Winning is a Shaw thing for Derek as he doubles up on wins

For 24 hours after he and wife Maggie each collected prizes from outgoing Leighton Buzzard Golf Club Captain Adrian Stephenson for their on-course successes last year, Derek celebrated by winning the first major competition of the year marking the drive-in of new club Captain John Smith.

Fifty-four year old Derek last year won Leighton’s Lucking Cup, beating David Sweetnam in the final, while wife Maggie, who only took up golf three years ago, won the Cross Country event as well as the May medal in a year in which her handicap was cut by six shots.

They also teamed up with Mark and Kate Knight to finish runners-up in Leighton’s John Lally Texas Scramble, losing out by 0.2 of a point to winners Phillip Spratt Callaghan, Manny Barker, Greg White and Richard Barrow.

Derek, who joined the Leighton club six years ago, got the ball rolling on his 2017 campaign by winning new Captain John Smith’s drive-in event, traditionally played with just two clubs and a putter.

The 21-handicap golfer completed the challenge with 36 points, two birdies making up for two holes where he failed to score.

Derek and Maggie, who own Al Shaws Ltd., the Bletchley based vehicle major accident and jig repair centre, live in Caldecott, Milton Keynes.

Lesley Bednarek won Leighton Ladies five clubs and a putter competition with 35 points, with Judy Ammon runner-up a point adrift.

Kate Knight won Leighton’s opening competition of the year, topping the leaders’ board in the Cross County event with a score of 21.33, beating Akiko Bateman by 0.34 of a shot.

Greg White took third spot on countback from Manny Barker and Ben Irvine after the trio all finished with a nett 22.00.

Former Leighton Ladies champion and ex-Captain, Debbie Pollard-Barns bid farewell to club colleagues – by winning the last competition in which she played as a member. Norfolk-bound Debbie scored 34 points to win a ladies stableford, with Jane Tizzard runner-up.

Debbie plans to retain links with the Leighton Buzzard club by taking up “country” membership.

Kate Wright, Niki Clark and Jane Tizzard teamed up to win Leighton Ladies Christmas competition with 81 points, beating Val Brown, Maggie Shaw and Gill McDougall by a shot.

Barbara Bradley, Chris Purkiss and Jan Harries shared third place with 77 points, a shot clear of Angela Samuels, Gill Ladd and Sue Lamberton.

Zan Nicholl, Liz Bagshaw and Joyce Young had the best front nine score with 37 points; Betty Bluett, Sheila Turnock and Janice Hintner had the best back nine score with 39 points, and there were nearest the pin prizes for Chris Robinson, Val Brown and Margaret Browning.