Lester Trots to Spalding Turkey triumph by sole shot

Lester Pybus bettered 111 other Spalding Golf Club members to take top spot at a high-quality Turkey Trot Stableford competition last week.

With the sizeable field playing off the forward tees, some very good scores were recorded at the Surfleet course.

Keeping the ball on the fairway, away from the fallen leaves, was the key to a good score – and Pybus (19 handicap) certainly did just that, coming out on top with a super score of 41 points.

Richard Laud (6) and Martin North (25) were just one point adrift of the overall winner after both scored 40 points.

The other leading scores came from: 39pts – John Spencer, Mark Payne, Nick Bird, James Carles, Mark Cooley, Robin Exley; 38pts – Ray Barnett; 37pts – Nigel Cook; 36pts – Chris Hull, Wayne Flowers, Chris Brooks, Andy Cunnington, John Patton and John Reynolds.

• Stuart Parker (9) and Wayne Wallace (3) will represent the club in the Daily Mail national foursomes competition next year – although they finished in second place with 34pts in the qualifying competition at the Surfleet course.

The competition was won by the junior pairing of Harry Hunt and Calum Walker (35pts) – but age restrictions set by the Daily Mail (of which everyone was aware) means they could not qualify.

Other leading scores came from: 34pts – Mark Cooley and Keith Hearne, Raich Growdridge and Simon Richardson; 33pts – Jerry Philo and Phil Tweddell; 30pts – Andy Grimwood and Mark Mitchell and John Barrett and Stephen Thompson.

• Hugo Kedzlie finished off the season on a high note winning the best gross score prize in the county junior Patrons Cup competition, played at Blankney Golf Club.

From a field of 36 entries, top teenage talent Kedzlie (2 handicap) won on countback from defending champion Joe Knox (1), from Elsham Golf Club, after both scored a gross 75.

Fellow Spalding young gun Calum Lewis (81-8=73) finished sixth in the nett competition with a nett 73.

• Popular septuagenarian Albert Jacobs recorded his third hole in one at the course recently.

Jacobs, who is currently playing off a 14 handicap, holed out on the 143 yard par three ninth hole once again – his last one being on this hole back in 2011.

• The men’s winter league programme is now up and running – and the competition is fierce.

Some 45 pairs are aiming to be in the top 16, who will then progress to the knock-out stage with the Course Stewards Cup as the prize in March of next year.