Most golfers play for decades without hitting that inch-perfect hole-in-one – but a Leighton Buzzard father and son have both carded aces with their tee-shot on the same hole just days apart.
Former Leighton Club Captain Adrian Stephenson used a seven-iron for his perfect 150-yard shot on the Plantation Road club’s signature 11th hole….and son Ed followed last week with a hefty wedge shot.
For 54-year-old oil recycling company boss Ada, a nine handicap golfer, it was his third, having previously hit holes in one on Leighton’s 2nd and 9th Par 3 holes.
For 16-year-old Ed, who was a member of the Vandyke trio that won the English Schools Team championship at Woodhall Spa last autumn, the ace was his first. But for Club and Junior champion Ed, now playing off a handicap of just 2.6, it’s unlikely to be his last.
The Stephenson’s success didn’t end there. Younger brother George, a 13 year old student at Gilbert Inglefield playing off a handicap of 18, teamed up with dad, Ed and John Latimer to win Leighton’s Texas Scramble last week. Their impressive team performance included two eagles, 13 birdies and three pars to complete their round with a nett score of 48.6, just 0.6 of a shot clear of Robin Lawes, Justin Moss, Kent Waterman and David Womack. Tony Conneely, Trevor Mcaleese, Stuart Mills and Paul Verney were third with a score of 49.7.
Leighton’s hole-in-one expert, retired engineer Terry Lingham has aced 12 times – on nine occasions on Par 3 holes at the Plantation Road course including two in two days, and three at Whipsnade.
Henry Wooster won Leighton’s Junior Medal with a nett 65 and had two shots clipped from his handicap; brother George was runner-up with a nett 68 beating Max Brunker on countback and George Stephenson fourth with a nett 70.
Gill McDougall is Leighton’s Senior Ladies champion for a third time, overcoming a knee injury to card a gross 89 to beat Ann Tilbury, while Carol Alexander won the Handicap Cup, beating Barbara Rickard by three shots.
Experienced campaigner Joan Waples has won her second Leighton Ladies title in a matter of weeks. Top finisher in the Spring meeting with a nett 74, two shots clear of Barbara Bradley and Marilyn Myatt, Joan last week won the Ladies Rosewear Bowl, beating Elaine Powell and Elsa King on countback after all finished with 36 points.
Four players tied for top spot in Leighton’s May medal with nett 69s, Colin Mcleod getting the verdict over John Mckay, Mark Sandham and Andrew Ashall on countback. Richard Samuels headed a chasing pack with a nett 70, a shot clear of Graeme Foster, Neil Laming, Nigel Barnes and Giovanni Cerosio.
The May Midweek Medal was won by George Bashford on countback from Lee Sanders and Tony Conneely after all three carded nett 70s, with Geoff Dimmock, John Bunyan, Dharm Naveen Diwakar, Ron Burgoyne and Martin Flynn all posting nett 71s.
A tail-end collapse cost Leighton Seniors victory over Whipsnade, the match ending in a 3-3 draw. Captain Peter Myrants and George Bashford and Danny Nairne and Trevor Stimpson opened with halves, followed with wins by Gerry Ferris and Paul Johnson and Graham Robinson and David Newby. Two late-order defeats means Leighton need to win the return match at Whipsnade on September 3 to claim the inter-club trophy.

PICTURE CAPTION: ACES…..Ed Stephenson and dad Ada.