Abdul Ahmad wins 2009 Millennium Golf (23 Aug 09)

Abdul Ahmad, representing Pendle and Craven, was undefeated in all 7 matches and won the trophy.  Catherine from Fylde, who had triggered down to handicap 10 in the previous day’s play at Chester, came second with 5 wins, triggering a handicap of 9.

Although a rainy day was forecast, 8 players were greeted in morning sunshine for a great day of Golf Croquet at Heaton Park. All played all, as the weather freshened with some short showers interspersed with sunshine. By the end of round 6, Abdul had won 6 matches and Catherine 5. The final match between the pair would decide the outcome of the tournament. The score was 5-3 in Abdul’s favour at hoop 9. Abdul scored the hoop and his ball ran some way to the left of Hoop 10. Catherine sent the yellow ball to the Hoop and using the last bisque, managed to place it into the jaws. With a tremendous shot, Abdul dislodged the ball. Catherine’s red ball had been sent earlier to the West boundary just in front of hoop 1. If she could miss the peg on the left there was a chance to get near to hoop 10. Disappointed at the wasted bisque with the yellow ball, she determinedly struck the ball diagonally across the lawn (just about 2 inches right of the peg) and incredibly lodged the red ball into the 10th hoop.

Abdul then played his shot as Catherine walked back across the lawn. Catherine played yellow then after some confusion over ball order, Abdul smashed his blue ball from the North boundary at the red ball. The blue hit the upright and Catherine successfully ran the 10th hoop. Some minutes later, Abul ran hoop 11 taking the match 7-4.

Ian Lines Wins Neil Williams Trophy Again by Geoff Young (26 Apr 09)

The NW Fed Millennium Advanced was played at Heaton Park on 25-26 April 2009 under the mangement of Bury Croquet Club.

Two sections were played. The Neil Willams Trophy in the A Section of 11 players was a Flexible Swiss, won in a close contest by Ian Lines who lost only one game – this was to new face Lee Hartley of Fylde, contributing quite a bunch of index points towards his handicap reduction to scratch by making five wins out of seven. David Walters (Bowdon) also won 5/7, handicap reduction to -1, and was defeated by Ian in a decider. Paul Rigge completed the peels for a quad but couldn’t quite do the pegout.

In the B section for the Woodlands Trophy, Roger Schofield (Pendle & Craven) had a clean sweep of five out of five in a round robin, with handicap reduction to 3.

Full results:

A SECTION: Brian Storey bt Bob Burnett +13; Lee Hartley bt James Hawkins +7; Andrew Winn bt David Walters +10; Dave Nick bt Paul Rigge +9; Ian Lines bt Ray Lowe +14; Burnett bt David Barrett +23TP; Storey bt Nick +17; Hawkins bt Rigge +9TPO; Hartley bt Winn +17; Walters bt Lowe +3; Lines bt Burnett +9; Winn bt Barrett +25; Hartley bt Storey +14; Nick bt Hawkins +19; Rigge bt Lowe +16; Walters bt Burnett +9; Hawkins bt Barrett +3(T); Lines bt Nick +25; Storey bt Winn +3(T); Hartley bt Lines +17; Nick bt Lowe +11; Walters bt Rigge +10; Nick bt Burnett +2; Lines bt Hawkins +17TP; Nick bt Hartley +17; Lines bt Storey +25TP; Walters bt Hawkins +20; Rigge bt Winn +19; Burnett bt Lowe +26; Hartley bt Burnett +17; Lines bt Rigge +17TP; Winn bt Nick +5; Barrett bt Lowe +1(T); Walters bt Storey +14; Burnett bt Hawkins +10; Rigge bt Hartley +25; Storey bt Lowe +22; Lines bt Walters +20; TP Winn bt Hawlins +25TP; Burnett bt Rigge +7.

B SECTION: Mark Lloyd bt Ken Anderton +2T; Roger Schofield bt John Wilkinson +1T; Liz Wilson bt Peter Wilson +2; Schofield bt P Wilson +1T; Lloyd by L Wilson +20; Wilkinson bt Anderton +9; Schofield by Anderton+10; Pwilson bt Lloyd +1T; L Wilson bt Wilkinson +19; Anderton bt L Wilson +5; P Wilson bt Wilkinson +14T; Schofield bt Lloyd +17;; Anderton bt P Wilson +9 Lloyd bt Wilkinson +26; Schofield bt L Wilson +10.