Sansome enjoyed very special year
ONE amateur golfer in the county has stood out above all others during the past 12 months or so with some sterling performances, writes Jennifer Prentice.
Steve Sansome (Birstall) played his 40th year of amateur golf for the county, having started as a junior, and in the past season made his senior debut.
His successes have come thick and fast and his record stretching back over such a long time is highly impressive.
Sansome won the men’s amateur championship for the second time.
He was in fine form around Cosby during the summer on rather a dismal, dark June day.
He hit rounds of 71 and 69 for his two-under-par 140 return to finish clear of county team-mate Coby Cartwright, a member of the host club, with his 75-68-143 total.
In August, Sansome became county amateur senior champion on his debut in the tournament.
This was contested at Luffenham Heath over 18 holes, with Sansome’s 73 putting him clear of the field.
This saw him qualify to represent Leicestershire and Rutland in the English county finals later in the season at Woodhall Spa – in both the men’s and seniors sections.
He chose to go for the seniors and won that too.
So he clinched the English Senior Champion of Champions and, in doing so, also won the Midland Golf Union Seniors Champion of Champions.
Sansome’s great run of form continued.
He was joint winner with Paul Wharton of the MGU Seniors title, claimed the Midland GU Pairs with clubmate Paul Frith, a former county champion and captain, and won the Midland Seniors Order of Merit.
He finished 149 points ahead of his rivals in this event.
Other success within the county came when he won the Seniors Scratch Knockout Singles Match Play title, beating fellow clubmate Graham Marshall in the final at Longcliffe. Sansome was also in both the county men’s and seniors sides for the seniors England Golf qualifying championships.
Throughout the season, he played for the county men in their Anglian League inter-county clashes, as well as in the prestigious Eastern Counties Foursomes at Seacroft GC, Skegness.
He also played for the county seniors in their programme of matches for the 2021 campaign.
In his 40 years at such a high level of county golf, Sansome has always retained his enthusiasm and his skill for the game.
He has also been ready and willing to perform to the best of his ability whenever selected and for whatever tournament.
So there could still be much to come for Sansome, who will be hoping in ten years’ time to celebrate half-a-century of success in the amateur game.