SIMON Futcher is a first-time winner of the men’s championship at West Berks, while Jane Brackenbury won the ladies’ championship for the fourth year in succession over two days of competition at the weekend.

Scratch handicapper Futcher, who joined West Berks from Marlborough in December last year, set the pace in round one on Saturday with 76 and went one shot better in the second round.

His 151 total put him three shots clear of Jason Kendal who started the second day in fourth spot but shot a 74, the best round of the weekend, to climb into second place. Nigel Day was third with 160.

Brackenbury shot 93 on Saturday and followed this with a 92 for a winning total of 185 to record her fourth consecutive win. Tina Mulford was second with 194 and Mary Harwood third with 201.

Tom McAuley won the Wise Trophy, a scratch competition for 12 to 18 handicappers, with a total of 175, while the Bennett Trophy for plus 19 handicaps was won by long-standing member, Ron Hurst, with a total of 195.

Lady vice-captain, Sandy Miller, won the ladies’ midweek stableford with 36 points, beating Shelagh Lancaster by a single shot, while Aileen Summers was a further shot behind, beating Simone Diamond and Susie Boultwood on count-back.

Geoff Pudner maintained his impressive winning streak by taking the midweek medal with a gross 86, nett 72.

In a tight battle for second, Tony Cleaver, Lee Nicholson and Mark Ramos all scored nett 74 with the positions decided in that order on count-back.