The new season at Spalding Golf Club began with a bang as the Buckingham Cup was contested at the Surfleet course.
Calm conditions led to some very good scoring in the men’s section four ball betterball competition, which was played off a 90 per cent handicap.
In the end it was two of the club’s juniors – Thomas Langford and Kavan Williamson – who came out on top with a superb score of 46 Stableford points.
It was a real joint effort, with Williamson weighing in with two birdies and two pars, while Langford sunk four pars.
Williamson, who is 14, has been playing golf for five years. Other interests include rugby and fishing.
Spalding Grammar School pupil Langford is just 13 and has been playing golf for four years.
He regularly attends Spalding’s Saturday morning coaching sessions at Surfleet.
Both look to have an exciting future at the club.
One point behind the talented teenage duo were Simon Rothwell and Mark Crozier, who pipped Steve Hodgson and Simon Eagle to second place on countback.
Si Gray and Ted Portass were fourth on 42 points, beating Mark Mitchell and Raich Growdidge on countback.
- The opening two matches of the season for Spalding Golf Club’s senior side resulted in a pair of impressive away wins.
The most impressive win was the first at Boston West, with the Spalding side securing a remarkable 7.5-0.5 success.
Winning pairs were: John Camm and Monty Brittain (1up), Roger Davey and Paddy Goslyn (3&1), Steve Leggett and Rod Filby (6&5), Alan Lambert and Ron Sudbury (1up), Ian Jones and John
Woods (3&1), Bill Creasey and Alan Ladbrook (6&5), and Neil Wilkinson and Albert Jacobs (2up).
Dennis Farnsworth and Shaun Gibson added the half in a remarkable team performance.
Spalding then went on to record a 5-3 victory at Boston Cowbridge on their course.
The winning pairs were: Mike Gould and Howard Greaves (2&1), Tony Holbrook and Albert Jacobs (2up), Neil Wilkinson and Alan Pritchard (2&1) and Andy Ladbrook and John Patton (2&1).
John Camm and Roger Davey and John Dorward and John Woods both halved, while Shaun Gibson and John Cretney lost (2&1), as did Bernard Herbert and Brian Reynolds.
- Anita Cross and Olive Gooderson topped the leaderboard as Spalding Golf Club’s ladies’ section contested The Australian Spoons Foursomes competition (for handicaps of 15 and above).
Cross and Gooderson bagged 33 points to finish one point clear of Dina Reedman and Jackie Bailey-Scott (32pts).
Barbara Newcombe and Millie Thorold took third spot with 31 points.
- Friendly: Burghley 1.5 Spalding 3.5 (Paula Brown & Hannah Thorold lost 1 down, Lesley Williams & Millie Thorold won 1up, Debra Ward & Maureen Orwell won 7&5, Theresa Starbuck & Chris Vickers won 2up, Jackie Clare & Jenny Wilson halved).
