Hinckley are champs after nail-biting finish
MIXED FOURSOMES FINAL GOES TO THREE EXTRA HOLES
HINCKLEY GC are the new county golf union mixed foursomes champions after a tight contest saw them see off Ullesthorpe Court in the final at Scraptoft GC.
The final went into three extra holes for each of the two games after the clubs ended all square in the scheduled 36-hole final.
Hinckley also won the county senior knockout foursomes, beating Kibworth by 3 and 1 over 18 holes.
In the mixed, Hinckley’s top pair of Joe Matharu (scr) and Ellie York (5) came up against David Evrall (1) and Alison Horak (10) from Ullesthorpe Court, who received four shots.
It was Ullesthorpe Court who dominated round one, finishing 4-up at the end of 18 holes.
But the tide turned in the second session. It was Hinckley who were 4-up. So this clash was all square on aggregate, Hinckley’s second pair Donny Parkin (5) and Trudie Allen (13) – who received one shot – played Ullesthorpe Court’s Chris Hunt (5) and Lisa Porter (12) and were 3-up after the opening 18-holes.
In round two, Ullesthorpe came back strongly to be 3-up. So this game was all square, too, taking both matches into overtime.
After the three extra holes in both of the matches, Hinckley claimed the spot in the winners’ circle to be champions for the first time for several years in the inter-club foursomes tournament, which was launched in the 1937 season.
Burbage Common GC, which evolved into the present Hinckley club, won this event 30 years later.
In this year’s semis, Hinckley beat Kilworth Springs, while Ullesthorpe Court saw off Beedles Lake.
At the same time at Scraptoft Hinckley’s Barry Ayre (14) and Derek Bloor (16) took on Kibworth’s Paul Jelly (3) and Aldo Rodi (18) in the one-round climax to the seasonlong seniors foursomes.
Hinckley received five strokes and ran out the winners by 3 and 1. They also won this title as Burbage Common before successes as Hinckley over the last few years.
Hinckley had beaten Market Harborough in the semi-finals of this event, with Kibworth putting out Forest Hill to go into the final.
Both trophies were presented to the new champions by county president Richard Barker (Longcliffe).