Budock Vean made it through to the semi-finals of the prestigious Frank Wills Salver for scratch to twelve handicaps with a superb team effort at Newquay on Saturday by overcoming a strong Mullion team by three and a half matches to one and a half.

It was a close contest from first to last. Mullion won the opening match by three and two with fine performances by Gordon Tamblyn and Alan Lieske. The Helford River club hit back when team Captain Tony Ramsden and David Gudzij secured victory when Gudzij holed the crucial putt at the penultimate hole for a gutsy two and one win. Simon Minter and David Penrose strengthened Vean`s position with another solid performance. They were four up with four to play and again secured the point at the seventeenth by three and one.

The large gallery were certainly well entertained and Mullion were still very much in the match but when Vean`s Nick Bryant and Matthew Ramsden turned a two hole deficit after nine into a three and one victory it was all over for the most Southerly Golf club in England. Bryant crucially hit a majestic shot into the wind at the long par three fourteenth for Ramsden to roll in a superb putt to go two up. Mullion replied with a fine birdie at the next hole only for Bryant to again hit another superb iron into the wind on the par three sixteenth which effectively set up another three and one win at the next hole.

Ian Scorse and Richard Burton for Budock Vean and David Hicks and Tim Madigan of Mullion had a “rollercoaster” match with each leading in turn. Scorse and Burton were looking good at the last but with news that they were already through to the semi final an honourable half was declared. Club Captain Des Sadler said: “I feel very proud of our lads. They showed a lot of character against very talented opposition. The greens were fast and we adapted very well to them. It’s great for our comparatively small club that we are in the last four of this tough County competition.”

Budock Vean now play Newquay who overcame St. Mellion 4-1 at St. Austell The venue is Trevose on Saturday, February 7, at 11:15 am. The other semi final is between the holders Tehidy Park and Truro.