Short game pays off for Gill as she celebrates doing the double

No stranger to golfing success in her 28 years as a member at Leighton, Gill’s form dipped after the death of her mentor father Maurice Lesley, and a life-style change which involved moving home.

But she bounced back last week, hitting a nett 65 to win Leighton Ladies Spring Meeting by nine shots, resulting in her handicap being clipped by three shots to 15. And she teamed up with Joyce Young to win the Fourball Betterball competition on countback from Joan Waples and Cecily Goldsmith.

Gill put her success down to a “good day chipping the putting,” finishing strongly after a mid-round wobble. Pam Stannard won the Medal event with a nett 74, with Anne Tilbury a shot adrift.

Leighton’s inter-club team lost their opening match at Buckingham 4-2; beat Bedfordshire Police 4-1 with one match halved and lost 4-3 at John O’Gaunt.

Nigel Barnes won Leighton’s May Club stableford with 42pts, one clear of Steve Giles with Andrew Pickering taking third place with 40pts. Paul Ahmet with 39pts headed a chasing pack of Lewis Scott, Eddie Edwards, Steve Shepherd and Geoffrey Nunn on 38.

Leighton Seniors six-match winning streak has come to an end, losing to The Bedfordshire out 4-3. Mike Bluett and Kelvin Young, Martin Broadley and Robbie John and Derek Browning and Terry Wright won, with Harry Adam and Gerry Ferris halving.

The loss came after beating Beds & County 5-1 with skipper David Debell and Ken Wilson and Terry Wright and Pat Quinlan carding early halves. Wins were secured by Geoff Allatt and Mike Bluett, John Halstead and Robert Tate, Michael Perkins and Isiah Ramdeen, Terry Lingham and Keith Oddie and David Roberts and Richard Lancaster.

The sixth successive win was secured against Stowe, the 6-1 victory being achieved by Mike Bluett and Harry Adam, David Newby and Rob Tate, Keith Camp and Kelvin Young, Paul Johnson and Andrew McDonald, David Nero and David Sweetnam and George Darbyshire and David Roberts winning their games. David Debell and Graham Robinson halved their match.

Judy Ammon finished top qualifier in Leighton Ladies Challenge Cup competition, her nett 70.

Norma Stevens-Hack, Chris Rimmer, Anne Tilbury, Beryl Wood, Elsa King, Betty Bluett and Chris Purkiss will all contest the final. Anne was also top scorer in the Ladies May stableford, her 38 point haul winning the Silver Division three shots clear of Lynne Newnham.

Pictured above are the new recruits and coaches at Leighton’s “Golf Rocks” taster, a campaign to encourage more girls to take up golf and learn skills that will last them a lifetime.

Of the 16 who joined the hour-long coaching sessions at Leighton’s Plantation Road club, 14 have signed up for a five-week follow-on course with club coach Maurice Campbell and his professional team.