PLAYING at The Worcestershire was something of a lottery with winter conditions testing stamina, skill and resolve.

With the men’s competition snowed off in Malvern Wells, it fell to the ladies and mixed group golfers to rise to the challenge.

Winter sunshine greeted the mixed pairs competitors but heavy playing conditions demanded stamina over 18 holes.

Winners Di and Paul Meakin blazed a trail with 43 stableford points, eight ahead of Joan and Gordon Herbert (35) with Vivienne Marsden and Chris Price (34) third.

Equally at home in bitterly cold, dry and windy conditions, the Meakins were again on form in the Bowmaker Mixed Alliance where one man’s and one lady’s score counted at each hole.

Playing with partners April Wilding and Andy Greene, they recorded 78 stableford points, winning on count-back from Doreen Hunt, Mike Dobel, June Jones and Peter Hill.

Third on 74 were Yvonne and Mike Cawley with Sally and Andrew Dare.

On a crisp, frosty morning, The Worcestershire ladies turned out for an individual 12-hole stableford with just three clubs and a putter.

Bone-hard fairways and greens made for unpredictable outcomes and three did well to return scores of 17 points.

Sue Boardman took the spoils on count-back from Ursula Pearson and Pauline Belsham.

Undeterred, the ladies were out again for a three-ball alliance when Joan Herbert, Liz Bird and Penny Stevenson were clear winners with 52 stableford points.

Jen Bishop, Cynthia Guest and Boardman were second on 46 with Jane Poynder, Jenny Mussen and Ruth Scott third on 44.