One of the most quirky competitions in amateur golf has been won by a Leighton Buzzard mum for the second time in a decade.
To enter the event, you have to be a blood-line grandmother – and it’s one of the most sought after trophies in the 100-strong Ladies Section at Leighton Buzzard’s Plantation Road Club.
The Ladies Granny Salver was donated by Connie Nash who was Club Ladies Captain in 1973 and has been a “must enter” event for Leighton’s golfing grannies ever since.
The latest winner is Lyune Newnham who won it in 2011 shortly after joining the Leighton club and the birth of her first grandchild. A decade later, Lynne has halved her handicap from 36 to 18, now has six grandchildren – Milly, Max, Charlie, Sam, Oscar and Sophie – and her name engraved on the much coveted salver for a second time.
She won it this time by beating a 40-strong field with 35 points, thanks principally to scoring four points for a birdie on Leighton’s Par 4 17th.
She beat Sandra Bellis by a four point margin, with recently-crowned Ladies Champion Rosalind Miles taking third place with 30 points, one clear of Lynn Oliver and Angela Samuels.
Not to be left-out, there’s even a competition for non grannies. It was won this year by Judith Ammon with 33 points, with Lila Garrod runner-up and Stephanie Howlett third.
And if Sandra was disappointed at losing out on the salver, she put it behind her in the next competition, winning the Ladies McMillan stableford with 34 points, two shots clear of Virginia Gillett, Judi Malpass and Lila Garrod, with Stephenie Howlett, Anne Tilbury, Josie Sheridan and Jackie Stimpson heading a chasing pack with 31 points.
Current Ladies Captain Christine Rimmer stands down after today’s (Tuesday) competition at the Plantation Road course, and will be succeeded next Tuesday by Sandra Carter whose husband Brian is Club President.