STUART Ridley was crowned club champion at Evesham last weekend for the fourth successive year.

An immaculately prepared course produced a fine stage for the annual 36-hole tournament that saw a big field endeavouring to book a place in Sunday's final round.

Qualification is based on Saturday's best net scores and the tricky conditions - hot and breezy and slick greens - saw fewer than half progress.

Five-handicapper Ridley carded rounds of 75, Saturday's lowest gross round, and 78 to take the title by two shots from Steve Woods, playing off six, whose 155 was made up of rounds of 77 and 78.

Third-placed Tom Walker was left ruing his opening 18-hole score of 87 - one that he followed up with a round 14 shots better to card Sunday's lowest gross score.

Dan Haines was fourth, a dozen shots adrift of Ridley after rounds of 81 and 84.

The Frank Swann Cup for the best net score went to 15-handicapper Stuart Walding whose total of 142 was three better than Craycombe newcomer Gary Bishop (73/72) John Jones (72/73) and Dave Everett (70/75).

Tony Fawcett and Peter Callaghan, meanwhile, overcame opponents from Copse-wood Grange in Coventry by an emphatic 7 and 6 scoreline to move into the fourth round of the National Nines Series.