SEVEN times The Worcestershire Golf Club champion Peter Lupino was in excellent form on Sunday and broke the course record even after taking two penalty drops.

Peter has been playing well all season but surprisingly last Sunday, prior to the competition, he felt breaking the course record was a distinct possibility.

In discussion with the club's professional, Richard Lewis, before playing Peter felt the record could be broken. His comment prior to teeing off was "I'll give it my best shot."

Peter, playing off a handicap of one, played immaculate golf to the tenth hole and was well on target for his goal of beating the course record of 66, held by former club captain Stuart Bird. At the difficult tenth hole however Peter's drive ended in the ditch and he was forced to take a penalty shot.

Undaunted, Peter placed his third shot on the green and holed his putt for a regulation par four. With a round of golf that included seven birdies Peter continued on his way, playing golf of high quality, until the 14th hole where his drive again finished in the ditch. The penalty shot contributed to the only bogey of his round. Peter scored a five at the par four fourteenth. In his excellent round, Peter's saving grace was always his chipping and putting.

"If I missed a green, it was a case of one chip and one putt that continually saved me," he said.

Peter returned a gross score of 65 to beat the course record and his handicap has now been reduced, for the first time, to that of a scratch golfer. He has the distinction of currently being the club's only scratch golfer.

Ironically, although Peter broke the course record, he did not win the Sunday Cup. That distinction went to Neil Devery. Neil, playing off a handicap of nine, recorded a net 63 to beat Peter by one stroke.

The scoring in Division One was incredibly low. Phil Dance, Ian Forrester and Alan Watts all scored net 68 to achieve third, fourth and fifth place respectively. David Harding who came sixth recorded a net 69. The day however belonged to 'scratch golfer' and course record holder Peter Lupino.

No one in Division Two could compete with John Wynn who won with a net 64. George Blakeway was second with a 69 and Garnet Scott third with 70.

The Hibbert family was well to the fore in Division Three. Jerry Hibbert came third with a 72, the same score as Robert Parsons who came second, and Marcus Hibbert won the Division with a net 69.

In The Millennium Team Championship, the four-man team of Malcolm Allan, Alex and Andy Dunster and Nigel Collins were in great form. With two scores to count on each hole they returned a score of 89 points, eight points better than the team of Andy Greene, April Wilding, Roger Blackwell and Charles Davenport who came second.

In the second match of the season between the ladies and the seniors, many matches were fought out on an extremely competitive, yet friendly basis. Anxious to reverse their defeat earlier in the season, the ladies were more determined than ever and this showed in their overall play. Although generously given two bisque shots by the senior captain, the ladies ran out worthy winners by 6-4.

The result ensured that the season's honour was shared equally between the teams.