Northamptonshire Professional Golfers Association.

The 12^th addition of the Cantrell Cup was played at Peterborough GC on Monday 7^th June. This unique competition sponsored by Les Cantrell, former Northants County Captain and Golf Union President brings professional and category 1 amateurs together over 36 holes of scratch golf.

Playing in pairs each team faces 18 holes betterball in the morning and 18 holes foursomes in the afternoon. This year twenty two pairs competed on a warm and mostly sunny day. The course was in excellent condition having benefited from a little rain and the recent warm weather. The strong field assembled to contest the event contained the current Professional stroke play champion, Sam Jarman (Collingtree Park), match play champion Simon Lilly Wellingborough), ‘Order of Merit winner Carl Sainsbury (Brampton Heath), amateur County Men’s Champion Neil Connolly (Northants County) and newly crowned Junior Boys champion, Jack Walding (Kingsthorpe).

The morning round produced an amazing number of birdies and the odd eagle, as expected with betterball and a field of this calibre the scoring was low. Nineteen of the twenty two went under par. Three teams tied on 63 nine under par, they were Simon and Andy Lilly, Nick Soto and Lewis White, Andy Hare and Richard Cole. A further shot back were Sam Jarman and Jack Walding. On the scoring front Jack Walding’s four consecutive birdies took pride of place, no mean feat, especially as he is only a fifteen year old! After the morning round the result was still in the balance, another six teams were within four shots it was all to play for.

Foursomes, one ball alternative shots is a tricky format, a game suited to strategic play. The scoring reflected this with only five teams under par a tight result was ensured. First to post a score were the team of Shane Rose (Cold Ashby) and Ryan Evans returning a four under 68 to post 134 and pass playing partners the Lilly’s by one shot. There lead was short lived as Soto and White recorded a two under round of 70, overall 134, this was a model of consistency everything that foursomes is about, 16 pars and two birdies, no dropped shots. The wait as to whether they would win was long as the only really close to them was in the last match. Unfortunately their good form of the morning deserted them leaving Nick Soto and Lewis White Champions of the 2010 Cantrell Cup.

At the presentation Les Cantrell thanked the players for their support and reflected on the great play and high scoring, the county was luck y to have talented players in it. He wished all the players well for the rest of the season and thanked the professionals for all the coaching work they did to assist in the production of such quality players and looked forwards to seeing them the same time next season at Peterborough Milton.