THE second round of league two qualifiers for Maldon Golf Club’s Ben Volta Winter League was played on Sunday.

The format this week was a betterball bogey played off three-quarters handicap with 26 pairs teeing-off in mild but damp conditions.

It was to prove a closely-fought contest as four pairs returned matching scores and a four-way countback was needed to determine the top four places.

After much deliberation the winners this week were declared to be league one champions Pete Hawkins and Martyn Cook.

Cook’s successful putt on the 18th green gave them the victory on countback with a score of +6.

Second (ocb) were club captain Terry Butcher and Alan Syrett (+6) while third place went to Tony Davis and Martin Read (+6).

Chris Purkiss and Pete Scanes secured fourth place, also on +6, while Darren Mason and Garth Milford were fifth on countback with +5.

The weekly nearest-the-pin prizes went to Paul Jackson on the par three fifth/14th hole and to Leon Griffiths for the closest second shot on the par four sixth/15th.

In the club’s social calendar approximately 60 members and their guests enjoyed the annual Burns Night dinner, with the traditional piping-in of the haggis and complimentary Robert Burns’ poetry reading by past captain John Gardiner.

After-dinner speaker and comedian Ian Richards topped off the evening in fine style.