James lifts Gillson Trophy

8:16am Sunday 17th September 2006

GOLF: ALISTAIR James, from Cumberwell Park, Bradford on Avon, has won the Gillson Trophy in the first of his two years as Wiltshire vice-captain.

The trophy was presented to the Wiltshire County Golf Union in 1985 by former president Col Hugh Gillson, and is awarded annually to the player scoring the most points for Wiltshire in the two match-play events, the Daily Telegraph Channel League and South Western Counties Championship.

Former winners include Swindon Ryder Cup star and world No 12 David Howell, who picked up the trophy in 1992 during his amateur days at Broome Manor. He was 17 and in his second year in the county team.

James 22, has been a member of the Wiltshire team since 2000 and is a former Wiltshire boys' and colts' champion. He started playing golf at Cumberwell in 1995 and has been coached by the club's professional, John Jacobs.

An old boy of King Edward's School in Bath and a graduate of Exeter University, he will be Wiltshire's youngest-ever captain when he takes over from Jonathan James (Wrag Barn), in 15 months' time.

He won four and halved two of his nine games in the South Western Championship, in which Wiltshire finished third to Gloucestershire at Minchinhampton with three wins, while in the Channel League he won nine and halved two of his 12 games as Wiltshire finished down the table with one victory and three ties.

Matt Swales, the county boys' captain from Cumberwell Park was third and Ashley Monaghan (Cumberwell Park) sixth.