BILLY Mason and Marley Read secured valuable points in the latest round of Maldon Golf Club's Winter League.

Round 11 was a two-ball Texas Scramble competition contested by 35 pairs playing off an allowance of one third of combined handicap, with scoring in the stableford format.

The rules of the competition specified that eight tee shots per player had to be selected, in the course of the round.

Despite the restriction, one-handicapper Mason and Read made the most of their six-shot allowance to return an 11-under par score of 47 points to win and secure 25 league points.

The father-and-son pairing of Paul and Richard Nash were a point behind, in second.

There was a three-way countback for the places from third to fifth, as three pairs scored 44 points.

Peter Scanes and Chris Purkiss were placed third, Christos Ryan and Dan Gardner claimed fourth place while Ed Bishop and Jim Scott were fifth.

The nearest the pin prizes for week 11 went to Garth Milford and Terry Marchi.

Week 12 of the Ben Volta Winter League was a betterball bogey contest.

A total of 31 pairs took part in damp and gloomy conditions, in contrast to the frozen greens experienced recently.

Each player received 90 per cent handicap allowance, with some outstanding scores on the day.

The winning pair of Pete Hawkins and Martyn Cook shot a gross betterball of three under par 68 for a bogey score of +9 to win by two clear shots.

Second place went to Martin Inglewicz and Ben Griffiths with +7 on countback from Paul Jackson and Mick Orrin, who were third.

Mason and Read were fourth on +6, while Steve Gearey and Mick Kempen were fifth on countback on +5.

The nearest-the-pin prizes for week 12 were awarded to Leon Griffiths on the par three fifth/14th and to Kempen for the closest second shot to the par four ninth/18th.

With four weeks remaining in Maldon's Winter League, Gearey and Kempen now hold a narrow lead with 164 points.

Read and Mason are second on 159 with Ed Bishop and Jim Scott a point behind in third place, on 158.