After a week of warmer weather, members at Sidmouth Golf Club had been enjoying the relative luxury of soft fairways and playing on proper greens. However, because of overnight frost last Saturday night, the 3 Ball Better-Ball Medal competition on Sunday morning had to be played with some temporary greens, although the course in general was in good condition, writes John Rockey.

On a glorious fresh and crisp winter morning with bright sunshine overhead, the players competing in the latest round of the Winter League encountered excellent scoring opportunities and took advantage of the relatively softer playing surfaces.

The teams for the 3 Ball Better-Ball Medal are drawn from a list of entrants and luck plays its part in the make up of the partnerships.

Following his outstanding round in last week’s individual competition, Lee Wenham got lucky again and, with his partners of Derek Platten and Martin Crockett came in first with a nett 54. Wenham was eager to stress that it was his partners’ good play which ensured victory, but there were some members present who thought this emphasis of his partners’ contribution might have been an effort to deflect the inevitable cries for his handicap reduction.

Second, just one shot behind were Simon Anstiss, Jan Kazimierowicz and Matt Fripp with a nett 55 who just fought off third-placed Jim Anderton, Bob Skelly and Brian Trott who had a nett 56.

The much-fancied team of Carl Sheehan, Steve Channing and Luke Sheppard didn’t quite live up to their favourites billing and could only manage fourth place. But they did score the only two of the day which ‘counted’ and thus scooped the pot for the two’s sweep. Their good fortune in claiming all the ball sweep money caused some embarrassment to one participant who actually scored two twos, but failed to enter the ball sweep, much to the dismay of his partners, who also lost out on a share of the pot!

In the overall standing of the Winter League, Carl Sheehan was the only one of the top three to add to his total when his fourth place earned him two points to bring his tally up to 50 points.

This now looks an unassailable lead with five rounds to go as he is way ahead of Moray Boscence who didn’t add to his total of 37 points and Jonathan Lee, who also didn’t play and remains on 35 points.