THE Worcestershire Golf Club’s men’s A team continue to impress under new captain Steve Carter as they did not lose a match in their 4 ½ : 1 ½ victory over Evesham Golf Club.

The victorious pairings were father and son Paul and Tom Deehan (handicaps 9 & 4 respectively) 3&2, Tom Howells (1) and Josh Marshall (5) 6&4 and Phil Birch (5) and Mark Reid (5) 3&1. The halved matches were fought out by Paul Wakely (11) and Tom Davies (3), Andy McCabe (4) and debutant Josh Worrall (2) and Steve Carter (10) and Dave Marshall (1).

Match captain Pauline Belsham was equally successful when she led the Worcestershire’s ladies to a resounding 48-point victory over Worcester Golf and Country Club to retain the Kathleen Noble Trophy.

Played in memory of a former member of both clubs, the contest featured an individual medal format with the best eight nett scores from each squad of twelve to count.

The best round of the day was recorded by Tina Jukes with nett 72.

The ladies’ DICL squad also secured a triumph at home against Sapey GC. Jackie Marks and Sue Boardman won their matches, Corinne Mills and Helen Thomas halved their matches and Jill Piner just lost hers on the 18th, resulting in a 3:1 win.

The Worcestershire’s mixed golfers recorded their first win of the season, with a convincing 8 ½ : 1 ½ victory at home to Kidderminster.

Away from home, matches proved more of a struggle, with Worcestershire’s seniors losing 5 ½ :1 ½ at Droitwich.

Andrew Colston and Barry Caswell, Roger Blackwell and Tony Pawson, and Dave Anderson and Keith Hitchcock all halved their matches.

A similar fate befell a ladies’ team when they travelled to Tewkesbury Park. Team captain Jenny Musson reported a 3:1 defeat, the only winners for the visitors being Pauline Savage and Joan Herbert.

Meanwhile, two men’s teams competed in the Worcestershire Union’s Club Team Handicap Tournament at Kings Norton. The A team of John Williams, Colin Jones and Stan Jones returned with 97 points and the B team of Pete Basten, Mike Sterry and John Davies came in with 100 points.

However, the winners from Churchill and Blakedown carded 106. The Worcestershire’s Stan Jones’ took fourth place in the individual rankings with a very respectable 38 points.

In club competitions, 10-handicapper Dave Tucker carded 40 points to lead the field and lift the Garnet Scott Tankard, when the Worcestershire’s men played round two of the EW Evans Centenary Stableford.

Following him home in Division One were Andrew Longley (5) on 37 and Martin Teale (9) on 36.

Division Two went to David Radley (15) with 39 points ahead of Cuth McDowell (17) on 36 and Gary Eames (13) on 34.

William Brimmell (23) shaved Division Three from A Wickett (20) with both on 36 points ahead of Dennis Duano (24) on 35.

The Veterans’ Stableford was captured by Ian Belsham (11), taking Division One with 41 points, six ahead of Ian Forrester (7) on 35 with Mick Lloyd (10) third on 33. Division Two’s Roger Turner (17) was close behind in the rankings, on 40 points, ahead of John Whitehead (16) on 38 and Paul Butler (17) on 35.

The consistent Phil Bayliss (18) won Division Three with 38 points, from Michael Smith (25) and Brian Piner (19), both on 37.

The club’s ladies entered a qualifying round for the national Ping four-ball better-ball stableford, with Janet Long and Anne Garner easing out Jill Brierly and Julie Saunders on the back six.

Garner won the qualifier last year with Betty Hakes, who came third this year with new partner Elsie Kelsall. Their 39 points were matched by fourth-placed Liz Pool and Pauline Savage.

The nine-hole stableford was won by Kate Cross with 15 points, ahead of Norma Pottinger on 13.