Former winners Deen Graves and Martyn Ashcroft put their experience to good use to record a memorable double and be crowned 2007 International Pairs UK champions amid emotional scenes at Carnoustie.

Graves and Ashcroft, who first won the title in 2001, overcame competition from a high-class field including ex-Wigan and Bradford manager Paul Jewell and the competition’s reigning UK and world champions to claim victory in 36-hole Stableford event in Scotland.

The pair, from Dawlish Warren Golf Club in Devon, set up their win in the first round by scoring an amazing 45 points in blustery conditions on Carnoustie’s feared Championship course - venue for Padraig Harrington’s win in The Open Championship three months earlier.

And 39 points on Carnoustie’s Burnside course proved enough for Graves and Ashcroft to secure a two-point victory over their closest challengers, Howley Hall 16-year-olds Tom Woods and Elliot Briggs, with Scottish duo John Maxwell and Stephen Brown, from Bonnybridge Golf Club, third on 80 points.

Graves, 42, who plays off a handicap of 14, said: “We won the competition six years ago but this feels better because the standard of golf was much higher and we knew how hard it is to win. It’s a great honour.

“We put ourselves in a really good position after the first day and we knew it was there for us to lose. We both played some nervy shots in the second round but thankfully we were able to hang in there and hold on.

“We play on a tight links course at home which helped while we also talked to a few locals who gave us some very useful advice.”

Ashcroft, 52, a property developer, struggled to hold back tears as he celebrated the victory. “My sister Barbara was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago and I said I‘d donate £1,000 to Cancer Relief if we won this week. This victory is very special,” said the 18-handicapper.

International Pairs - which is run in association with Visit Scotland - is the largest competition of its kind for club golfers in the world and Graves and Ashcroft’s reward for winning will be a place at the 2008 World Final which is due to take place on the Duke’s Course, St Andrews, next September.

But Graves revealed that the Torquay pair nearly didn’t make it to Carnoustie and had been only 15 minutes from disqualification at their semi-final venue at Blairgowrie after he forgot his handicap certificate.

“We couldn‘t contact anyone at our club when we arrived in Scotland because it was a Sunday and the secretary wasn‘t available,” said Graves, an ex-professional footballer with Manchester United, Plymouth and Queens Park Rangers and who now runs a wakeboarding business in Thailand.

“We eventually managed to get an urgent message through on Monday morning but there were only minutes to spare when it was finally faxed through. Thank goodness they did.”
Woods and Briggs and Maxwell and Brown’s impressive displays earned them the titles of 2007 English and Scottish champions to help them qualify for next year’s world final.

And they will be joined at St Andrews by Welsh father and son Bryan and Aled Williams and English duos Andrew Richardson and Mike Greener and Roy Knowles and Dave Steele.

The Williams’, from Cottrell Park Golf Club, Cardiff, scored 73 points to be crowned Welsh champions while Woodham duo Richardson and Greener and Knowles and Steele, from Market Rasen, claimed the final two qualifying places with 77 and 76 points.

But there was disappointment for Jewell and his partner Roy Broadley as they fell away after lying joint third after the first day to finish well down the field.

Ross Honey, founder and managing director of International Pairs, said: “This was the best year yet in the tournament’s history and the standard of golf matched the magnificent setting that Carnoustie provided.

“We were blessed with some wonderful weather and fantastic golf courses and for Deen and Martyn to win the event for a second time is an amazing achievement.

“They were part of International Pairs when we were in our infancy and they are testament to what the competition is all about.”

Around 20,000 players took part in this year’s UK competition with 40 lucky pairs travelling to Carnoustie from across the UK after qualifying from semi-finals held at Downfield, Ladybank, Blairgowrie, Alyth, Letham Grange, Cardona and The Players Club.

Much has happened since Honey conceived the idea as a tournament initially just for Hampshire golfers in 1998 and International Pairs is looking forward to a bright future as it prepares to celebrate its tenth anniversary next year.

In a ground-breaking development, the Hampshire-based company secured the backing of the International Association for Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO) this summer - the first time the worldwide trade organisation for the golf tourism industry has given its backing to a competition in its history.

And this was followed last month by International Pairs joining forces with the English Golf Union (EGU) in an exciting new agreement that will help both organisations raise their profiles, both nationally and internationally.

