Shave extends his lead in professional order of merit
CRAIG Shave (Whetstone) maintained his fine start to the new county golf Alliance season when he enjoyed more success in the Rothley Park GC meeting.
Shave, left, shot four-under-par for his 40 points haul, which put him well clear at the head of the professionals awards.
He hit five birdies and had only one dropped shot in his round.
His birdies came at the fifth going out, but he bogeyed 11, before birdies at 13, back-to-back at 15 and 16 with another at the last.
Shave and his father Gary, a member of Cosby, also won the pro/ am award with 41 points.
Olly Booth (Scraptoft) and Richard Reed (Glen Gorse) were joint second in the pro section with 35 pts apiece, and there was also a tie on 34 pts between Jon Williamson (Birstall) and David Mee (Longcliffe).
Gerald Brooks (Beedles Lake) and Andrew Alden (Cosby) were first overall with their 42 pts on Alliance rule from Booth and Harry Huddart (Lingdale), on the same mark.
Birstall pair Williamson and Dave Sewart notched 41 pts to finish third overall.
Julian Harris (Glen Gorse) and Mark Francome (Lutterworth), also on 41 pts, won the am/am prize.
Shave’s success sees him stretch his lead at the top of the professional order of merit.
He now has 44 points and is no fewer than 20 clear of his closest challenger.
Second is Neil Parker (Humberstone Heights) on 24pts, with Matthew Cort (Beedles Lake) third on 22 pts. Cort was overseas and unable to play in the Rothley Park tournament.
Bob Larratt (Kibworth) on
20 pts is fourth with the chasing pack tightly grouped at this point.
The overall Alliance order of merit is also headed by Shave with 26 points from amateur Mick Jordan (Glen Gorse) on 25, David Mayfield (Rothley Park) on 17 and Larratt on 16pts.
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