Champ has Wale of a time to defend trophy
RICHARD FINISHES SEVEN SHOTS CLEAR OF RIVALS
DEFENDING champion Richard Wale made a successful defence of The Robin Fraser Trophy at Rothley Park GC.
The spring tournament went ahead on Sunday after being delayed from its original date in April.
Also it had to be decided this year over 36 holes on one day rather than the traditional 72 holes on two different courses over two days.
Ideal golfing weather, bright and sunny, attracted a top-calibre field, producing some competitive scoring and plenty of excitement.
But it also saw one of the most commanding ever winning totals.
Wale (The Leicestershire), the defending champion for the last three seasons, and the reigning Midland GU order of merit title-holder, fired a six-under-par 65 to lead at halfway.
He had a birdie at the 1st, an eagle two at the 2nd, another birdie at 5 but saw two shots slip away at 9 to be two-under-32 at the turn.
Coming back, he birdied 11, bogeyed 12, then had three birdies in quick succession from 13, adding another at the last, for a four-under 33 over the second half of his opening round.
Wale was four strokes ahead of Oliver Willson of the host club, the former county captain, with both Jack Mayfield (Cosby) and George Raitt (Whetstone) on one-under-70, and three players – Tom Roberts (Rothley Park), Arshad Tarmarhomed (Scraptoft) and Joe Hack (Lutterworth) – on level par 71.
The second round also belonged to Wale.
He shot a two-under-par 68, including an eagle at the par 5 15th hole.
Wale turned in one-under-33, with birdies at 1, 2 and 5 before a double bogey 6 at 9 for the second time in the day.
He also dropped a shot at 12, before his eagle and a birdie at the
17th, taking two-under-35 for the session.
Wale won by seven shots from the field.
Freddie Macarthur (Ullesthorpe Court) was runner-up on 73-67-140 after another good performance with Jack Hall (Kilworth Springs) 73-69 and Tarmahomed, who added a second 71, tied on 142 level par.
The round one award went to Oliver Willson for his 69 and round two award went to county junior William