CANTERBURY GOLF CLUB

Canterbury champion Josh Bristow was denied a hattrick of Plate wins on Sunday. Bristow had to settle for third as Liam Burns (Chislehurst GC) won the Canterbury Festival opening STRATA Pilgrims Plate 36 holes scratch competition with a two-under-par total of 140. But there could not have been a more popular winner of the Pilgrims Cup handicap competition than Canterbury’s Luke Mcintosh (h9), who is suffering from serious health issues and won with a level par net total of142.

Burns led Bristow by a shot after the first round with a one over par 72 from a field of 54, including 22 visiting players. He sealed the win with an eagle and four birdies in a three under par second round 68 to win by six shots from Callum Piper (North Foreland GC) 74, 72 to take second place at four over par on count back from Bristow 73, 73.

Mcintosh scored a gross 79 (net 70) on Sunday morning and grabbed a vital birdie at the 18th in the afternoon round for a gross 81 (net 72) to win the Pilgrims Cup. He won by a shot from Michael Atkinson (h6), who took second place on count back from Darren Wells (h5) and fourth placed Brandon Ware (h5). Twelve-year-old Jack Swift, who was easily the youngest competitor, took 11th place in the scratch competition and sixth place in the handicap event.

Swift, who plays off five at North Foreland GC, had impressive rounds of 77, 77 to finish 12 over par gross. Bristow had returned to the club motivated by defeat at the Men’s English Amateur Championship in the first knockout round, at Woodhall Spa.

Bristow qualified in 22nd place for the knockout stages with a level par total of 145 from a starting field of 222 but was beaten 2&1 by Tom Stagg (Salisbury and South Wilts GC).