WITH the Worcestershire Golf Club course in prestigious condition and the weather set fair, low scores were expected in the De Vere Open Fourball Better-ball Stableford competition played at Malvern Wells last Sunday.

The standard of play was exceptional, but alas not from the members of the home club. Not one pair of players from The Worcestershire appeared in the winner's enclosure.

In the tournament, Wes Curtis and Peter Lupino returned the best performance, by any of the home club members. Wes and Peter returned the very creditable gross score of 39 points, but nevertheless had to be content with second place in the Gross Score Competition.

The De Vere Open was won with a score of 46 points, ten points better than par, by The Wharton Park pair of Dyer and Oxenham. The Worcester Golf and Country Club players were in good form with Smith and Dancox scoring 45 points to achieve second place and Darby and Murton coming third with 44 points.

The best Gross Score was also returned by a pair of golfers from Worcester Golf and Country Club, Warner and Bryan.

In the Mid-Week Stableford Competition, Tim Curtis, the former Worcestershire CCC captain, was in exceptional form returning the best score of the day. Tim won Division One with 43 points, seven points better than par.

Two players in Division One returned scores of 40 points, but Stephen Lane was placed second and Richard Maxwell third.

In Division Two, two players returned scores of 38 points and could only be separated on the count-back system. Kevin Field won the Division with Isaac Nyamekye placed second. Andy Thomas was third with 37 points.

In the inaugural Ladies Open Better-Ball Competition a large field of lady golfers, from all over the country, competed in conditions ideal for golf.

Two pairs returned scores of 42 points. Mary Horobin of The Worcestershire, playing with Leigh Peplow from Redditch, won the competition with the local pair of Kate Cross and Sheila Evans the runners up. Jill Exell and Cathy Harris, two local members, were placed third. Miss S Pursell and Miss J Thomas, two players, from The Cotswold Hill Golf Club, returned the best Gross Score of the day; the excellent score of 34 points. The longest drive of the day, at the 18th hole, was made by Leigh Peplow of Redditch, who drove an estimated 235 yards.

In the Ladies' Medal Competition former lady captain June Jones won Division One with a net score of 69, edging Ruth Scott into second place. Ruth returned a net score of 70.

The winner of Division Two was Alex Dunster who returned the best net score of the day, a 68. Pat Upton was second with a net 71.