Winter Eclectics
The winter months saw some closely fought Eclectic competitions across the club, with several titles going right down to the final rounds.
In the Roy Lambdin Saturday Winter Eclectic, Ravi Shanker secured the overall win with a Nett 54, winning on countback from Greg Bailey, who also finished on Nett 54.
The Roy Thompson Sunday Winter Eclectic ended with Jack Law claiming first place on Nett 55, finishing one shot ahead of Ed van Egmond, runner‑up with a Nett 56.
The Rushton Bridgeman Vets Winter Eclectic was decided on countback, with David Sansom winning on Nett 60, finishing ahead of David Napier, who recorded the same score.
The Women’s Red Cross Winter Eclectic ended with a very close result. Camilla Mott and Jane Northeast both finished on 59.5, with Camilla taking the trophy on countback — the first time the competition has been decided that way. This was particularly impressive after three months off for a foot operation. Jane Van Egmond finished just half a shot behind on 60.0.
Men
Leatherhead’s teams made a positive start during the first quarter of the year. The Kelso Hamilton side recorded a 3–2 home win over Windlesham, while the Scratch Team and Surrey 5’s Blue Team both secured impressive 5–0 victories against Sunbury and Milford respectively. The Surrey 5’s Gold Team were the only side to miss out, losing away to The Drift.
The new season got underway with the Finke Cup, which attracted a full field of 96 players (48 pairs) on a beautiful spring day. David Napier and John Pearson came out on top with 47 Stableford points. An eagle on the 17th helped Tony Leslie and Ed Van Egmond finish second on countback ahead of Ben Klinger and Simon Jones.
Women
There were several strong performances from Leatherhead’s women in the Surrey knockout competitions.
Sue Choularton reached the quarter-finals of the Autumn Matchplay after navigating a fixture that had been postponed multiple times due to course restrictions. In the Rothschild Trophy, both Jane Northeast and Jill Olsen reached the quarter-final stage before suffering narrow defeats against high-quality opposition. Jane was 1-up with three holes to play before eventually losing at Sunningdale, while Jill’s match went all the way to the 18th hole at St George’s Hill.
Sue Choularton and Jane Northeast also represented the club in the Daily Mail Foursomes, narrowly losing their away match at Horton Park.
The Thornhill Trophy proved to be a successful competition for Leatherhead pairs. All three club pairings won their opening-round matches, with Jane and Simon Jones, Jane and Steve Northeast, and Jane and Ed Van Egmond all progressing.
By the end of March, Jane and Simon Jones and Jane and Steve Northeast had both advanced to Round 3, ensuring Leatherhead will continue to be well represented in the competition.
Vets
The M4 Vets Winter League side faced a strong Coombe Wood team in February and were unfortunately beaten 3½–½.
It has been an encouraging start to the year, with success in the Winter Eclectics, strong representation in county competitions and several teams making positive starts to their knockout campaigns.
Social Events
Charity Quiz Night:
A huge thank you to everyone who attended the Captains' Charity Quiz might on 20th February. The event was once again very well attended. Quiz Master Smith delivered anotjer brilliant evening, raising £430 for the Captains' Charity.
Ladies’ Trip to the Jolly Coopers, Epsom:
The Ladies enjoyed a trip away from home, when they visited the Jolly Coopers in Epsom after golf on 1st March to sample some real ale.
Captains’ Charity tracker
We have already seen a steady movement towards the target for our Charity this year, thanks to the Quiz Night and other activities.