Competitors from 22 countries including China, South Africa, Thailand and Iceland gathered in St Andrews to take part in the 2007 International Pairs world final in July.

And Honey is already anticipating next year’s world final being even bigger with more than 40 countries set to participate when the tournament returns to Scotland in 2008.

Honey added: “The progress International Pairs has made over the last 12 months has been fantastic and has helped establish it as a truly worldwide competition.

“Many new friendships have been made and having the full support of organisations like the EGU and IAGTO means that the tournament will continue to grow and spread to other parts of the world.”

International Pairs has been backed by VisitScotland for the last five years – and the national Scottish tourist body has committed to be the tournament’s main sponsor until at least next year.

To enter the world of International Pairs, for further information or to register a club, please call 0870 0330633 or 01730 711900, or e-mail info@internationalpairs.com. Alternatively, visit the Pairs’ website at www.internationalpairs.com.

Information for media: Issued by the International Pairs press office. For more details, please contact Andy Tremlett on 07775 842716 or Pete Simm on 07747 012539, or e-mail ip.media@internationalpairs.com

Results
Position Players (Handicaps) Club Score
1 Martyn Ashcroft (18) & Deen Graves (14) Dawlish Warren 84
2 Elliot Briggs (13) & Tom Woods (24) Howley Hall 82
3 John Maxwell (4) & Stephen Brown (5) Bonnybridge 80
4 Andrew Richardson (2) & Mike Greener (5) Woodham 77
5 Roy Knowles (5) & David Steel (12) Market Rasen 76
6 Ben Hussain (6) & Simon Brookman (18) Bedford 76
7 Alan Ereira (13) & Syer Shulver (0) Beccles 76
8 Trevor Chesterman (16) & Andy Kernaghan (7) Matlock 75
9 Ray Standring (6) & Mark Green (11) Mytton Fold 75
10 Scott Clarkson (3) & Jordan Bedford (8) Skipton 75
11 Timothy Burke (13) & Brendan Sharkey (24) Hadley Wood 75
12 Adam Walker (10) & Mike Weaver (5) Standish Court 75
13 Marc Rodgers (5) & Shaun Angel (0) Crookhill Park 74
14 Russell Darlington (18) & Glen Bromly (12) Barlaston 74
15 Bryan Williams (10) & Aled Williams (10) Cottrell Park 73
16 Shaun Smith (1) & Simon Deaves (6) Scarborough South Cliff 73
17 Paul Johnson (5) & Neil White (9) Llanwern 72
18 Brian Parkinson (12) & Alison Parkinson (21) Rusper 72
19 Jason Kerrison (3) & Lauren Jupp (5) Magnolia Park 72
20 Marc Bicknell (4) & Daragh Dunleavy (13) Truro 71
21 John Larvin (12) & Matthew Larvin (4) Handsworth 71
22 Don Meek (15) & Paul Meek (6) Ross on Wye 71
23 Paul Jewell (10) & Roy Broadley (7) Bradford 71
24 Harri Jaakola (18) & James Maxwell (2) Trefloyne 70
25 Donald Krzyzanowski (4) & Matthew Sloggie (5) Strathpeffer Spa 70
26 Emyr Thomas (5) & Dyfrig Frater (8) Glyn Abbey 70
27 John Cook (14) & Terry Skillett (6) Crondon Park 69
28 Scott Richardson (21) & David Christopher (10) Charnock Richard 69
29 Dave Burrows (6) & Kevin Beattie (5) Kilnwick Percy 69
30 Tony Piggott (6) & Paul Staker (7) Boughton 68
31 Andy Cousins (3) & Paul Jenkins (2) Kendleshire 68
32 Nick Simpson (6) & Steve Simpson (13) Castle Hawk 68
33 Frans van Haren (19) & Nigel White (20) Boston West 67
34 Paul Williams (9) & David Rees (13) Pennard 67
35 John Street (14) & Nick Street (6) Lullingstone Park 67
36 Paul Guthrie (10) & Brian Noye (10) Millfield 65
37 David Fisher (12) & Martin Whiley (10) Hebden Bridge 64
38 Pauline Bramley (9) & Judy Gascoigne (12) Matlock 63
39 Alex Miller (14) & Mike Stewart (12) Corhampton 62
40 Alf Wilson (7) & Ken Saint (3) Middlesbrough Brass Castle DQ