2013 2nd Newbury Report

The Spring Cup

Newbury & Crookham Golf Club

Friday 17th May 2013

Blue skies and warm sunshine again greeted the return of the Hampshire Stragglers to Newbury & Crookham Golf Club for The Spring Cup, the second 'Order of Merit' event of 2013.

Scoring was generally difficult on a short, but tight, course. Just two players bettered their handicap and exceeded 36 points, whilst just nine players out of a field of 32 exceeded 32 points. Paul 'Bakes' Baker played out of his skin to amass a fantastic 43 points and take the title, his first golf title of any kind, by three points from Jean-Marc Zucco (40 points). Andy Heyes, with 36 points, followed up in third place.

Bakes chalked up four net eagles and three net birdies, coming in with 25 points on the back nine following 18 points on the front nine! His scoring was relentless, belying his 24 handicap. He even managed to 'blob' the par-four 7th hole! Jean-Marc carded five net birdies during his round that included one 'blob' on the first! Defending champion, Geoff Laney, started poorly, with just eleven points on the front nine, but came in stronger on the back nine with 18 points to finish well down the field.

Top of the list of highlights on the day was the third hole-in-one, by Martyn 'Doddy' Dodd on the par-three 6th hole (119 yards), during a Straggler's 'Order of Merit' event. Following previous holes-in-one by Nigel Miller at Royal Winchester (2010) and Matt Daly at Old Thorns (2011), Doddy's approach to the undulating green landed perfectly, out-of-sight, and contoured beautifully into the hole. Brilliant!

Other winners on the day were as follows:

High Handicappers - Paul Baker

Longest Drive (14th hole) - Ed Moloney

Nearest the Pin (3rd hole) - Stuart Marks

Nearest the Pin in Two (12th hole) - David Birch

Wooden Spoon - John Powell (12 points)

A number of Stragglers progressed in the Knock-Out Trophy. Doddy beat Stuart Marks 2 and 1, David Birch beat defending champion, Mark Mellett, 3 and 2, Jay Adams beat Phil Green by a whopping 6 and 4 and Pete Green defeated Fred Sharrock 1 up.

Following the event, the 'Order of Merit' is hotting up with several players 'shaping up' well including Doddy (91 points), David Birch (88 points), Jon Steele (85 points), Ed Moloney (84 points) and Andy Heyes (82 points). The Stragglers move onto High Post for the Summer Bowl, the third event of 2013.