Three men from Spalding Golf Club put in a sterling performance to again guide Lincolnshire to a fifth-placed finish in the England Champion Club tournament.
Representing Lincolnshire for the fourth time in the last five years, Spalding trio of Andy Grimwood (handicap -1), Mark Mitchell (0) and Simon Richardson (-4) equalled last year’s performance in achieving Lincolnshire’s best finish since 1984.
The Champion Club event was played over two days at the picturesque, par 72 Trentham GC course in Stoke-on-Trent. Some 34 county champion club’s contested the 36-hole strokeplay tournament, with each team consisting of three players.
The side with the lowest combined scratch score would win the competition, with all three scores to count.
Lying in third place after round one, Spalding finished 15 strokes behind the winners after Grimwood (74+75=149) +5, Mitchell (78+77=155) +11, and a great performance from Simon Richardson (69+69=138) -6, gave them a 442 +10 total.
Southport and Ainsdale GC (Lancs) were the runaway winners with 427. They finished on a -5 total, some ten strokes ahead of Hindhead GC (Surrey) in second spot with +5. Coventry GC (Warks), who were the defending champions, placed third on +9.
Hesswall (Cheshire) were also on +10 with Spalding, but were awarded fourth place on countback with a better final round.
Spalding’s Richardson had 11 birdies over the two days and his 6 under par 36-hole total was the best of the 100-plus golfers present.
It looked really good for Spalding for a while, as they got up to second place after 27 holes. But after a very average combined back nine holes, it was not to be.
But the players, caddies and travelling supporters were very pleased with their efforts, having again been ranked as the fifth best team in England.
- The Lovell Cup competition was won by Mike O’Brien and Andy Rafferty with a score of 43 points.
In a greensome Stableford format, for pairs in different handicap categories, they lifted the trophy with a single point winning margin from a field of 51 pairs.
In second place was Stuart Armstrong and Darrel Cross on countback from James Crampton and Rob Dunmore, after both scored 42 points.
Ollie Mitchell and Joe Slater just edged fourth spot, also on countback, from Neil Clarke and Chris Lambe (both with 41pts).
Other leading scores: 40pts – John Goode and Keith Hearne; 39pts – Maurice Crunkhorn and Andy Thomas, Phil Wakefield and Steve Phillips, Phil Tweddell and Martin Ackers, Rod Filby and John Walker; 38pts – Vic Davis and Reg Stubbs, Simon Rothwell and Mark Crozier, Martin Baker and Chris Flynn, Matthew Richardson and Mark Payne.
