Ross Golf Club’s 4th Winter Stableford competition was recently played from yellow tees 91 male members took part, and the competition provided the opportunity for a further 12 players to qualify for the Club’s annual Barnfield Trophy Final.

This was the first major of the 2018 season, which will ultimately be contested by 60 players in March.

For the first time it will also include 9 handicapper Stuart Smith, who has yet to complete six months membership at the Gorsley based club. An accomplished golfer with 11 years previous experience at the Gaudet Luce and Kidderminster Club’s, Stuart has not played since 2014 but regained his appetite for the game in 2017 and is clearly well on the way to getting back to his best.

Stuart’s 45 stableford points score was achieved in grand style consisting of five birdies and representative of a one under gross par round and a massive 24 points haul on the Course’s demanding back nine holes.

The runner-up, with 41 points, was 11 handicapper Graham White, who stood on the 10th tee with 22 points.

Making up the six players from Handicap Division 1 to join Stuart Smith were Jason Skidmore and Phil Midwinter with 40 points each, Kevin D’Lonra with 39 points, Jonathon McGinley with 37 points and Ross Junior, Harry Griffiths with 36 points.

Among the Handicap Division 2 qualifiers, 17 handicapper Nick Tamblyn headed the final results table with an impressive 41 points score followed by Michael Williams and Robin Smith with 40 points each, David Higdon’s 39 points, Nigel Gibbs’ 37 points and Jeremy Picton-Turbervill’s 36 points.