TOP golfers from across the county descended on The Worcestershire Golf Club to compete in the Worcestershire Union of Golf Clubs' team and individual championship competitions.

With the course in pristine condition and the weather holding fair, competition was expected to be keen and so it proved.

The championship is open to all affiliated clubs in Worcestershire and the competition is a team event, each team consisting of three players, with all three scores to count on each hole.

Each affiliated club enters two teams of three players who compete in an A and B division.

Throughout the competition, played over two days, The Worcestershire players performed extremely well on their home course. In the team competition for first teams, The Worcestershire Club, represented by Steven Lane, Peter Lupino and Phil Dance came second to the formidable Kidder-minster team.

In the second team competition, The Worcestershire Club, represented by Andy Dunster, Philip Shurmer and Julian Bouchet were comfortable winners with Kidder-minster in second place.

Joe Ferguson, from the Kidderminster club, one of the top amateur golfers in the country, won the Individual County Championship, with a 36-hole score of 141, one below par for the two rounds.

Young Steven Lane, of The Worcestershire, played exceptional golf and came second with a score of 143. Peter Lupino, the Worcestershire's current club champion, came fourth.

The late Alan Courtney, club captain in 1989, was a much-loved member and his memory is recalled each year, when a large field of golfers enter the 36-hole Better Ball Stableford competition.

On the day, no-one could compete with the family partnership of Andrew and Gerald Bird who scored 42 points in the morning round and 40 points in the afternoon, to win the cup with 82 points.

Two groups of players, Jamie Dunster partnered by John Wynn and Phill Dance paired with Nev Clarke, both returned scores of 80 points. After deliberation by the committee, the young pair of Jamie and John were second and Phil and Nev third.

Junior golf continues to flourish at the club and a large field of juniors entered the most recent Stableford Competition.

In the 18-hole competition, playing from the championship tees, 16-year-old Richard Tuck was the winner, with Lee Jenkins second.

Playing from the yellow tees, Matt Hodgiss ran out the winner with fourteen-year-old James Gath in second place.

Twelve-year-old Richard Higgs won the seven-hole competition with nine-year-old Bill Thomas in second place.

Sixteen senior golfers represented the senior section in their away fixture at The Herefordshire club. Playing in ideal weather conditions, the home side were in sparkling form and won the match by 5-3

For the visitors there were wins for the seniors' vice captain Simon Penrhyn and Euan McLelland, David Colliver and Derek Phillips and David Fawbett and James Ferguson.