Seniors Scratch Trophy Sizzling Simon Rowe is back on the honours board at Colchester Golf Club after a 30-year gap. Rowe was the winner of a host of silverware back in the 1980s before leaving the club through work commitments. He re-joined last year and his impressive golf since then finally saw him capture the Seniors Scratch Trophy. Playing off seven, he was the model of consistency – posting 15 pars and just three bogeys on the 4th, 10th and 15th – to record a gross 73 and take the boarded trophy by one shot. The surprise runner-up was 10-handicapper Mick Potter who fired his best-ever round at Braiswick – a brilliant 74, including a birdie at the last - to leapfrog many other lower handicappers. Potter’s round was so good even he was shocked into silence for a few seconds! In third place, also on 74, came last year’s winner Bill Eke. The four-handicapper had an excellent opening 16 holes with a birdie at the 9th hole and 13 pars leaving him just one over on the 17th tee. But dreams of a repeat win faded as Eke finished double-bogey, bogey and the trophy slipped from his grasp. The usually-consistent Alan MacNaught, 6, was fourth with a topsy-turvy75 that had four birdies but two double-bogeys.
John Thorogood Trophy Running alongside the Senior Scratch was the John Thorogood Trophy – open to all and played off handicap. It saw victory for nine-handicapper Michael Blakebrough (correct) who recovered from a poor opening to blast a red-hot nett 64. Blakebrough began with three bogeys in the first five holes but settled things down with a birdie at the par-5 9th. He followed that with two more at the 14th and 16th to post 35 on the back nine and so squeeze past the unlucky Potter on countback. Scott Vass, 12, and Stephen Cullis, 16, were third and fourth on nett 75 with Vass super-charging his round by playing the last six holes in two-under gross while Cullis fired seven consecutive pars mid-round to build his good round.
Mackenzie Foursomes The Ladies section saw the final of the prestigious Mackenzie Foursomes and a right royal battle between past Captain Renate Clark and Catherine Chick against Cherie Clark and Janet Tebbutt. It was nip and tuck all the way with the match finishing level before Clarke and Chick snatched victory at the first extra hole. |