Cosby celebrate a double success in the foursomes
ILLSLEY BECOMES SENIOR KNOCKOUT CHAMPION
NO fewer than three Leicestershire and Rutland county golf union 2020 finals were decided at Scraptoft.
They included the climax of two major inter-club foursomes championships.
They were completed on time despite the trials and tribulations of probably the most testing ever season for golf in the two counties.
Cosby GC dominated the day by winning two titles – they made a successful defence of the men’s fourosmes and also claimed the pro/am title.
Semi-finals were played the same day and the finals this year were reduced from 36 to 18 holes for the men’s and pro/am foursomes to enable the competitions to be completed.
The other tournament to reach a conclusion was the senior men’s knockout which was won by Mark Illsley (Willesley Park), who regularly represents the county in matches and competitions.
The men’s semi-finals saw Cosby’s John Fairbrother (+1) and teenager Will Plant (3) 3-up against Luffenham Heath’s David Wheatley (7) and George Petrie (4), with Liam Plant (scr), Will’s father, and James Gamble (3) all square with Luffenham’s David Smith (2) and Andrew Fitzmaurice (7).
In the other semi-final, Humberstone Heights won against Ullesthorpe Court. Their top pair of Steve Dodman (7) and Dave Flavelle (7) were 2-up against Chris Hunt (6) and Matt Reeves (3), with Terry Abrahams (11) and Ashley Jacobs (9) 1-down to Russell Ward (4) and Steve Turton (11).
In the final, Cosby ended 4-up against Humberstone Heights to clinch the crown again.
The top match saw Fairbrother and Will Plant 2-up against Humberstone Heights Dodman and Flavelle, with Gamble and Liam Plant also 2-up against Abrahams and Jacobs.
In the pro/am semi-finals, Cosby’s
Darren Jones and Luke Burrows (+1) beat Beedles Lake GC’s Matthew Cort and Lee North (6) at the first extra hole, while Luffenham Heath’s Ian Burnett and amateur Dylan Dronfield (5) won by 7 and 6 against Michael Reed and amateur Charlie Hallam (4).
Darren Jones and Luke Burrows won the final 1-up to win this title for their club for the first time since the 2016 season.
Mark Illsley (Willesley Park) became seniors scratch knockout champion when he beat Alan Turton (Ullesthorpe Court) by 5 and 3 in the final.
This trophy was presented in 2016 by Kevin Whitfield-Green, county director of tournaments.
He said: “It was very intense to settle both the semi-finals and finals of two of these events and the final of the seniors on the same day, but we were extremely pleased to get them all signed off for the year and hope we will be able to go back to the traditional formats next year.
“The whole season has been difficult, but I must admit we were relieved to get through to the end with so much achieved in resolving not only our 2020 inter-club championships, but also the delayed 2019 ones recently, as well as the individual titles too.” the