Blistering back nine wins it for Dolby
A blistering 23 point back nine earned 12-handicap Saul Dolby the Leonardslee Trophy on countback at Mannings Heath on Saturday after he, Aaron Peacock and Neil Eldridge all finished with Stableford totals of 40 at the head of a bumper field.
Dolby’s inward half included two birdies and earned him a one-shot handicap cut while Peacock, playing off three and competition runner-up for the second week in a row, had five birdies in carding the day’s best gross card, one under par.
Eldridge meanwhile stormed to the turn with 23 but fell away slightly on the home straight to finish third. The day’s other prizes went to Giles Korner, Cam Bates and Paul Sewell who all signed for 39 while Meriel Jolley was the best of the ladies on 37.
The trophy was inaugurated only two years ago to follow the EuroPro Nokia Masters and give members the chance to play off the same tees, and with the same pin placings, as the final day of the professional event.
With the EuroPro tour cancelled by the pandemic this year, members had to settle for the challenge of playing off the back tees and over a hundred signed up to do so.
The ladies’ Padwick Cup was won in impressive style by Marion Gibson, whose 41-point card earned her a two-shot cut to her 28 handicap as well as the trophy. Gibson garnered points on every hole including four for a birdie on the 15th.
A brilliant one-over-par back nine swept Jake Boddie to a winning 43 points in the junior stableford and lowered his 19 handicap by two shots. Ashley Head took second place with 40 and Freddie Muggeridge was third on 39.
Eight seniors finished with 40 points or better and six received handicap cuts on a hot scoring Monday in the Alan Blick Memorial Trophy. Harvey Jones off 18 and 25-handicap Peter West led the way on 42 with Jones’s better back six making him the narrow winner.