SIXTY-eight The Vale Golf Club seniors gathered for their new captain’s drive-in to open his year in office. 

Andy Jinks drove off the 10th tee with Rob Sharp winning the competition to guess the nearest distance before a scramble contest for teams of three or four.

Gerry Clayton, Mike Hird, Tony Perfect and Graham Whitehead won with 66.7 ahead of Ken Vincent, John Turner and Paul Stewart on 67.

Mike Pickerel, Ed Reynolds and Mick Lewes were third on 67.6 from Rob Sharp, Patrick Staines, Rob Brownsdon and Keith Watson on 68.5.

The John Mckeon Salver was presented to Steve Donovan by Yvonne Mckeon in memory of her late husband, a long-time member and past captain.

The 2017 captain Derek Lambert’s chosen charity Motor Neurone Disease Association were presented with a cheque for £4,311.60 on behalf of the seniors section by Dianna Lambert.

The charity chosen by Jinks for 2018 will be St Richard’s Hospice.

Meanwhile, Evesham ladies competed in a reverse waltz competition on a fine January day.

The winners with 44 points were Lesley Kewley, Joan Hunt and Penny Osborne from Eunice Allen and Jenny Masser on 42.

Francis Friend and Camilla Haines won a Broadway ladies’ stableford.

Played over 16 holes as an individual competition, on completion of their rounds a secret partner was drawn to give a combined overall score.

Friend and Haines totalled 60 points ahead of Esther Pettitt and Angela Sollis on 58 with Judith Noyce and Louise Folkes nudged down to third on countback.

Harry Hawthorne and Matt Magee won the men’s rearranged winter league fifth round over a foursomes format.

They scored 40 points ahead of Mick Sandalls and Paul Walker on 38, David Harrison and Robert Jones on 37 and Richard Rouse and Warren McDivitt on 36.