WITH the sun shining and the weather showing the first signs of spring Five Lakes played the final round of this year’s winter league.

Played on the championship Lakes course, the scores benefited from the improving conditions.

Billy Coe and Matt Foot scored 39 points followed by Mark Ponder and Mike Owen with 40 to be just outside the main prizes.

Third in the sixth round were Nigel Popper and Matt Somerville with 42 points.

Second slot went to Phil Robson and Graham Doherty with 43.

However, the runaway winners of the final round were Peter Dunnett and Alan Garnett with 46 stableford points.

Birdie balls were won by Mark Harlow on the 191-yards 16th hole.

Although this year’s winter league has experienced some fairly inclement weather from October through to March all six rounds were completed on their scheduled dates, both the Links and Lakes course stood up to the cold wind and rain very well.

Overall in first place and taking the Perry Cup, accumulating a magnificent 211, averaging 42 points per round, from the best five rounds out of six, were Phil Robson and Graham Doherty.

Second place went to Mark Harlow and Lee Stafford with 205 points, while Mark Ponder and Mike Thomas claimed third with 204.

In dry, breezy and challenging conditions, Five Lakes Seniors contested their first Stableford Qualifier of the new season on a drier but muddy Lakes Course.

Because the ball tended to pick up mud, preferred lies were in force in the closely mown areas of the course to permit ball cleaning.

With the limited carry and recently-tined uneven greens, scoring was always going to be at a premium and players needed to sink a few longish puts to return a challenging card.

One player who achieved this was Tony Horne who, with an excellent 21 points on the back nine, mastered the course to take top spot with a clear 35 points.

In winning, Horne kicked off his season’s Order of Merit tally with ten points.

Seniors’ Vice-Captain David Barbour and Captain Richard Taylor both carded 30 points to take second and third places.

Results: 1 Tony Horne 35 pts, 2 David Barbour 30 pts (ocb), 3 Richard Taylor 30 pts, 4 Clive Jenner 28 pts, 5 Bryan Thompson 27 pts (ocb), 6 Steve Greaves 27 pts (ocb), 7 Peter Ivey 27 pts, 8 David Owen 26 pts.