THE first match of the new regime for the Seniors at Forest Hills, and with the new Captain Alan Bridges unavailable, the reins were handed back to his predecessor Richard Keeble, who took charge of the team at Ross-on-Wye – with a predictable outcome.
Richard Keeble and Ken Lawrence held on for a well deserved half in the opener. This was then followed by a narrow one down loss recorded by Gary Davies and Paul Williams. Mark Graham and Phil Gwynne then managed to level things up, as they shook hands on the 16th, winning 3 & 2.
This was as good as it got, as three defeats followed. Kev Greening and Pat Simcoe lost 1 down, Alan Ayling and Barry Klein lost 4 & 3, before Martin Shipley and John Bodnar had to concede on the 15th, as they lost 5 & 3, for : Ross-on-Wye 4.5- 1.5.>
This weeks Seniors competition on Thursday was a Team Texas Scramble that commenced on a murky morning, but gradually, the sunshine warmed the bones of the 14 participating teams.
The winners were Pete Dovey, Steve Hammond, Pat Simcoe and John Humphries with their fantastic score of 23 under, nett 49.
Richard Keeble, Steve Cole, Trevor Baker, and Robin Leamons score of 56, placed them second on countback, from David Forbes, Ken Lawrence Bob Gibson and Alan Bridges.
With no twos kitty, Captain Severn introduced a Charity Nearest the Pin on the 14th, that was won by Colin Baird, raising £51 for his Seniors Captains Charity, which is Great Ormond Street and Gloucester Maternity Ward.
The Saturday Stableford attracted its usual large field, and the winner of Division One was Darren Page with 39 points. Philip Evans was second with 37 on countback from John Watkins and Liam Maskell.
Alastair Timms won Division Two with a great return of 43 points. Alan Franklin was second with 40, and Steven East third with 39.
There were only three two’s claimed, by Steve Jones, Brian Levy and Paul Merry.
The final B Team fixture of the year, saw Broadway travel to Mile End on Saturday.
The Captain and Vice Captain led their team out, and returned on the wrong end of a two down result.
Fraser Freeman-Jones and Keelan Reddan then levelled things up, as they won 4 & 2, as did Josh Mathews and Pat Simcoe. The half was achieved in the fourth match as Jaques McCinnes and Stuart Mudway shook hands on the 18th, as they won 1up.
> Steve Goode and Josh Goode then won the penultimate encounter 3 & 2, before Clive Skinner and Chris Norris then lost the last match 1 down, for a final score of :Forest Hills 4 - Broadway 2.
Due to some unfortunate circumstances on Sunday, only half the field were able to complete in Round 4 of the Winter League, so the competition was cancelled, so commiserations are offered to Martyn and Jason Howell who had registered a great score of 49 points. Brian ‘Noddy’ Evans and Dave Cole, 47, and Andy Shenton and John Watkins who finished with 44.
The Seniors Winter League got under way on Monday, in the shape of a Pairs Better-Ball Stableford.
The result of the competition that attracted 27 pairs, resulted in the top four teams being separated by only four points.
Congratulations to Colin Grindle and Brian L Evans who won with 48 points. Mike Connon and Clive Skinner were second on 47, with Mark Graham and Bob Gibson third with 46, and Geoff Pearson and Robin Leamon a further shot adrift with 45.
> Colin Grindle, Mike Connon, Robin Leamon, Gary French, Mick Hilliam, and Richard Keeble with a brace of birdies on the eighth and 17th each won £12
Of the 47 pairs that entered the latest Men’s Winter League on Sunday, only five failed to beat par, and the winners were Ian Huxstep and Dave Howard with their 14 under par score of 50, and they eased out Colin Grindle and Joe Liddington on countback.
A one shot further adrift were Eddy Annis and Alan Edwards, with 49. Andy Shenton and John Watkins were fourth on countback from AshleynJames and Mike Parry, as they both finished on 47.
The second round of the Winter League competitions, The winners were Terry Hook and Alex Harvey, as they finished with a remarkable score of 81 points, as they finished 9 shots clear of John Humphries and Martin Weller, and their level par score of 72 was good enough to ease out Chas Challis and Pat Simcoe into third place, with Gerald Woodley and Mark Hyde fourth.
There were ten claims made on the twos kitty, but none better than Dave Howard’s ace, on the par three eighth, which was his first hole-in-one.