Next events -nearly full
The terrific Vale Royal – SHOTSAVER Pairs next Friday 24th August £25 inc bacon bap+coffee*SPACES*
28th Aug Bramall Park Taylor Made AM AM £20*SPACES
6th Sept Alistair Mackenzies Hazel Grove ‘The Blue river wealth management Am Am £20*SPACES*

Maxitours ‘pro-amtour.com’ Classic at Manchester Hopwood Golf Club.

A full field of 100 competitors really enjoyed Maxitours first ever visit to the impressive Hopwood Golf Club today. The course is perhaps the best in Manchester and has hosted many fine events. I played here in the European Tour School in 1992. Lee Westwood got some lucky bounces that week and he was delighted to narrowly pip me by 15 shots on his way to securing his Tour card.

Brian Connor is the highly respected Professional at Hopwood Golf Club and he runs a fantastic shop, he always has plenty of special bargains on his golf equipment and clothing. As usual David Kelly from Knutsford was more interested in the special offers in the kitchen and the profiteroles and cream at £2.50 was too good an offer for him to miss.

Todays sponsors were John and Alison Hooper who run terrific golf holidays to America (which I can very highly recommend www.americangolfholiday.com ). Despite being Southerners they are very nice people indeed. The language barrier proved something of a problem however as they attempted to interact with the more Northerly based members of the tour.
‘Ray Ward from Blackburn is going to speak to us after he’s had ‘summer teat’- what the hell is he talking about?’ They asked me looking confused. ‘He will speak to you after he has had something to eat’ I interpreted with a smile on my face.

In todays competition there was some ‘serious trunk slammin’ in the car park from Dave Wilson, Pete McManus and ex United players Stuart Pearson and Jeff Wealands. After an amazing front nine played in twelve better they hit the panic button and could not improve on the back nine and had to settle for 5th position.

Maxitours favourite Colin Roberts plays nearly every week, his last success came in 2009, today he was majestic in the wind and playing alongside Ian Tinling, Tony Adams and Jeff Andrews they set the clubhouse lead with a terrific 87 points which would be good enough for 2nd place.

Late in the day Gavin Sutcliffe played alongside his less talented father together with Paul Wrigley and Ian Fairbrother. The single figure team enjoyed the testing conditions and a birdie from 4 handicap Fairbrother on the last secured victory by a solitary shot, well played chaps.

Many thanks to all players for your support today, many thanks to Sponsors Alison and John Hooper and thanks to Hopwood for their wonderful hospitality, it looks set to become a regular and superb Maxitours venue.

The flag was perched on the front of the 13th green and I thought it would take a really talented golfer of great skill to get the ball close and win nearest the pin. Neville Dennis proved this was not to be the case as he drilled a thin four iron into the bank, the ball then popped up, struck the flag at great speed and left a 9 inch tap in for a birdie.

Nearest the Pin 13th Neville Dennis Dozen AD333s
Nearest the Pin 4th Gav Sutcliffe Dozen AD333s