Market Rasen Golf Club: Winter League reaches knockout stages

The league round-robins have been completed as eight pairs progress to the knockout stages to compete for the John Hornsey Trophy.

The qualifying pairs in this betterball matchplay knockout are Grant Hinchliffe and Alan Wormall; Laurence Cook and on-course director Adam Ramsey; Chris Law and Matt Pope; Brian Inman and Matt’s brother Tom; Dave Gregory and Jeff Portlock; Steve Forbes and Andy Ward; father and son Mark and Jamie Codd, and Dave King and Gary Smith.

* In other club news, the first in a series of six different format competitions took place on a fine, unseasonably warm day, with the course in promising condition.

The New Year March was played in pairs, with the best stableford score to count on the odd holes and both on the even holes.

Twenty of the 31 teams produced scores better than the competition par of 54 points, with the top three having to be separated by countback off 63 points. Jeff Portlock and Dave Gregory took the honours from runners-up Steve Hewish and Neil Carmichael, with junior Tom Carter and past captain Guy Hardcastle in third place.

Fourth and fifth places, just one point behind, were also subject to a countback, with Alan and John Lowe edging out Tim Brumpton and Steve White.

* The Winter Waltz was played on a course with seven temporary greens following an overnight frost which quickly turned to persistent rain.

A field of 21 three-man teams braved the unforgiving conditions, with 18 of them bettering the competition par of 72 points.

The outright winners on 86 points were Steve Hewish, Neil Carmichael and Colin Law, a point ahead of runners-up Adie Bothamley, Neil Bridgwater and Pete Conway.

Father and son, Benny and Grant Hinchliffe were third with Dave Burley on 83 points.