Captain's control the championships as skippers take a hat-trick of wins

Just seven months after being installed as Junior Captain, 16-year-old Tim Martin was crowned junior Champion with a combined score of 151, just nine over par for the 36 hole event.

Eddie Fender was runner-up with a gross 153 while club steward’s son Brandon Waddington continued his rich vein of success, winning the nett championship with a two round score of 127, four clear of runner-up Ollie Banwell.

The High handicap competition was won by Henry Wooster with a nett 78, four better than brother George and Olivia Campbell who both carded a nett 82.

Twenty-four hours later, two former Captains claimed the honours in the Ladies championships.

Immediate Past skipper Debbie Pollard-Barns completed a hat-trick of championship wins, carding rounds of 89 and 84 to win comfortably over first round winner Farida Cerosio and joint runner-up Val Berry.

And the Handicap trophy was won by 2013 Ladies skipper Rosie Hartnell, who pipped Sandra Carter on countback after both finished with nett scores of 154.

Rosie had nett score rounds of 80 and 74, with Sandra completing her second round with a nett 76 after a first round 78. Gill McDougall won the medal of the day with a nett 81.

Tom Fitzgerald landed Leighton’s July medal for Division One golfers with a nett 65, three clear of Tim Hobday, with Peter Sheridan third with a nett 69.

Nicholas Roberts, Stuart Leslie, Steve Tyas, Jamie Stone, Phil Coumbe, Gregory White and Mark Sandham headed a chasing pack with nett 70s.

Adam Cobb won the Division Two event with a nett 64, two clear of Antony Brinded with Eddie Young third with a nett 67.

They were followed on the leader board by Ben Hazell (69), Alan Roberts and Brandon Waddington (71) and Richard Boynett (73).

Leighton’s inter-club team went down 3-2 at Whipsnade Park and by the same score at South Beds. Skipper Adrian Stephenson and Kevin Winchester and Mike Turnock and Keith Edmunds were the victors against Whipsnade and despite Peter Burgoyne and Will Sampson finishing with a creditable half, there was no denying Whipsnade their win.

Stand-in captain Paul Ellam and Steve Richardson got Leighton off to a great start against South Beds, but with Shane Bentley and Ken Wilson, Nick King and Dave Roberts and Phil Coumbe and Steve Gillett all halving their games, tail end losses by Dave Evans and Philip Spratt-Callaghan and Steve Fleming and Scot Douglas saw the result finish in South Beds’ favour.

Leighton’s Mid-handicap league team need a final-match victory to secure a place in the knock-out stages of the competition. After a 4-1 loss at The Cromwell with David Evans the only Leighton winner, they completed a “double” over Luton Hoo with wins by Neale Proud and Shane Bentley, Sam Messenger securing a 3-2 victory and lost by the same score at Abbotsley despite wins by Steve Richardson and Stuart McLeod.

A 4-1 victory over The Cromwell on Saturday, with wins by Paul Ellam, Steve Richardson with a 25-foot putt on the last , Richard Harris and Neale Proud who won by one hole after being four down at one stage. The Leighton team needs to beat visitors Abbotsley to join John O’Gaunt in the knock-out stages.

Schools golf chief Paul Johnson finished runner-up in the Rushmere Society match at Studley Wood, pipped by a point by skipper Jerry Breen with 34 points. Leighton’s Syd Pniewski took third place with 33pts.