NICK Palmer, who was runner-up last year after being pipped on a countback, featured in another close finish at Leominster Rankin Club Golf Society’s open stableford for the Mathew Finney Memorial Cup but this time went one better to claim the trophy.

He scored 40 points, as did runner-up Matt Lewis, in fine conditions at the Leominster course and a countback went to the final six holes before he could be announced the winner.

It completed a successful day for Palmer who also recorded the longest drive and nearest the pin on the sixth hole, while third-placed Kevin Green, 37 points, won the best gross trophy.

Other prize-winners included Mike Rusling for the most points on the par threes and Adie Bennett, nearest the pin with a second shot to the 18th green.

q Grove GC, ladies’ section ‘Strike Three’ competition: 1 Irene Gallagher 27 pts, 2 Clare Hadley 24, 3= Jane Luffman and Cynthia Fenn 22.

Badger nine-hole competition: 1 Jacquie Macarther 14 pts, 2 Mo Tomlins 13, 3 Dorothy Harris 12.

Grove Ladies halved a friedly match away with Knighton.

q Herefordshire GC, seniors’ section away day at Sapey GC, lower handicap section: 1 and overall winner David Knowles 38 pts on cb, 2 Phil Manns 38, 3 Brian Matthews 36, 4 Kevin Baylis 34; higher handicap division: 1 Reg Dudman 36 pts, 2 Graham Sole 35 on cb, 3 Bill Mundell 35, 4 Don Roberts 34; longest drive (over 70): Jeff Burkin; longest drive (under 70); David Ingham; nearest the pin: Gordon Smith and Rick Shallcross.

Ladies’ section September charity stableford in aid of St Michael’s Hospice, Silver Division: 1 Jullie Powell 34 pts, 2 Pat Millington 32; Bronze ‘A’ Division: 1 Jenny Cooke 32 pts, 2 Ellen Goodchild 31; Bronze ‘B’ Division: 1 Ann Evans 32 pts, 2 Hazel Sockett 31.

Past captains’ trophy: 1 Marie Parry 33 pts, 2 Sylvia Topley 29.

Haines Cup: 1 Julie Powell 71 nett, 2 Lyn Granger 73.

Richardson Cup: 1 Karen Darby 79 gross, 2 Sue Mawby 80.

Oswin Cup: Jo Ware beat Karen Darby in the final on the 20th hole.

Julia Powell and Pauline Webb beat Chris Crisall and Tina Bell in the final and will reperesent the club next year in the Daily Mail Knockout.

Ladies’ am/am: 1 Iris Corfield, Karen Darby, Ann Wheatstone, Jo Hawes (Herefordshire GC) 87 pts, 2 Pam Williams, Ann Oldman, Sharon Helps, Mandy Haines (Herefordshire GC and Burghill Valley GC) 80, 3 Jenny Kelly, Gerry Cox, Wendy Priday, Sue Price (Kington GC) 80.

Open Texas Scramble: 1 Stuart Harris, Mark Davies, Barry Vale, Clive Pennell (Bewdley Pines) 46 nett, 2 Doug and Angela Kane, John and Pat Mumford (Tewkesbury Park and South Staffs) 48.5, 3 Gerald and Philip Price, Victor Fisk, Ruth Onions (Rodway Hill) 50.25.

q Belmont GC, Individual v Par competition, Division One: 1 Lee Bright +7, 2 Rory James, +3, 3 Paul Stevens +2; Division Two: 1 Jeremy Morris +10, 2 Steven Pritchard +3, 3 Brian Gough +3.

Seniors’ section, senior club championship, best nett: Geoff Foster 75; best gross: Elwyn Burton 84.

Martin Burton Trophy: 1 Percy Bristow 53 pts, 2 Ray Ingram 48, 3 Roger Smith 47.

q Burghill Valley GC, men’s section club championship, 36 holes: 1 Gregg Morgan 69+72=141, 2 Chris Makin 74+73=147, 3 Will Lloyd 74+74=148.

Ladies’ section Iron Lady stableford: 1 Penny Bird 32 pts, 2 Jan Bowne 29 on cb, 3 Caroline Bunyan.

September stableford, Division One: 1 Pam Layton 31 pts, 2 Marilyn Howard 30, 3 Sally Davis 29; Division 2: 1 Angela Powell 36 pts, 2 Jane Swan 31 on cb, 3 Angela Thomas 31; Division 3: 1 Paulette Scholes 32 pts, 2 Jayne Stain, 3 Joyce Pitts.

Mixed section, Barnett Trophy: 1 Marilyn and Nigel Howard, Brian and Christine Barnard 23, 2 Mark and Ruth Burrough, Lou and Mandy Haines 24 on cb, 3 Mark Lewis, Becky Lloyd, Bernie Green and Carol Powell 24.

Brightwells Cup: 1 Frank Bowen, Helen Green, Dean and Jacqui Powell 119 pts, 2 Roger and Pat Cleves, Colin and Ann Apperley 109 on cb, 3 Mark and Ruth Burrough, Lou and Mandy Haines 109.

q Leominster GC, men’s section Tune Trophy: 1 Paul Colebatch 78-11-67, 2 Danny White 82-14-68 on cb, 3 Jackson Merrick 78-10-68 on cb, 4 Derek Phillips 89-21-68 on cb, 5 Marcus Price 81-13-68; best gross: Richard Beaumont 75-5-70.

President’s Bowl: 1 Jamie Mee 71-13-58, 2 Ben Morris 79-14-65, 3 Taylor Merrick 79-12-67.

Captain’s away day at South Staffs GC: 1 Ryan Painter 43 pts, 2 NIgel Morris 35, 3 Simon Morgan 35, 4 Kevin Tandler 34, 5 Steve Codd 32.

Charlie Tune, aged 83, won the seniors’ section Ancients Cup for the fourth time in five years: 1 Charlie Tune 55.5 nett, 2 Neville Passey 60.5, 3 Terry Richards 63.

q Ross GC, ladies’ section invitation day competition: 1 Denise Laird and Philippa Frost 38, 2 Kay Cotton and Rosemary Rimmer 36, 3 Dinah Johnson and Judy Ponsford 35.

The men’s section annual autumn scratch was decided by a play-off when James Morgan beat Niall Powell after the pair had tied on 73. In the 18-hole play-off round, Morgan shot 87 against Powell’s 81.

Result: 1 James Morgan 73 (then 77), 2 Niall Powell 73 (then 81), 3 Steve Wallbank 74, 4 Wes Ralph 75, 5 Keith Crawford 76.

Another play-off was necessary to decide the destination of the annual Layton Cup for Seniors with Doug David’s 33 points seeing off the challenge of David Thrower, 30, after the pair had tied with 121 points, taking into account their best three of the competition’s six rounds.

Layton Cup, sixth round: 1 Doug Duncanson 42 pts, 2 Doug David 40, 3= David M rees, John Tecke, Kim Hampson, Tony Marcovecchio, Alan Thompson 38.

Annual Eclectic Cup, based on all six Layton Cup rounds: David M Rees.

q Kington GC, seniors’ section summer league, Division 1: 1 Sam Hinton 39 pts, 2 David Smith 39, 3 Gordon Glover 38; Division 2: 1 Richard Hill 40 pts, 2 Dave A Patterson 37, 3 David Mains 35.