PALAIRET MIXED GREENSOMES TROPHY

Stover Golf Club was the host club for the second iteration of the Palairet Mixed Greensomes Trophy, now back in the DevonGolf annual diary as a stand-alone event. 92 players took part with 16 of the county’s clubs represented in the field.

The format was Greensomes Stableford and, whilst one of the older trophies in the county was at stake, that format gave everyone a chance to participate and enjoy the day.

Woodbury Park’s David and Rachel Stewart set the early pace with an excellent 41 point score in the first group of the day. As the day progressed, they slowly fell down the list of leading scores. They had also set the standard for the scratch prizes, with a gross 28 points. Same question; would it stand?

In scratch terms it was soon equalled, Great Torrington’s Mike McLeod and Emily Coombes also on a gross 28, but without as good a back nine. The notable thing from Mike and Emily was the recording of 2 two’s, and for the first 2 hours those were the only ones recorded. For a long time it looked as though they might scoop the pool of £180+ of golf balls, but 4 more twos came from the last 6 groups on the course; whilst this was a disappointment for the Torrington duo it was much to the relief of the organising crew as the total number of balls available was divisible by 6 (and not much else) and came to 13 per two recorded.

Not far behind Mike and Emily came the sibling pairing of Hayden and Carys Morris, also from Great Torrington, who set the scratch mark with a gross 31 points. This was never caught, Saunton’s Paul and Sue Vicary taking the second scratch prize with 30 points, but only on count-back from their club mates Sally and Stuart Charnock. The Charnock’s moment would come.

Meanwhile a golf tournament was going on. 42 points quickly became the new lead from Jeff and Bernadette Maynard of the Warren, whilst just behind them the home club’s Alastair Grieve and Penny Marks pipped the Stewarts on the back 9 – eventually the Stover pair would finish 5th in the last prize-paying position, the Stewarts missing out.

A late substitution had brought John Fairman of Exeter to Stover with daughter Lydia, and a good one it seemed as they took the lead with 43 points, but it was a lead that lasted only 3 more groups as Ilfracombe’s Terry and Janet Pollard romped in with what turned out to be the winning score of 44 points.

But they had a tense wait for the 4 or 5 groups behind them to come in, and it was the Charnock’s who came closest with a brilliant 43 points of their own, and a better back 9 than the Fairman’s, to grab second place.

The day was a really good one, with great thanks to Stover for acting as the venue and for providing brilliant back up throughout the day. Despite dark skies at times the rain stayed away, the golf course was fantastic and the in-house hospitality of the highest order. Everyone was fascinated to see the work going on at the club on the course revisions, many competitors stopping at the boards outlining the planned changes to take it all in.

It’s great to have the event back on the calendar 

For full results click here

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