FIFTY pairs contested the second men’s Open sponsored by Hopwood Ash in glorious sunshine at West Berks on Saturday.

The winners were the West Berks’ pairing of Lee Nicholson and Paul Hargrave with 45 points.

Luke Prestoe and Dan Taylor took second place with 44 while Ian Lewin and Stuart King were a further shot behind in third place. Chris Armstrong and Jack Mason from Minchinhampton won the visitors’ prize.

The annual husbands and wives’ Trophy was won by Mike and Carol Sparvell with 41 points with Patrick and Jane Wilmore in second place with 36 points.

Patrick Wilmore won the nine-hole Liddiard stableford competition with 22 points while Robin Knape and Graham Miles both scored 19 points to qualify for the final in August.

The seniors won 4½-1½ in a home fixture against Wokefield Estate.

Joe Simpson, the son of West Berks professional, Paul Simpson, has performed brilliantly in his first three outings in the professional ranks.

His first event was the southern region qualifier for the English PGA Championship held at Clandon Regis on April 13 where he shot four-under-par which earned him a tie in third place and qualification for the final at Saunton Golf Club on June 27-29.

On May 4 he played in his first Pro-Am as a professional at the Oxford Golf Club where he tied in first place with Tom Fleming of Donnington Grove on two-under-par.

In his third event, on May 17, he came second in the PGA Assistants’ Championship South West region qualifier at Bristol and Clifton and qualifies for the finals to be held at Farleigh GC on July 3-5.

Simpson shot a one-under-par 69 to win qualification to this prestigious tournament that was established in 1930.

  • THEALE’s PGA Professional, Nick Mitchell, snatched the final qualifying spot in the European Seniors Tour, to join Colin Montgomerie, Ian Woosnam, Paul McGinley and a host of other stars in ‘The Shipco Senior Masters’ in Denmark.

Just under 100 Seniors competed for the five available spots in brutal conditions of heavy rain and squally winds.

The tournament takes place from June 1-3 at Simons Golf Club Denmark as part of the European Senior Tour.

  • MARGARET Deighan received a two shot cut in handicap after winning the Ladies May Stableford at Caversham Heath.

Deighan (36hcp) scored 40 points – 25 coming on her back nine. Runner-up was Caroline Dover (26hcp) with 36 points and third was Lynne Rumbold (19hcp) with 30 points.