Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Tottman times it right
Canterbury Golf Club
Late starter Gary Tottman snatched victory from within the grasp of long-term leader Simon Goodfellow to secure the Gurkha Khukuri Cup at Canterbury on Sunday.
Nine-handicap Goodfellow had topped the leaderboard for the best part of four hours after teeing off in the third group and signing for a net 67
But just as it seemed he had held off all challenges from the 64-strong field, in came an identical score from eight-handicap Tottman.
And when the countback was applied, it was 41-year-old taxi driver Tottman who gained the verdict, leaving Goodfellow to rue a dropped shot at the par-5 final hole.
Goodfellow, who teaches at the Harvey Grammar School, Folkestone, had two bogeys – at the 4th and 6th – on his outward half of 38
dropped shot at both the difficult 10th and 11th was partially repaired by a birdie at 12, before a bogey at the 15th and another at the 18th completed a fine round.
Tottman’s challenge didn’t get away too promisingly when he followed an opening par with a double-bogey five at the second.
But a birdie at the fourth helped repair the damage and although he dropped a shot at the sixth, he reached the turn in 38 and with shots in hand.
A bogey at the 12th was retrieved immediately by a birdie at 13 and successive bogeys at 16 and 17 saw Tottman home in a two-over 37 for a gross 75, net 67.
Andrew Williamson maintained his steady improvement since joining the club three months ago by claiming third place, a stroke behind the leading pair, after a fine net 65 that was adjusted to 68 by the maximum handicap rule.
A 23-handicapper, Williamson had to play off the limit of 20 but did well enough to merit a two- stroke reduction in his handicap. But for a triple-bogey eight at the long ninth, he may well have laid claim to the title and been subject to a further cut.
Two strokes further behind, on net 70, was 15-handicap Bernard Disneur, followed by 10 players tied on levelpar 71. Leading scores 67 G Tottman (h8), S Good fellow (h9); 68 A Williamson (h20); 70 B Disneur (h15); 71 H White (h14), W Pearson (h10), B Jennings (h17), A Wigg (h5), P Jefferson (h12), A Brockman (h14), N Hylands (h14), M Williams (h6), D Danton (h1), M Rabenda (h16); 72 D Simmons (h12), R Askham (h8), A Grove (h8); 73 C Gellatly (h6), P Johnson (h17), C Shaxted (h14), K Small (h18); 74 J Coupe (h2), J Isherwood (h15), S Leggett (h6); 75 P Blake (h11), A Bundock (h9), K Nicholls (h19), T Place (h12), K Elliott (h14), L Mcintosh (h18), A Kirkland (h20);