BENIGN weather attracted a large entry for the Worcestershire Golf Club’s Len Phipps Trophy.

The silverware commemorates the life and work of Len Phipps who, with his father Bert, served the Malvern Wells course as greenkeepers from 1883 until the former’s death in 1975.

The trophy went to 19-handicapper Dave Stephens with a fine stableford score of 41 points in Division Three, just two ahead of Andrew Colston (23) and three ahead of Richard Kay (20).

Scoring was not quite as high in the other divisions where Phil Shurmer (one) took his handicap nearer to scratch with 36 points in Division One, which ought to have gone to Ian Forrester (10) for his 40 points but for a technical disqualification.

David Leccese (seven), 36, and Andy Davis (11), 35, followed close behind.

In Division Two, Derry Hanratty (13) led with 37 points, the same score as Nick Kay (14) and one ahead of Neil Bogart (15).

The final of the Rose Bowls mixed foursomes took place when Andy Dunster (five) and Marcia Macfarlane (17) played Trevor and Brenda Cox (13 and 29). The former gave their opponents 11 strokes, but didn’t allow this to affect their game and the Coxes were only one ahead after nine.

With both ladies taking the tee shots and each man making hardly an error, every hole was well contested until after the turn when a drop from a hazard lost the Coxes the 10th.

Excellent putting by Macfarlane and some delicate chipping from Dunster finally turned the contest in their favour and it ended in a win by three-and-two on the 16th green.

The seniors’ mixed open also attracted a large field from clubs far and wide and the visitors took most of the spoils.

The competition, for men over 60 and women over 50, was a greensome stableford and the winners were Mr and Mrs J Gazzard from Cotswold Edge with a score of 37 points.

They won on countback from Mr and Mrs I Parry from Naunton Downs, while third place went to M Bingham and P Sutcliffe, also from Naunton Downs, with 36 points.

The best score by a Worcestershire GC pair came from Mr and Mrs D Wilkinson in fourth place with 35.

Members with handicaps higher than 12 competed for the Deerhurst Cup and most found it hard to better the standard scratch score (SSS).

One exception was Bogart, whose score of 81-17-64 won him the trophy.

In second place in Division Two was Nigel Allam (83-13-70) with Al Hilson (86-14-72) third.

Division Three was won by David Major (90-19-71), followed closely by Mike Smith (97-25-72) and Stephens (91-19 -72).