Last weekend's Men's Club Championship is a competition of two rounds played on a gross score basis. Also this year, a trophy kindly donated by last year's Club Captain, Kevin Brimble, was on offer for the best nett score over the two rounds.
The first round on Saturday was played in sunshine, but a tricky cross wind blowing over the course made low scoring very difficult. Vice-Captain, Rob Riccio, set the early pace with an excellent round of 78. This was matched later by Stu Ponfield and Danny Farnen. The leader after the first day was last year's Champion, Liam Copp, with an outstanding 73. Battling for the Nett Score Trophy, Simon Waller scored nett 70, Ali Shanks had a nett 71, Guy Adams and Steve Hobbs tied with nett 72.
Day two brought much more difficult weather conditions, with the wind constantly changing direction and on occasions, very heavy squalls of rain. In the battle for the Nett Trophy, Alan Broadway had a good score of nett 71, Gary Prater and Martin Walker had nett 74 each. At the end of the day, the first overall winner of the Nett Trophy was Tony Guthrie, with a total of 74+70=144 nett.
A good score of 78 gross from Steve Longden set the target early on in the gross competition. The leaders battled through worsening weather, but still recorded some great scores. Ben Josham and Stu Ponfield scored 77 each, Danny Farnen scored a great 75, but the winner and Men's Club Champion, retaining the trophy for the second year running, was Liam Copp, with an overall score of 73+70=143.
Farrington Park Pro Am
Big hitting David Dixon astonished players and members of Farrington Park with a prodigious display of driving to win the club's Annual Pro-Am with a round of three-under-par 69 in the sunshine.
He won the award for the longest drive at the par five ninth hole, by sending the ball 402 yards off the tee. And he launched another missile at the 433-yard eighteenth, the ball finished just short of the green in the light rough.
"They were good hits, but I did have the wind behind me," he said. "I am playing well at the moment and I left a lot of putts out there. Some of the pin positions were tricky, although the greens were in great condition.
"The course is playing really nicely and I always look forward to coming to Farrington. Good shots are always rewarded."
Richard O'Hanlon (St Kew), who travelled from Cornwall, was runner-up, one shot behind.
Craig Adams, the former Farrington Club Champion, who now plays as a professional on the Europro and Jamega Tours, led the winning team who shot sixteen-under-par 128. It including his brother, Mark, fellow Farrington member, Nick Russell, and Steve Seymour (Burnham and Berrow).
Murdoch McEwan (Wells), who has just rejoined the PGA after spending ten years in Texas, led the second team, while Welshman, James Maxwell (Teign Valley), returned to a course where he has won in the past to head the third-placed team.
Farrington Park Ladies
37 ladies entered the monthly EWGA Medal on Ladies Thursday morning, the winning scores were very close. The winner of the Silver Division, with a nett 73, was Mandy Hobbs, in second place, with a nett 75 on countback, was Jackie Walker, and third, also with a nett 75, was Jane Waller. In the Bronze Division, the winner, Liz Thomas, came in with a nett 75 on countback, second was Peggy Edwards, again on countback with a nett 75, and third, also with a nett 75, was Jackie Hobbs.