Strong winds and a battle to the finish at Malton & Norton
A bright, autumnal day provided the backdrop for the penultimate event in the Clubhouse Leaders’ series at Malton and Norton Golf Club. Strong winds were enough to blow the leaders in the Order of Merit off course and bring a new name into the challenge.
Despite heavy rainfall the day before, Malton was in excellent condition, with the greens as superb as ever.
Early signs were that it was going to be a close affair with with those that made quick inroads, falling back into the pack in the tough wind. That didn’t stop Hugh Spillane from producing a brilliant approach shot into our first nearest the pin.
His effort finished around 6 foot away and, despite being the first group through the hole, it was enough to take the honours.
With the lead swapping on a regular basis it was proving difficult to see who was going to win. As we got into the closing holes, Martin Mellor’s consistency saw him open up a lead on the chasing pack. Part of that excellent run of golf saw him win our second nearest the pin competition, with a well judge shot into a tight green.
As he played the last he was three shots clear of the pack, with the nearest contender, Michael Goodare, in the same group. Martin failed to score any points on the last and Michael had a very makeable putt to draw level, however with the pressure on his shoulders he was unable to take advantage, allowing Martin to win the day on 37 points, with Michael on 36.
There is everything to play for as we head to Moortown for our finale on Thursday 10th October.
What a fantastic end as we wait to see who will win our race to Portugal and be crowned Clubhouse Leaders’ Golfer of the Year.
