Market Rasen Golf: Lowe wins inaugural Duckworth Trophy

Trevor Lowe, who was first to tee off the 10th in the morning, had to wait until the last of the afternoon players had completed their rounds to discover his splendid score of nett 66 had prevailed. In the process, he shaved two shots off his handicap and finished three shots clear of runner-up Frank Waterman who carded a hard-earned nett 69 and also reduced his handicap by a shot. Steve Allison was third with nett 70 on countback from fourth-placed social secretary Bob Boulton, who also lost a shot off his handicap. The best gross prize went to junior section organiser Grant Hinchliffe with 78. * Outright winners of the Shotgun (Grouse) Foursomes were Steve White and Tim Brumpton who bonded well to score an excellent nett 68. Steve Hewish and Neil Carmichael were one-and-a-half shots adrift, but half-a-shot better than third-placed Simon Desay and Steve Forbes. * The best eight pairs in the Utley Trophy preliminary round went through to a foursomes matchplay knockout. Qualifying for the play-offs were Dave Robinson and Steve Maplethorpe, brothers Andy and Chris Osbourne, Neil Carmichael with skipper Les Brumpton, vice-captain Gaff Elliott with son Charlie, Craig Smith and Gary Lancaster-Crane, Mick Duke and John Chapman, new pairing Paul Moore and Ken Routledge, and steward Pete Parkinson with his son and junior captain Luke. The eventual winners of the Trophy will represent the club in the 2017 Daily Mail Foursomes National Knockout Tournament. * The Ford Cup medal competition was played in conditions ranging from warm spring sunshine to cold, wintry hail showers. Nonetheless, eight of the 83 competitors played well enough to earn a handicap reduction and there was a total of 10 birdies on the par three holes. Winner Steve Allison and runner-up Steve Forbes were separated only on a back nine countback off nett 67, while Lawrence Cook and Mark Codd were similarly separated in third and fourth respectively, off nett 68. The day’s best gross score was Alan Wormall’s 79.