The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
ON-FIRE IN THE FOREST: Spalding Golf Club’s Simon Richardson is following in the footsteps of Lee Westwood.
Simon Richardson’s rich vein of form continued as the Spalding Golf Club ace won the 2014 Sherwood Forester 36-hole scratch competition.
The field at the par-70 Sherwood Forest comprised 50 of the top golfers from the Midlands – with past winners of the competition including Lee Westwood (twice), Oliver Wilson and Spalding’s own James Crampton in 1997.
After scoring a level par 70 in the morning round, Richardson then carded a bogey free 5-under par gross 65 to win the competition, some eight strokes ahead of his nearest rival.
The standard scratch for both rounds was 74 and Richardson now has a handicap of minus 4.3.
Richardson retained the Lincolnshire Amateur Strokeplay Championship title earlier this season.
- Both of Spalding’s South Lincs Scratch League teams suffered 4-2 defeats against the current leaders in their respective divisions, Blankney.
The top team needed a win to keep their title hopes alive, but it wasn’t to be.
Only Mal Wray and Hugo Kedzlie and Keith Hearne and Mark Cooley managed to win their games (both 2&1).
The second team, however, despite their loss, are still in the mix for honours in their league. They remain equal second, with two out of the three remaining matches to play are at home.
Steve Camm and Chris Ward (5&4) were the only winning pair, with Richard Laud and Chris Moxon and Phil Tweddell and Paul Johnson both halving their games.
- A social match against King’s Lynn, played at the Surfleet course, resulted in a 3.5-2.5 win for the visitors.
Spalding’s winning pairs were Max Ellis and Andy Reedman (7&5) and Sandy Watson and Stewart Sharp (3&2).
Frank Bell and Bob Sutton halved their game.
- Spalding’s third team returned to winning ways in their latest social match.
They defeated their counterparts from Burghley Park 5-0 at the Surfleet course, with one game halved.
Winning pairs were Mike Murphy and Stuart Parker (2up), John Spencer and Rob Sampson (2&1), Keith Moore and Kevin Siddle (3&2), Alan Pritchard and Norman Miller (3&2) and Rod Filby and Mick Hanson (2&1). Del Murphy and Doug Garfoot halved their game.
- The 13-hole Wednesday evening Stableford competition was again well supported, with 49 golfers taking to the field.
Gary Palmer came out on top with a score of 32 points, ahead of James Carles and Martin Deacon in equal second (29pts).
Completing the leaderboard, all with 28 points, were Calum Lewis, Simon Goemans, Chris Hull, Mark Payne and Keith Hearne.
