Market Rasen Golf: Captain Les drives into 2016 with team trophy double

Market Rasen Golf Club's men's captain Les Brumpton has made a perfect start to the season by lifting the trophies for the traditional season-opening social competitions.
From left, junior captain Luke Parkinson, winning captain Les Brumpton, Des Cawsey, ladies captain Helen Grinham, seniors captain Alun Jones EMN-160328-120227002From left, junior captain Luke Parkinson, winning captain Les Brumpton, Des Cawsey, ladies captain Helen Grinham, seniors captain Alun Jones EMN-160328-120227002
From left, junior captain Luke Parkinson, winning captain Les Brumpton, Des Cawsey, ladies captain Helen Grinham, seniors captain Alun Jones EMN-160328-120227002

Playing with Steve Steeples, he led his team to a 7.5-2.5 victory over men’s vice-captain Gaff Elliott’s team in the annual Captain v Vice-Captain match.

Gaff’s partner in the fourball betterball matchplay competition was 2009 skipper Eddie Dunn, but they were unable to stop Les avenging last year’s defeat at the hands of immediate past captain Guy Hardcastle.

In this year’s match, Guy and his partner Neil Vickers, playing against Clive Wilson and Rick Dale, challenged each other’s knowledge of the rules of golf when using an out-of-bounds marker to dislodge a ball stuck up a tree.

Vice-captain Gaff Elliott (left) presents trophy to skipper Les Brumpton EMN-160328-120238002Vice-captain Gaff Elliott (left) presents trophy to skipper Les Brumpton EMN-160328-120238002
Vice-captain Gaff Elliott (left) presents trophy to skipper Les Brumpton EMN-160328-120238002

The following weekend, the four sections of the club each brought a team of eight players to compete for Des Cawsey’s Four Captains’ Challenge Trophy.

Each competitor played an individual stableford and the best six cards were combined to determine the result.

The men’s team were clear winners with 203 points thanks to top scorer Steve Hewish with 38 points.

They finished 14 points clear of the seniors for whom captain Alun Jones led the way with 38 points.

Vice-captain Gaff Elliott (left) presents trophy to skipper Les Brumpton EMN-160328-120238002Vice-captain Gaff Elliott (left) presents trophy to skipper Les Brumpton EMN-160328-120238002
Vice-captain Gaff Elliott (left) presents trophy to skipper Les Brumpton EMN-160328-120238002

The junior team, led by captain and current junior champion Luke Parkinson, fielded two first-timers Ben Larder and Tom Carter and came a very creditable third with 178 points. Mark Bedford wad their top scorer with 34 points.

They edged the ladies into fourth place with captain Helen Grinham their highest points scorer with 28.

Des, who instigated the competition in his captain’s year, 2002, was present after recent surgery to hand the trophy to Les and also provided prizes for the top scorers and refreshments for all the players.

* In the John Hornsey Trophy (Winter League), Dave King playing alongside Gary Smith, and Tim Brumpton with Rick Wheeler, fought their way into the final.

They defeated Adie Bothamley and Pete Conway, and Geoff Portlock with Dave Gregory, respectively in the semi-finals.

* As one knockout competition comes to a conclusion, three more have just begun.

The first rounds of the Sanders, Junior and 51 Club Trophies are being organised by the entrants, all hoping to feature in the finals in August and September.