A record-equalling 63 on the famous JH Taylor course was among the highlights of two prestigious tournaments for elite amateur men and women golfers staged at Royal Mid-Surrey this week.
FORMAT: 72-hole stroke play
Firstly, a strong field of 60 players competed in the 72-hole Peter Alliss Memorial event over two days. Basingstoke’s Charlie Forster came out on top with a combined score of 270.
Recording an impressive final round of 65 (-4) on Richmond course course, his six-under par total bettered Essex-based runner-up Jackson Garnett (Five Lakes) by two shots.
Garnett himself shot an outstanding 63 in the second round, equalling the course record previously held by former Ryder Cup Captain Bernard Gallacher, to finish one place higher than Charlotte Brook of Parkstone Golf Club in Dorset.
The World Amateur Golf Ranking event, named after the legendary commentator and former member of Royal Mid-Surrey, provided Forster with a prize of £700 and prizes were awarded down to sixth place.
Two days later over the same course renowned for its humps and hollows, the historic 36-hole foursomes tournament known as The Antlers – held exclusively at Royal Mid-Surrey over a span of 90 years – featured 40 pairs of accomplished players from around the UK competing for the trophy unique to the club.
Open to mixed pairs for the first time and golfers of all ages with a handicap of 8.0, the winning pairing with the lowest scratch score were Rocky Chapman and Reggie Fear from the Wentworth Club. Coming to terms with the fast USGA-standard greens, they combined for an excellent score of 144 in the alternate shot format to win by three shots.
“Royal Mid-Surrey is very proud to have hosted two prestigious competitions for some of the country’s leading amateur players in the same week and there where some truly outstanding scores recorded,” said Mark Gailey, General Manager.
“Both events were seen as a huge success and the course conditions remained at a superb standard throughout the week, despite the size of the fields involved. Great credit must go to the club’s greenkeeping team for such a tremendous effort.”