THE King Henry VIII Former Pupils’ annual golf tournament took place at the picturesque Monmouthshire Golf Club in glorious sunshine.

As ever, the club extended a warm welcome and ensured the day ran smoothly, with players well-fed and refreshed throughout.

A strong field of 43 golfers took part, with a great mix of familiar faces and enthusiastic newcomers.

Matthew Aspley hitting off the first
Matthew Aspley hitting off the first (KHS Former Pupils)

The standard of play was impressive, and the prizes were hotly contested across all categories.

Leo Roberts made a memorable debut, showing nerves of steel to claim the RJ. Lewis Tankard, earning bragging rights as the top golfer in the Roberts household.

Leo Roberts receives his trophy
Leo Roberts receives his trophy (KHS Former Pupils)

In a tightly fought contest, Eoin Shackleton edged out Seth Butler to lift the Powella Cup, while the Gwenlan Trophy saw Mark Neil (aka “Buzzard”) score a superb 38 points to hold off Dai Rees.

Buzzard wasn’t done there—he also landed the Peter Williams Trophy for Golfer of the Day and hit closest to the pin on the 12th.

The Vaughan Tankard for low handicappers was another close affair, with Geoff Morris narrowly beating Simon Aspley and Simon Loose.

Geoff Morris won low handicapper honours
Geoff Morris won low handicapper honours (KHS Former Pupils)

The HW Newcombe Pairs Trophy was decided by the slimmest of margins, with Seth Butler and Simon Loose just edging out father and son duo Steve and Charlie Lesbirel.

Nick Meredith was on fire for the first 13 holes, hitting pinpoint shots on the 2nd and 5th to win both closest-to-the-pin prizes.

And Huw Bowden claimed the Adrian’s Ace Trophy on the 10th, presented in memory of Adrian Green, while Hugh Tamlyn took nearest the pin on the 14th.

Despite many great approaches on the par three holes, there was only one birdie two all day—Jonathan Davies chipping in on the 2nd to claim that honour.

Big-hitting Seth Butler smashed a monster drive down the 18th to win Longest Drive, and Sam White, nursing a holiday injury, earned the Best Endeavour award for his spirited performance.

The evening dinner was a lively affair, joined by former pupil committee members Anthony Davies and Stuart Rogers, who presented the prizes and crowned Steffan Miles as the winner of the Best Joke for his golf-related story.

The tournament is held annually and welcomes all KHS former pupils.

For more information or to get involved next year, please contact Jonathan Davies at [email protected]

Prize Winners – 2025 Tournament:

Vaughan Tankard – Geoff Morris

Gwenlan Trophy – Mark Neil

Powella Cup – Eoin Shackleton

RJ Lewis Tankard – Leo Roberts

HWNewcombe Trophy – Seth Butler & Simon Loose

Peter Williams Trophy – Mark Neil

Best Endeavour – Sam White

Longest Drive (18th) – Seth Butler

Closest to Pin (2nd & 5th) – Nick Meredith

Closest to Pin (10th) – Huw Bowden

Closest to Pin (12th) – Mark Neil

Closest to Pin (14th) – Hugh Tamlyn

Birdie 2’s – Jonathan Davies

Best Joke – Steffan Miles.

Meanwhile, Raglan Golf Club, which has just marked six months since reopening, is celebrating its golf manager Tom Higson recently finishing fifth in the Welsh PGA Championships at Monmouthshire’s St Pierre Country Club.

He carded a four-over par 148 after rounds of 76 and 72 to finish four shots behind winner Adam Runcie of Abergele Golf Club.

Raglan GC posted: “Huge congratulations to our very own Golf Manager, Tom, for finishing joint 5th in the Welsh PGA Championships 2025!

“And that is exactly why you’ll want to book a lesson with him... email [email protected].”