Golf: Cowdray captain's prize has a thrilling end

The final round of Cowdray Park seniors' captain's prize took place on a dry, sunny day, with many players in contention and calculating what they had to do to pass Dave Lucking on 105.
The Cowdray Park seniors' Texas scramble winnersThe Cowdray Park seniors' Texas scramble winners
The Cowdray Park seniors' Texas scramble winners

After the completion of four rounds, a player can drop his lowest score, which could lead to wholesale changes at the head of the leader board.

Lucking knew he needed to improve on his lowest score of 33 to extend his lead, but he failed to do so. Second-placed Chris Hutchings was away while third-placed Phillip Singer also failed to improve his score and eventually finished fifth jointly with Robin Phillips.

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First out to play was Terry Adsett, who was able to drop his lowest score of 25 and replace it with his final-round 33 put him down as the man to beat with a score of 108.

Other challengers came in and failed to get past this score until near the end of the day. One group of two pairs, John Hall and John Durrell, and Paul Owen and John Newman, had players submitting scores which opened up all of the day’s prizes.

Hall recorded the best individual score of the day of 42, and, with Durrell, they were the highest scoring twosome. Alongside them Owen was playing impressively and returned with a score of 41 and this gave him a final score of 108, sufficient to beat Terry Adsett on countback, and he also won the nearest-the-pin on the 18th prize.

On the same hole, Durrell chipped in from more than 70 yards below the hole to record a birdie three. Only two players recorded a two, stalwarts Dave Hirons and David Tilley.

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Pairs scores: 1 John Hall & John Durrell 76; 2 John Newman & Paul Owen 74; 3 Dave Tilley & Robin Phillips 66.

Overall scores: 1 Paul Owen 108; 2 (on countback) Terry Adsett; 3 Dave Lucking 105; 4 Chris Hutchings 104; 5 (on countback) Phillip Singer, 6 (on countback) Robin Phillips.

The Cowdray Golf Academy is staging an open weekend on April 9 and 10. Hosted by the club’s PGA p itrofessionals is the perfect way to see what golf at Cowdray is all about.

Fun on the day includes a chance to have a go at golf, free coaching slots, free use of the par-three course all weekend, free club hire, a chance to sign in and try the championship course, and the launch of new academy membership.

Call 01730 813599 or email [email protected]

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Cowdray Park seniors held their ever popular Texas scramble on a cold but sunny day, and with the wet ground, the ball was not running when it landed, leading to higher scores than usual.

The players were drawn in teams of four from the various levels of handicap to give an equal balance to all the teams. Every player in a team had to record four drives, and after the drive, the player whose shot was chosen stood aside until, on the green, all four were able to putt out.

The winning team, and the only one to beat 60 with 58.2, comprised February’s club monthly medal winner Chris Hutchings, John Hall, past captain Sam Howes and ultra-consistent Jim Booth.

They won by two clear shots from second-placed team of Ian Heustice, Ian Gunn, John Kitchener and John Durrell. Durrell gave his team a good start when he chipped in from off the green for a birdie three on the second, the most difficult hole on the course.

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Third with 61.1 points were Paul Owen, Wally Mitchell, Mel Milburn and Tony Castley. Now that February is over and the weather is gradually drying up, it is difficult to believe that the long season of inter-club matches is barely two weeks away.

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