THERE was a close finish to Leominster Rankin Club Golf Society’s 18th annual open stableford competition for the Mathew Finney Memorial Cup with a count-back required to decide the champion.

Rob Garvey and Nick Palmer finished with 38 points apiece and it was the former’s better score on the back nine that decided the trophy in his favour at the Leominster Golf Club.

Palmer, who had won the cup in 2007, received the runners-up trophy and Martin Dowe took third place with 35 points.

Kevin Gibbons received the trophy for the best gross score, and other award winners included Dan Kelly for the most points on the par-three holes, Maz Morris and Craig Grimmell for nearest the pin, and Richard James for the longest drive. Twos were recorded by Craig Grimmell, Barry Reynolds, Guy Thompson and Richard Finney.

q Herefordshire GC, Seniors’ medal for the Burkin Bowl, winner: Paul Roberts 72 nett; 0-14 category: 1 Barry Stevenson 72 nett, 2 John Hodgetts 72, 3 Roger Wild 75; 15-22 category: 1 Roger Wardle 75 nett, 2 Peter Timms 77, 3 Geoff Gobey 78; 23+ category: 1 George Field 76 nett, 2 Donald Kilgour 77, 3 Bill Mundell 78.

q Belmont GC, September medal, Division One: 1 (and overall winner) Mark Wright 72 nett, 2 Paul Stevens 74, 3 Ryan Jones 74; Division Two: 1 Richard Williams 73, 2 Pete Crossley 73, 3 Brian Gough 76.

Belmont Seniors’ Championship, Mike Ingram trophy for best gross score: Elwyn Hamer 77; Dennis Pritchard trophy for best nett score: Lenny Andrews 73 nett.

Martin Burton Cup: 1 Ray Burton 55 pts, 2 John Alexander 52, 3 Keith Taylor 50.

q Luctonians Golf Society at Bransford GC: 1 Jim Kelly 34 pts, 2 Richard Sparey 34, 3 Chris Hartley 33; front nine: Bill Nicholls 18; back nine: Nigel Moore 18; nearest the pin: Monty Lowe; longest drive: Ben Amos.

q Leominster GC, summer knockouts: Scratch Cup: 1 Kevin Gibbons, 2 Jimmy Lindsay; H A Saunders Pairs: 1 Rob Jones and Roger Richards, 2 Steve and Chris Makin; Cross and Bevington Cup: 1 Ben Morris, 2 Duncan Betts.

Presentation Day competition for the Charlie Tune Trophy, Division One: 1 Ian Gullis 78-8-70, 2 Mark Price 83-12-71; Division Two: 1 Doug Hill 84-15-69, 2 Alan Weaver 88-16-72; Division Three: 1 Mike Barrington 98-28-70, 2 Robert Tracy 95-23-72.

Two-man Texas Scramble: 1 Mike Graves and Lee Chapman, 2 Gareth Davies and Neil Bennett, 3 Andy and Jackson Merrick.

q Grove GC senior ladies’ away day at Elm Lodge, Ludlow, singles winner: Sally Wright; winning team: Sue Price, Doreen Wyatt and June Bromage; nearest the pin: June Bromage.

q South Herefordshire GC, Mark Foster’s Captain’s Day: 1 Billy Dignan 72 nett, 2 Lewis Scott, 3 Bryan Davis; nearest the pin: Tony Green, Steve Bennett, Simon Sharpe and Adrian Talbot. Autumn Trophy: 1 Paul Willetts 40 pts, 2 Mark Waghorn 39, 3 Tim Beale 37.

q Kington GC, ladies’ section 12-hole stableford, Division One: 1 Jones 23 pts, 2 Claire Burton 21; Division Two: 1 Jane E Burgoyne 20 pts, 2 Jean Williams 20.

q Brecon and Radnor County Golf Union past and present captains and secretaries competition at Knighton GC, men’s event (Dai Davies Cup): 1 Simon McDade (Knighton) 42 pts, 2 Fred Davies (Knighton) 38, 3 Wayne Aspley (Knighton) 38, 4 Syd Stephens (Knighton) 33; ladies’ event (Colin Bradley Salver): 1 Lorna Snedden (Summerhill) 37 pts, 2 Chris Sutton (Knighton) 36, 3 Ann Hobson (Knighton) 30.

Brecon and Radnor Seniors lost 5-0 to Gwent Seniors at Builth Wells GC.

The Brecon and Radnor CGU annual meeting will be held at Brecon GC on Thursday, October 25 at 7.30pm.