JIM RUSHWORTH triumphed in The Vale Golf Club seniors’ Summer Challenge and picked up the Millennium Cup for the best gross score in the process.
Sixty-seven stalwart seniors braved the wet and windy conditions to participate in the prestigious annual stroke play competition and, despite the difficult conditions, excellent results were recorded, particularly by the top scorers.
Some masterful golf was played by Rushworth, who not only won the Summer Challenge Cup with the best nett score of 72, but also collected the Millennium Cup for the best gross score of 79.
This is an achievement made more remarkable by having won both cups in last summer’s competition.
Second and third places went to Larry Taylor (gross 95, nett 72) and Will Reading (gross 98, nett 73) respectively.
A few days later followed a three-ball Stableford played by 80 Vale seniors, resulting in a win for Ian Geden with the commendable score of 44 points.
Division One was won by Brian Brumhead (37), followed on countback by Mike Heard and Richard Heath (35).
Geden won Division Two, with John Milward (39) and Julian Jenkins (37) second and third respectively.
Keith Davies (41) took first place in Division Three, followed by Les Cosnett (39) and Geoff Wilson (37).
THE VALE Seniors Open AM/AM had its customary magnetic attraction as 136 players from 28 clubs were rewarded with Mediterranean climate and a course in excellent condition.
The competition comprised four-man teams, with the best two Stableford scores to count on each hole.
The high standard demonstrated in such excellent conditions was evidenced by 19 of the 34 teams achieving more than 80 points.
The winners, from The Robin Hood Golf Club in Solihull, with the outstanding score of 89 points were Steven Tudor, Gordon Rowe, Paul Ceillam and Rob Yewer.
In second place, with 88 points, were Robert Richardson, John Stone, M Patrick and John Gibson from Hagley Golf & Country Club.
They were followed in third place by Rushworth, Tony Hampson, Rob Sharp and Dave Millard of The Vale with 86 points.
Nearest the pin was won by Paul Foster of Forest of Dean Golf Club and his fellow club member Michael Price took the prize for nearest the pin in two on the 18th.
A memorably congenial and well organised day was enjoyed by all those who took part, many of whom promised to return next year.
The Vale seniors captain Derek Lambert was delighted to announce the raffle had raised £575 for his nominated charity, Motor Neurone Disease.