Sixty-six members took to The Mill & The Garden on Tuesday for the September Midweek Medal, facing cool and breezy conditions with some light drizzle for an hour during the round. Despite the unsettled weather, the top of the leaderboard produced some fine scoring throughout.
Geoff Banks claimed the title in convincing fashion, carding a net 67, five under par, to win by three clear shots in what was the standout performance of the day.
Neil Sharpe finished in second place on net 70, two under par, with four players all finishing level on net 71 behind him. Richard Keers claimed third on a back nine of net 33, with Helen Heasman net 34.5, Tony Jansen net 36 and Ross McKenzie net 37.5 all sharing fourth place.
Low Gross
Neil Sharpe claimed the Low Gross title, his two under par 70 the best score in the field and a performance that complemented his net result admirably. Sharpe played the course as it was presented, without the aid of handicap strokes, and his 70 stands as the most impressive score of the day in its purest form. Geoff Banks finished second in the Low Gross on two over par (74), adding to what was an excellent day for both players.
Rank List
Darren Wills extends his lead at the top of the Rank List, adding 87 points to move onto 1,700 from sixteen events. However, the most significant development is the rise of Neil Sharpe, who climbs from sixth to second on 1,647 points after earning 275 points on the day, closing to within just 53 points of the lead with a handful of events remaining.
Daryl Cook moves to third on 1,606.45 points, also adding 87 points, with Benjamin Roth dropping to fourth on 1,554.96 points having not added to his tally this week. Peter Gray rounds out the top five on 1,513.67 points after earning 52.5 points.
There is an intriguing subplot developing further down the standings. Peter Gray in fifth and Alistair Brown in seventh, currently 348.11 points behind the lead, are paired together in the Concorde Final and are guaranteed a minimum of 275 points each as runners-up, or 350 points each should they go on to win. Both men will be keenly aware of what the result could mean for their Rank List positions.
The season is now entering its final chapter, with points still available across the following events: the Autumn Scratch Medal & President’s Putter played over 36 holes on Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th September, The McKenzie Cup on Saturday 3rd October, the October Midweek Medal on Tuesday 6th October, and the season-closing Tournament of Champions & October Monthly Medal on Saturday 10th October.