Farrington Park Ladies: At the end of September, the professional women players of Europe and the USA had competed to win the Solheim Cup, the female equivalent of the men’s Ryder Cup. 

The golf was of the highest level and produced a nail-biting finish which saw the European players retain the Solheim Cup for a third time running. Their stirring performances have hopefully, inspired the Farrington Park ladies to reach new heights in their individual golf journeys so it was perhaps fitting that this week they competed in the Daily Mail Foursomes competition. Foursomes, also known as alternate shot, is one of the formats that makes up the various elements of the Solheim Cup.

The Daily Mail Foursomes Golf Tournament has been held annually since 1953. Each Club holds a competition with the winners going forward to play against other Clubs’ members in the next round. Seventeen pairs contested for the chance to represent Farrington Park. The Men’s Club Championship had been played the previous week and the Duchy course still retained some aspects of the Championship set-up with the rough being long as the greenkeepers had been unable to mow it due to heavy rain.

The most important feature of Foursomes is keeping the golf ball in play for your partner, preferably in the middle of the fairway, getting into the rough put paid to a decent score on each hole. The final team scores were modest, only two teams played to their handicap par. Third place went to Maureen Charlton and Pauline Young with 35 points. For the second week running, Jackie Walker and Gail Proctor finished in second place, this time with 37 points, beaten once again by a familiar name. Sue Skyrme has proved to be a powerhouse of team golf this summer, winning three times with different partners. This time she partnered Carol King and the long-hitting duo combined well especially on the back 9 holes to take first place on count back. 

Sue and Carol will compete in the first round proper against another Club’s team on a knockout basis sometime in the New Year. Jane Ball