Diver Patti cheques out with a golfing trophy

Patti raised the money during her year as Captain of the 100-strong Ladies Section at Leighton Buzzard’s Plantation Road golf club, donating the cheque to Macmillan Cancer Support fud raising manager Jessica Zaremba to help fund services the charity provides to families in Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

And she collected the Douglas Faulkner foursomes trophy from Immediate Past Captain Jeremy Taylor after teaming up with husband Steve to beat Andy and Jane Tizzard on countback in the final.

It was Patti’s fourth competition win during her year as Ladies Captain, regaining the title she and Steve won two years earlier.

The couple met in Hong Kong where Maryland-born Patti was thrilling crowds with her high diving exploits. During her ten years as a dare-devil performer, Patti set a then ladies world record plunge of 113ft 3ins, entering the water at a speed of 87 miles an hour. After a spell working in Australia, she married, moved to the UK with Steve and took up the more sedate sport of golf, joining the Leighton Buzzard club over 25 years ago.

Patti has now been succeeded as Ladies Captain by Carmen White-Lawes who during her year in office, will be raising funds for the Stroke Unit at Luton and Dunstable hospital.

Lee Braybrook and Andrew Hall won the first of 12 qualifying weekend opportunities to qualify for the final of Leighton Buzzard’s Captains Cup. They finished with 49 points, beating Justin Moss and Kent Waterman on countback thanks to the 16 points they carded o n the last six holes. Andres Valentine and Olly Banwell took third spot with 43 points, one clear of Robin Lawes and David Womack. Winners of all 12 qualifiers will meet in the final to be played on April 6.

Leighton club stalwart Eddie Young died last Wednesday after a short illness. Eddie, 78, had been a member of the Leighton club for over 35 years.