Leighton golfers have bridged the age gap to win competitions for the young….and the not so young!

Leading the victory parade were brothers George and Henry Wooster who teamed up with Linslade Academy school chum Max Brunker to compete in the Bedfordshire Schools High Handicap championships.

After travelling to John O’Gaunt near Biddleswade, they returned with the trophy having carded 129 points between them to beat runners-up Biddenham Upper by a comfortable margin.

Max, who earlier won Leighton’s Junior medal with a nett 68, six shots clear of Joshua Lowe and Henry Wooster, scored 46 points; Harry tabled 45 points and George chipped in with 38 points.

“They did exceptionally well on a day or high scoring,” said competition organisor David Sweetnam, who is also a member of the Leighton club, adding: “They are showing great potential and we are very proud of them.”

Three Leighton teenagers were members of a 10-strong Bedfordshire County Under 18s team that retained the BUT trophy competed for annually against Norfolk, Leicestershire and Rutland.  Leighton club champion Ed Stephenson contributed one and a half points for Bedfordshire with a win and a draw, while club colleague Andres Valentine won both his matches, with Brandon Saunders making up the Leighton contingent.  Former Leighton President David Hawkins, the Bedfordshire County Secretary, had to loan his putter to Aspley Guise player Zach Peters who used it to good effect to card a vital win.

At the other end of the age-scale, Leighton Seniors returned to winning form, beating Dunstable Downs 6-1 with one match drawn. Skipper Peter Myrants and David Sweetnam, David Payne and Tim Martin, Harry Adam and Keith Griffiths, Martin Broadley and Paul Johnson, Danny Nairne and Andrew Mcdonald, and Geoff Allatt and Graham Pellow won for Leighton with Gerry Ferris and Mike Turnock halving their match.  Days earlier, the Leighton squad went down to The Bedfordshire 5-3, with Denis Leitch and Will Sampson and Ian Rimmer and George Bashford winning their games, while Danny Nairne and Mike Turnock and Ron Burgoyne and Izzy Ramdeen halved theirs.

Peter Sheridan and Simon Thornton were top scorers in Leighton’s Dennis Jordan Qualifier with 40 points. They will be joined in the knock-out stages by holders Len Neal and Julian Heffron, Robbie John and John Preston, Graeme Foster and Izzy Ramdeen, David Hanley and Trevor Stone, Simon Enright and Gareth Mccready, Phil Coumbe and Steve Deverill, Tony Conneely and Stuart Mills, David Evans and John Mckay, Colin Beesley and Graham Hazel, Billy O’Neill and Will Sampson, Peter Lawrence and Alan Smith, David and Oliver Banwell, Stephen Boud and Barry Kent, Paul Ellam and Steve Richardson and Giovanni Cerosio and Nicholas Roberts.

Sue Preston had three shots cut from her handicap after carding the highest score in Leighton Ladies April Stableford with 39 points, four clear of Division Two top scorer Jane Tizzard. Kate Wright pipped Jackie Stimpson for top spot in the Silver Division on countback after both scored 33 points.

A dozen girls took part in Leighton’s “Girls Golf Rocks” taster teach-in last weekend, with several signing up for ongoing girls-only coaching sessions which start on Saturday at 1.00pm at the Plantation Road club. Mixed “Get into Golf” classes for juniors begin in Sunday; anyone wishing to take part can make arrangements through the Leighton club pro-shop on 01525 244815.