Two Leighton Buzzard golfers have been crowned Bedfordshire champions in a competition which attracted a record entry….with another hitting a hole-in-one on his way to a top-ten finish.
Former RAF technician Phil Coumbe teamed up with Leighton club champion Jamie Stone to win the County fourball title, beating 51 teams from other clubs with an impressive 45 point haul.
Phil, 47, now a senior technical manager with Virgin Media, and fuel system technician Jamie, 27, powered to a two-point win with a five-under-gross performance to claim their first County title.
Fred Mercer and Garrie Brandon from host club Aspley Guise were runners-up with 43 points, one clear of third-placed Dayle Marshall and Declan Hull from Aylesbury Vale.
Said Phil, a member of the management committee of Leighton’s Plantation Road club: “Jamie and I had a great round and are delighted to have won for our home club.”
There were other impressive performances by Leighton teams with 11 other pairs finishing in the top 20. Steve Boud and Barry Kent were 4th with 42pts, beating club mates Shane Bentley and John Latimer on countback.
Three Leighton pairs finished with 40pts, Daniel Latimer and Manny Barker were 9th, beating Josh and David Banwell and Ed Stephenson and Andrew Jenkins on countback despite Leighton seniors champion David hitting a six-iron ace on the 150-yard Par 3 4th hole for four points – his 12th hole-in-one.
Other top finishers were Christian Lester and Brandon Sanders, John McKay and Alex Sandham, Robert Irvine and Mike Smith, Lewis Scott and Stuart Mills, Mark Hammond and Mark Knight and Stuart McLeod and Colin Beesley.
Mechanic Dean Ashton won Leighton’s September stablelford, beating Akiko Bateman on countback after both carded 42 points. It was 38-year-old Dean’s first competition win since joining the Leighton club three years ago. Other leading finishers in a 134-strong field were: 41pts – James Nappin; 40pts – Tony Conneely; 38pts – Gary Hart, Chris Hawkins, Keith Powell; 37pts – Neil Jarvis, Craig Custance, Bryan Pratt.
Weeks after being crowned Ladies champion, Rosalind Miles added the Buckmaster Salver to her silverware collection with a 36 point haul which pipped Judith Ammon by a shot. Barbara Deacon took third place with 33 points, with Val Brown, Jackie Stimpson and Carmen White-Lawes heading a chasing pack with 32 points. Cicely Goldsmith won the nine-hole competition with 15pts.
Recruitment consultant Jack Jones is the new holder of Leighton’s Croxford Cup less than a year after joining the Plantation Road club. Jack, 28, was on top form with his putting to card 41 points to win his first trophy, beating Stephen Schmidt and David Evans by a shot. Paul Bishop, Phil Coumbe and Alex Gowen headed a chasing pack with 39 points.
PICTURE CAPTION: County champions Jamie Stone and Phil Coumbe.