Market Rasen Golf Club: Ian and Geraldine claim President's Day prizes

Head greenkeeper Ben Lowery was the first to tee off at 8.15am from a field of 128, including 22 ladies, with the last golfers setting out at 1.47pm.

At the end of their rounds, club president Ben Hinchliffe provided every player with a well-earned drink and barbecue before presenting the prizes.

In the ladies’ 18-hole stableford competition, Geraldine Johnson posted a magnificent 45 points to claim the President’s Salver and in the process reduced her handicap by a full four shots.

Hefina Brumpton snatched second place after a countback off 38 points from Sue Archer who also won the nearest-the-pin prize on the par three 18th hole.

The men played a medal round and, with an almost faultless nett 62, Ian Penniston seized the Salver and sliced his handicap by three shots.

Tony Hunter came back into form to take second place with nett 64, to earn a two-shot handicap cut, and Alan Lowe was just one shot behind in third.

Lowe recorded a birdie two at the 14th hole to beat Dave Robinson’s nett 66 by a single shot.

Tom Boryszczuk took the best gross prize with a two-over-par round of 73, and, like Lowe and Robinson, took a shot off his handicap.

Seventh-placed Dave Jenkinson did likewise and won the 65 and over prize with a nett 67.

At the other end of the age scale, Ben Larder claimed the best junior prize after a promising round of nett 71.

Other prizes: Nearest-the-pin (18th) Mike Beddoes; Longest drive (6th) past captain Gaff Elliott; Nearest the barrels (4th and 17th) Neil Baxter and Chris Law; Nearest-the-pin-in-two (7th) head greenkeeper Ben Lowery.

* Following the intensity of Market Rasen GC’s Championships Weekend, 35 pairs of men entered the more relaxed, but equally competitive foursome medal for the Carter Cup.

The stalwart pairing of Eric Winder and Hatrel Dhindsa, sixth out in the morning, held the lead with nett 69.5 from past captain Graham Dolan and men’s captain Ian Ribey (nett 71).

However, the afternoon pairings made a late challenge with Suresh Pillai and Andy Osbourne ousting Dolan and Ribey with nett 70.

And, from the final group, brothers Mark and Tony Hunter carded a superb nett 68.5 to claim the trophy and push Winder and Dhindsa into second place.

The best gross prize was won with a seven-over-par 78 by Craig Smith and Paul Baker.

* For the first time in 14 years, Market Rasen’s men’s A team have topped their scratch league in the North West Lincolnshire Region, having won five out of their six matches.

The six pairs now go on to play North East region winners Cleethorpes, at Grimsby GC, on Sunday, August 26 for a place in the county final.

* During a cloudy, breezy break from the heatwave, 13 mixed pairs donned their all-weather gear to compete in a greensome medal for the Banovallum Bowl.

Michael and Sue Archer carded a just under par nett 70.6 to claim second place, two shots adrift of Laurie Finch and ladies’ captain Jenny Holborn (nett 68.6) who became the 53rd Banovallum winners.