Ross Golf Club’s Men’s ’A’ team manager and non-playing Captain, Neil Lancett has every reason to be optimistic about his squad’s chances of enjoying a successful season of competitive foursomes golf at the top level in the North Gloucestershire League after the opening two rounds of matches played.

Neil’s squad currently head Division 1, having recorded an impressive 4-2 away win at 2016 League Champions’ Forest Hills GC and a 3.5 to 2.5 home success against formidable opponents in Cotswold Hills GC, who were the League’s 2017 Champions.

For the first time, Neil has been able to introduce some young players who have progressed in recent years with considerable distinction within the Ross Club’s Juniors Coaching Academy, pioneered by Head Professional Tim Hall and his ’School of Golf’, with Tim also the coach for the A Team squad. It may therefore be no coincidence that teenagers, Cam Haines, Harry Griffiths and 2018 Juniors Captain Liam Greig, have 100% win records in the two matches played. That Neil’s squad can boast a blend of youth and experience is reflected in the fact that seasoned campaigners, Warren Moore and Steve Wallbank, have also somehow clocked up two wins to contribute to the growing collective identity within the team to suggest that an exciting season awaits them.

There has also been an exciting start to the season for those 49 members who have come from all sections of the Club to engage in the Club’s annual Eclectic Cup package involving weekly 9 holes of late afternoon/early evening competitive golf every Tuesday throughout the Spring and Summer with the 2018 campaign in the care of Nigel Yates.

Across the 24 weeks, members have the opportunity to emerge as one of the finalists from the 4 sessions of 6 weeks each to take part in an end of season Cup Final played over 18 holes of stableford golf. Going into the final week of the first session, the overall leaders were Antony Graham, Nigel Yates and Adrian Hope but only Adrian was able to improve his overall score to 49 points.

However, coming through the field from his initial 13th position, David Higdon gained a remarkable 7 points on the day to move to the top spot with 50 points to secure his place in the end of season final. Antony Graham, with 47 points, had to settle for third place behind Adrian Hope and it was not lost on everyone that David fully deserved his success, having been the unlucky losing finalist in the 2017 competition, which was won narrowly by Tim Kefalas.

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