Several of the CGU Mens County team put in strong performances at Royal North Devon GC on Saturday in a 70 strong field playing in the club's annual 36 hole Kashmir aggregate cup competition. Their combined achievements augur well for the English County Finals taking place over the same links at the end of September.

Pick of the bunch was Perranporth's Conor Wilson (pictured above left) who, whilst he might to being disappointed with his second round shot 72 and 77 to finish 4th on a 3 over total of 147, just 2 shots behind winner Chris Brown and one shot behind Devon's England international and home club player Jimmy Mullen, fresh back from making it to the last 16 in the US Amateur Championship last week. After the first round Wilson was lying in sole 2nd place and very much in contention but a total of 7 second round bogeys including each of the last three holes put paid to his chances.

Cornwall filled the next two places also with Tehidy Park's Rob MacGregor (pictured above middle) shooting 77 and 73 for 5th place whilst County Champion Matt Richards (pictuired above right) finished 6th with 76 and 74. Two other county players Chris Fleming (Perranporth) and Truro's Jack Mewton finished in 26th and 30th places respectively.

All six of these players will feature in next Sunday's crucial Channel League match v Wiltshire at West Cornwall GC on Sunday 31^st August 2014 after County Captain Richard Simmons named his team.

After a busy summer playing in many national events, Harry Hall (pictured above after the Home Internationals win for England)) returns to the side over his home course and will be reunited with Rob MacGregor in a partnership that did so well at the South West Counties Week at Royal North Devon in June. Jon Hancock will partner Truro’s Jack Mewton as the latter makes his third appearance of the season. The tried and tested Perranporth duo of Conor Wilson and Chris Fleming are again selected. As Simmons juggles his options ahead of the county finals Richard Jasper plays with Joe Cruse and County Champion Matt Richards plays with Josh Greenaway.

Cornwall currently sit in third place in the Channel League behind Wiltshire and first placed Somerset, albeit with a game in hand over the leaders. Wins in the final games against Wiltshire and then Devon away at Saunton (7^th September) are essential and would see the Duchy have a good chance of retaining the Channel League title, although Glamorgan and Gloucestershire could still spoil that party.

Team: Harry Hall, Matt Richards (West Cornwall), Robert MacGregor (Tehidy Park), Conor Wilson and Chris Fleming (Perranporth), Richard Jasper (Launceston), Joe Cruse (St Enodoc), Josh Greenaway (Bowood Park), Jon Hancock (Newquay) and Jack Mewton (Truro)

The action gets underway at West Cornwall at 09.30am

One player who will be absent from the side at West Cornwall is China Fleet's former county champion Tom Fox. This week Fox, the reigning SW Counties Champion (pictured above) played in the 2014 Midland Open Amateur Championship at Olton GC and finished in 33rd place in a 118 man field. Two good rounds of 72 and 71 were separated by two indifferent ones of 76 and 79 as he made a 298 total which saw him finish 24 shots behind winner and English Amateur Champion Nick Marsh on a 5 under 274. Trevose's junior county player Niall Hutton also entered the event but rounds of 78 and 76 saw him miss the cut.

Earlier in the week Hutton was the county's only representative in a 60 strong field at the South East Boys Open held over four rounds at Yeovil and Sherborne Golf Clubs. Rounds of 74, 79, 75 and 83 gave him a total of 311 (+25) and well down the field in 38th place some 27 shots behind winner Eoin Leonard (Wentworth).