ROSS Golf Club’s annual competition to decide its Seniors Champion (60+) for 2017 will probably be best remembered by its 101 entrants as the time when, for so many, the 12th green determined the difference between success and failure.

The event is one of only a few in the Club’s programme of major events for its seniors members to be played in a stroke play medal format and, on this occasion, the highly challenging pin position turned the ‘glorious’ 12th pond hole into something of a ‘graveyard’.

Nine-handicapper, Robin Darling, proved to be one of the exceptions and his ultimate gross 81 medal score deservedly gave him a two-shot advantage to earn the ‘Ross Seniors Champion’ title and the winner of the Carton-Kelly Cup.

The feature of Robin’s round, in addition to a par score at the 12th, was his performance on his front nine holes with two birdies, so at that stage his impressive one under gross par score provided a cushion to keep him ahead of the chasing pack.

This included Martin Pimlow, who had to settle for the runners-up spot with a gross 83, followed by David Whitehead with 84 and Colin Bennion’s 85, and another 85 by the 2016 Seniors Champion Dave Hart.

Gross 86s were carded by Jim Wilkinson, Martin Johnson, Richard Tromans, David Williams and Peter Bennett.

The best nett performer was 25 handicapper, Mike Archer, whose nett 66 score won him the Marsh Allan Trophy, a one-shot handicap reduction and some bragging rights; he was one of only four players to score a birdie two at the dreaded 12th hole, along with Scott Thomson, Paul Sologub and Nigel Edmondson.

Robin Taylor and Barry Smith will be equally pleased with their respective nett 67 and 69 scores to earn one-shot handicap reductions followed by 2016 Marsh Allan Trophy winner, Adrian Berry’s nett 70 and nett 71 scores by Steve Naylor, and Richard Nightingale.