Walker shoots 10 under to win May Medal in fine style
TO say that Ashbourne Golf Club’s Nick Walker is on form at the moment would be an understatement as he shot a brilliant 10 under par nett score of 61, including a birdie at the 13th hole, in the May Medal.
That was comfortably good enough to win the third division of the competition but there were good scores all round as dry conditions meant that the course was playing shorter than usual for so early in the season.
The first division winner was another man in form, Pierre Weir, who shot nett 67 off his handicap of seven with a birdie two on the par three third, one ahead of Mark Emmet, who birdied the first and eighth holes.
Dean Higton was third with 69, which included birdies on four and seven plus a remarkable eagle on the par four 13th when he wedged his second shot into the hole.
In division two, Simon Knight won with nett 67, including birdies on the eighth and 15th par fives, with Paul Fowler and Alan Tassell second and third with nett 68s.
In the third division, Toby Howard must have thought he was in with a chance with an excellent nett 65, Andrew Teece also continuing his good form with nett 66 but they reckoned without Walker’s score.
There was also some excellent scoring in the Bank Holiday Stableford, in which Adam Randall scored 41 points with birdies on two, eight and 13 to win division one.
Course manager Richard Walker was second, birdies on 14 and 17 helping him to 40 points, and Steve Walwyn third on 38 points, with birdies on eight,15 and 17.
Scoring in division two was a little more sedate, Eric Cashmore, who birdied the 16th, winning on the back nine with 36 points from James Naylor, who birdied five, while Anthony Bates was third with 34.
The best score in the competition went to Phil Reynolds, who birdied the first on his way to 42 points in division three, edging out Howard Frost and club chairman Martyn Shinner on 41 apiece.
THE
ladies’
Inaugural Cup produced some excellent performances, club stalwart Gill Lockwood prevailing on countback with only three points separating the top five places.
Alison Westerman got off to a flying start on the front nine, scoring 22 points, capped with a birdie two on the ninth, where she holed a 15-foot putt for four points.
Gayl Roden scored 19 points on the front nine, including a birdie on the par four fifth.
Lockwood was slow out of the blocks but a birdie for four points on the par four fourth got her going and she reached 18 points at the turn.
Lisa Gregory and Ruth Sinclair, on 17 and 16 respectively, were in contention and improved on the back nine, finishing with totals of 36 and 35 points.
The result remained in the balance up to the last hole, Lockwood, Westerman and Roden reaching it on 35, 36 and 37 points respectively.
Lockwood played the hole to par, giving her three points, but the other two could only manage sixes for a point each.
Lockwood’s 20 points on the back nine, to Roden’s 19, gave her the honours on countback.
Westerman was third with 37 points, while Gregory and Sinclair were fourth and fifth.
Jill Bainbridge played consistently in Stableford 2 in midweek, winning with 34 points.
Her round included two pars and a birdie on the par four fifth.
She was well clear of the rest of the field, in which Anne Weaver, playing off 17, took second place with 29 points, which included two pars.
Angela Hunt was a point behind in third and also had two pars off her 29 handicap
Lockwood backed up her previous good form by winning the Sunday Medal 1.
Off her 10 handicap, she played both front and back nines in 42 for gross 84, nett 74, her round including birdies at the eighth and 14th and four pars.
Runner-up Lisa Gregory started slowly but had two birdies on the front nine, on three and eight, and three pars for gross 89, nett 76.
Anne Weaver was third with gross 95, nett 78, which included three pars.