Record round for Lucy

IN the ladies’ section, Lucy Hole (pictured right) set a new course record when she shot a gross 74 (two over par). It was the lowest ladies’ score since the course was lengthened by changing the fourth hole from a par four to a par five.

The ladies’ competition was played in quite difficult, blustery conditions making her achievement all the more remarkable.

Her playing partner, Jan Tytheridge, said: “It was really exciting, I could tell from the beginning that Lucy was playing exceptionally well and I just hoped she would maintain that form – and she did! It was a pleasure to watch.”

The round consisted of 11 pars and three birdies, including a birdie on hole 11 which is stroke index one – the hardest on the course.

The Grandmas’ Bowl was won by the club’s newest grandma, Glenda Winn, with 37 points. Runner-up was Muriel Stone with 33 points.

On an overcast day interrupted by showers, club captain John Tweed welcomed 120 members taking part in his Captain’s Day.

It was a huge success with members playing an 18-hole individual stableford in the morning followed by a 10-hole Texas Scramble in the afternoon.

There was an extensive prize table for all sections of the club but the major prize was won by Peter Collins (4) who shot a magnificent Gross 69 (41 Stableford points) to take the spoils by two points from Richard Morris (8) and Geoff Pilgrim (13) with 38 points.

The afternoon’s Texas Scramble was won by the captain’s wife Lisa who, with partner Steven Greatrex, amassed a magnificent 27 points over the 10 holes, narrowly pipping Jason Pratt and Kevin Stokes on 26 points and Harry Cribb and Alex Fellas also on 26 points.

Next Monday the captain will take on a marathon golf day when he hopes to complete 100 holes in the day.

Gorleston Golf Club

GORLESTON players have enjoyed some degree of success in national competition with professional Alex Holmes taking the first step on the road to the Open Championship as one of the qualifiers from the event at the Gog Magog course in Cambridgeshire.

Holmes moves onto the next qualifying event over 36 holes of the Princes course at Sandwich, Kent where he tees off for his first 18 holes at 6.35am next Tuesday.

In the Daily Mail Foursomes, Danny Perring and Danny Western beat their Halesworth opponents 3 and 1 for a place in the fifth round where they have been rewarded with a home tie against Royal Cromer.

In addition to these competitions, Patrick Goffin has entered three nationally-sponsored competitions and is joined by James Chadd in the Volvo tournament and the HowDidiDo pairs.

In the ladies’ Weston Trophy the team, although already eliminated in the group section, were determined to avoid a whitewash from the all-powerful Felixstowe Ferry ladies and did so thanks to the resilience of the in-form Penny Platten. She eventually managed to overcome her opponent at the seventh extra hole.

There was defeat at home for the junior team on Sunday with visitors Fynn Valley winning 4-2 in the Suffolk Junior Cup.

However, there are undoubtedly some talented youngsters in the club’s ranks.

Marie Ogles was victorious in the Grandmas’ Cup whilst Patrick Goffin secured victory in the Havard Cup and Ray Thompson led the field in the monthly Stableford.

Ray presumably was using the event as a warm-up for the marathon four rounds he was attempting with club colleagues Matthew Gee, Mark Newson and Dave Punter on the longest day in a sponsored event to raise funds for cancer relief charities.

As these notes were being compiled the players had just begun their final round some 12 hours after starting their first.

County cup competitions are the focus this weekend.

The men’s Hambro Cup team receive visitors Hintlesham Hall on Sunday with the Tolly Cobbold Cup team travelling to Waldringfield for their second-round match.

On Monday the senior section’s Parks Trophy team will be in action at home to Ufford Park.