The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
Simon Richardson has retained the Lincolnshire Union of Golfers Amateur Championship and also helped Spalding Golf Club qualify once again for a national final.
It’s the third time in a row he’s been crowned the champion and the fifth time in six years.
This year’s competition took place at a very brown and bouncy Seacroft Golf Club on Sunday, June 24.
The event is played over two rounds and Richardson was up against after the first round, trailing the clubhouse leader Chris Haynes by three shots.
Richardson went round in a one-under par 71 to put him in joint second place alongside Kieron Spencer-Chaplin.
As the temperatures soared, so did the scores, but Richardson held it together while others wilted.
Haynes shot a 78 in the second round meaning Richardson’s 74 was enough to give him a gross aggregate score of 145, putting him one clear to win the title.
The regional round of the Champion Club is also decided at this event with the top two players scores from each club being added together.
Step forward Tommy Hull whose consistent rounds of 77 and 75 led to an aggregate gross score of 152 for 13th place.
It means Spalding progress to the England Champion Club final in September at Huddersfield GC, beating Kenwick Park by one shot.
Richardson together with Hugo Kedzlie and Andrew Grimwood finished in a fantastic fourth place last year in the national final in Devon and they will be looking to do even better at the event this time around.
Richardson and Hull had been in action together the previous day as Spalding’s first team were in matchplay action against Stoke Rochford.
The pair won their matches, as did James Crampton and Lloyd Chatham, however it was Stoke Rochford who took a 4-2 win.
Spalding’s third team went down 3.5-2.5 to Burghley Park on Friday, June 22.
Spalding’s first three pairs all finished one down, but the last three did not disappoint and finished without a loss.
There were wins for John Taylor and Brian Naylor as well as Richard Baker and Tony Prince while Sam Sampson and Robin Exley halved their match.
