After a week of glorious sunshine and record-breaking temperatures, the weather had other ideas on Saturday. Waterproofs and woolly hats were firmly back in use as 70 members took to The Garden & The Church in sideways rain, with tough and challenging conditions testing the entire field throughout. To score well on a day like this required real mental fortitude as much as technical ability.
Ashwani Mathur produced the round of the day when it mattered most, carding a net 69, three under par, to claim the Monthly Medal title with a comfortable margin over the chasing pack. A composed and impressive performance in the most difficult of conditions.
Behind Mathur, three players finished level on net 74, with countback required to separate them. Darren Wills claimed second place on a back nine of 35, with Zaid Esmail third on 38 and Stewart Ford fourth on 38.5.
Low Gross
Mathur completed a fine double by also claiming the Low Gross title, his three over par 75 the best ball-striking score in the field on a day when the conditions made keeping it in play a challenge in itself. Neil Sharpe finished second on six over par (78). Stewart Ford and Alistair Brown tied for third with seven over par (79).
Special Mention
A special mention to Pasi Siitonen, the only player in the entire field to record a two during the round. With nobody else managing the feat, Pasi took home the entirety of the sweep pot for himself, a well-deserved reward for a moment of precision on an otherwise unforgiving day.
Rank List
Tim Green remains at the top of the Rank List on 1,198.17 points from eight events, with Daryl Cook closing in on second place on 1,144.45 points, just 53.72 behind the lead after nine events. Neither player added to their tally this week.
The most significant mover is Darren Wills, who rockets from 16th to third on the strength of 375 points, taking his total to 932.09 points. Alistair Brown climbs to fourth on 906.39 points following 95.83 points on the day, with Paul Copson dropping to fifth on 903.1 points having not played this week.