paul JOHNSON (MMGC)
18) Owen JOHNSON (MMGC)
19) Sean HOMER (KMGC)
20) Alex PRAGNELL (KMGC)

Last year Chris Harding won the event after a sudden death play-off win over defending champion Michael Smith. In January 2009 the course hosted the first BMGA Star City Open, which was won by Birmingham’s Chris Harding, followed by the 2010 BMGA National Open, also won by Harding. The 2011 Star City Open was won by Michael Smith, the current UK number 1 ranked player.

Results and photos from the 2012 event, won by Chris Harding, can be found at http://www.minigolf.org.uk/joomla/index.php?view=details&id=68%3Astar-city-open-2012&option=com_eventlist&Itemid=56

Live results will stream online at http://www.bmga.co.uk/2013SCO/result.htm from Sunday morning

KMGC outnumbered - but quality not quantity will count, good luck all & bring it back to Kent!

*Normal service has been resumed*
Well done Michael & Adam, great 1st & 2nd in the MMGC's own manor!

Congratulations to Michael Smith (Kent Minigolf Club) for winning the Star City Open, beating a field of 23 other minigolfers to the title.

Team mate Adam Kelly was 2nd with the Midlands Minigolf Club captain, Paul Johnson 3rd (beating Tony Kelly in a play off). The Category 2 prize winner was John Moore with James Trubridge runner up. In Category 3, Gareth Holmes took the top spot.

Tony Kelly won the category 1 aces prize, beating Sean Homer in a sudden death play off, Chris Jones won the category 2 prize and Richard Linden the category 3 prize, having beaten Owen Johnson in a play off for the final prize money.

Full round by round results can be found at http://www.bmga.co.uk/2013SCO/straight.htm

Photos from the event can be found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/13680867@N02/sets/72157632626330920/

Thanks to everyone who took part and to John Whitehead and the team at the course for their support and hospitality over the weekend. Thanks also to Tournament Director Marion Homer for a superbly organised event (and to al those that helped in the smooth running on the day).

The next event on the BMGA tour is the British Crazy Golf Open in Hastings on March 3rd - full details can be found at http://www.minigolf.org.uk/joomla/index.php?option=com_eventlist&view=details&id=95&Itemid=56

Oxford’s Michael Smith wins the 2013 BMGA Star City Open

Smith wins first British Minigolf Association Tour event of the season at Adventure Island Mini Golf, Star City, Birmingham

The 2013 British Minigolf Association season got underway with the BMGA Star City Open on Sunday 27th January at the indoor Adventure Island Mini Golf complex at Star City, Birmingham. The three-round, 54-hole tournament was won by the current UK number 1 ranked player Michael Smith (Kent Minigolf Club) with a combined total of 87 (21 under par), 8 strokes clear of his team mate Adam Kelly (the current UK number 2).

Speaking after his victory, Michael said “I'm delighted to have won the 2013 Star City Open. I came very close to defending my 2011 title last year and it is very satisfying to have won this tournament for a second time. It was particularly pleasing to equal the course record in the second round. I would like to thank Sean and Marion Homer for running the tournament so well and also John Whitehead and his staff at the Lost Island Adventure Golf for hosting the event. I think I speak for all the players who took part by saying it was the perfect start to the 2013 BMGA Tour”.

Paul Johnson (the captain of the Midlands Minigolf Club) took third place overall after winning a 6 hole sudden death play off against Tony Kelly (Kent Minigolf Club). Both players finished the event on a score of 11 under par (97 strokes) with Johnson taking third place with an ace at the 6th play off hole. Kelly then contested a second sudden death play off against Kent Minigolf Club captain Sean Homer for the Category 1 aces prize with both players having shot 15 aces across the three rounds. This time Kelly came out on top with an ace at the 2nd hole to secure the play off victory.

The event saw the introduction of new player category splits, a motion voted in at the BMGA AGM held the day before the event. All players who take part in any BMGA events this season will be classed within three categories – Category 1 featuring the top 16 ranked players in the UK, Category 2 featuring players ranked 17 to 32 in the official order of merit (details of which can be found at http://www.minigolf.org.uk/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=474%3Abritish-minigolf-associations-official-strokeplay-order-of-merit-rankings-published&catid=1%3Alatest-news&Itemid=60) and all other players classed within Category 3. The competition had dedicated prize money for Category 2 & 3 players, ensuring some new faces appearing on the BMGA Prize winners list for the season.

John Moore (Midlands Minigolf Club) took the Category 2 title with fellow Midlands player James Trubridge picking up the runner up prize and Chris Jones (London Minigolf Club) won the Category 2 aces prize.

In the category 3 section, Gareth Holmes (London Minigolf Club) won the top prize and Richard Linden (also London Minigolf Club) won the aces prize in a sudden death play-off against Midlands’ junior player Owen Johnson.

24 British Minigolf Association (BMGA) Tour players competed in the event on the 18-hole indoor Lost Hut Trail Adventure Mini Golf course.

BMGA Chairman Sean Homer said “Star City has become established as the traditional BMGA season opening venue and always produces some tremendous minigolf. This year was no exception and with the strength and depth of players we have in the BMGA, 2013 promises to be another superb year for British minigolf. I would like to thank all who played at the event, our Tournament Director Marion Homer for a brilliantly run competition, all the players who helped out on the day and John Whitehead and his team at the course for their superb hospitality. The players and I look forward to returning for the 2014 Star City Open next January.”

Full results of the BMGA Star City Open 2013 can be found at http://www.bmga.co.uk/2013SCO/straight.htm

A photo gallery of the event from the KMGC can be found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/13680867@N02/sets/72157632626330920/

The next event on the BMGA tour is the British Crazy Golf Open in Hastings on March 3rd - full details can be found at http://www.minigolf.org.uk/joomla/index.php?option=com_eventlist&view=details&id=95&Itemid=56

The British Minigolf Association (BMGA) is the governing body for Minigolf Sport, including Crazy Golf and Adventure Golf. Formed in 1998 the BMGA organises Minigolf competitions for its members across the UK.

During the 2012 season the British Minigolf Association organised a total of 28 Minigolf tournaments around the country. This included fourteen ranking events at eleven Miniature Golf, Crazy Golf and Adventure Golf courses. There were a further fourteen Minigolf competitions played during the year and a number of additional non-ranking titles contested. A total of 22 players won a Minigolf title in 2012.

For further details about the BMGA and UK Minigolf please email chairman@minigolf.org.uk or visit http://www.minigolf.org.uk.

The HIOK report from the Star City Open is now online at http://www.kentminigolfclub.co.uk/2013SCO.htm

Looking forward to our next get together on 3rd March for the British Crazy Golf Open!!

VTK

Freebird wrote:The HIOK report from the Star City Open is now online at http://www.kentminigolfclub.co.uk/2013SCO.htm

Looking forward to our next get together on 3rd March for the British Crazy Golf Open!!

VTK

Quality report Michael, as ever! I'd like to add that I said that quote about the ball boy before Joey Barton said the same thing, it's not often we agree on anything!

Like the report Michael - I have been left handed all the time I've been a minigolfer, so it's unlikley I'll surpass Chappers, and you clearly haven't noticed that FB is a leftie too - I'll definitely never be better than him!!