2018 Diggle Trophy 30th. June
The Diggle Trophy is the one major comp of the year which is the celebration of the higher handicapper with those ‘elite 0-15’ players excluded and thus giving them an opportunity to beat a smaller field it represents their best chance to win .
Self-styled Alty GC reporter and wannabe archivist Paul Hackett (88/19/69 - pictured here on a recent Spanish golfing trip ) has long targeted this event as one of the highlights of his golfing year and he has now got his name in the record books with his second major win since joining the fascinating pastime of Club golf in August 2015 by winning the Diggle Trophy .
As many members are aware his ungainly , unbalanced and ugly swing belies an occasional ability to post a decent score and such was the case in the Diggle .
Hackett was paired with a trio of wily veterans and ( given the tricky swirling windy conditions ) he elected to play percentage golf with 4 pars and 4 bogeys in a solid front 9 with the only blemish a triple bogey at 5 ... only one par ( courtesy of a towering wind-defying 5 iron to 12 feet at 13) on the back 9 otherwise it was grinding out scores to handicap with the only blemishes being a dropped shot to handicap on 15 and consecutive missed short putts for net birdies on 10 and 11 which would’ve helped his cause .
The purchase of a set of G25 Ping irons just 48 hours earlier ( and an initial experimental round finishing 25th of 27 on Friday in a Vets comp ) meant that he used those irons confidently to stunning effect and with his putting a little better than its usual poor standard on our excellent greens ! 88/19/69 equalled his best ever score ( curiously set when winning his first major 11 months earlier) ... a victory based on patience , course management and focus ! The handicapper saw fit to trim his handicap by 0.3 to 18.7 !
Andrew Window (88/19/69) has received a few positive mentions from this observer in past reports for good campaigns and this positive thinking 50 something plays golf as colourful as his outfits ! Today he recorded 4 pars only dropping shots to handicap on 3 and 7 to be 2 under his handicap at the turn and gained further shots on 12 ,13 and 17 ( he had decisively lead the competition on 4 under as he stood on the 14th tee) . Crucially he gave 2 shots back to handicap at that tricky hole ( for the second consecutive comp ) and another on the short 16th which meant a second place finish denying him a first major on countback but this was nevertheless his best result since joining Alty in July 2017 .The handicapper has accordingly rewarded his efforts by lowering him by 0.3 to 18.4 !
Andy Slater (91/20/71) has already won a major this season and had a slow start this campaign with dropped shots to handicap at 1,2 and 5 putting him at 3 over as he stood on the 6th tee but recovering all 3 shots by the end of his front 9 with a superb birdie 3 on the tricky 7th the highlight .
He would again shoot par for his handicap on a steady back 9 gaining shots on 12,16 and 17 but dropping them on 10,14 and 18 for a creditable third place .
74 years young wily veteran John Rossiter (89/18/71)attributes his good form to his fortnightly sessions with coach James Curtis and this observer had played with him watching as he easily won a Vets event at Alty just 24 hours earlier posting an impressive 43 Stableford on yellow tees at 15 handicap .
Back to his 18 handicap status for the white tees John started steadily then erupted into life with a birdie on 4th and gained further shots on 7th and 9th with a triple bogey 7 on 8th meaning he matched the best front 9 at 2 under . At the back 9 he started steadily but given the windy conditions this wily golfer deliberately laid up before the brook on the short 13th and got up and down for an impressive par . The 15th and 18th would prove to be his downfall with hooked drives at both requiring him to play 3 off the tee and the 4 shots dropped to handicap on those holes meant a solid fourth place which could’ve been a victory but for his refreshing eagerness to play shaped shots depending on the hole .
Another top 5 finish for Alty treasure and Watson winner Brian Cawley (93/20/73) was steady but without the spectacular scoring of last week whilst 29 handicapper Jason Coates (102/28/74) achieved the lowest gross round of his Alty career despite an opening 8 and dropping 5 shots to handicap on the par 5s he parred 3,7 and 16 and this happy go lucky Alty carpenter will surely break into sub-100 scores before long.
Special mentions ... Owen Fallon , who played so well on his front 9 and parred the next two to stand at 3 under for his handicap on the 12th tee before a quad bogey 9 at that hole derailed his campaign and 2 further triple bogeys sealed his fate .
Double 2016/2017 Diggle Trophy defending champion Roy Dickens (102/19/73) was going for an unprecedented third consecutive title but never got going and recorded only one par in the round . High praise though for his sterling efforts in this competition which are a testament to his course management skills .
