Samuel Ryder Pro-Am raises £22,000 for charity

STRATFORD Golf Club hosted the biannual PGA Samuel Ryder Pro-Am on Tuesday, raising more than £22,000 for the Shakespeare Hospice.

Leading professionals from around the country competed for a £5,000 prize fund, courtesy of main sponsors Murphy Salisbury.

Played in wet conditions, Craig Shave, from Whetsone Golf Club in Leicester, led the professional tournament with a fine five-under-par score of 67.

Shave was closely followed by six players on three-under, which included Stratford’s Fred Jewsbury.

The club’s head professional, Julian Dodsworth, also fared well on his home course with a steady one-under-par 71.

Each professional played with three amateur players in a separate event.

Richard O’Hanlon and his team of Peter Odemwingie, Alan McInally and Peter Chinnery sneaked top spot by way of a countback from Stratford members James McArthur, Rob Copperthwaite and Graham Rowley, with professional Shave.

A charity dinner followed where a toast was made to the founder of the Ryder Cup, Samuel Ryder, who was the club’s captain from 1929-31.

Club manager, Dan Hacker, said: “The club would like express their sincere thanks to Murphy Salisbury, the teams that entered and to other sponsors who kindly donated.”

Meanwhile, the men’s section of the club competed for the Sheldon Bowl with Roy Summers winning overall with 43 points on a countback, from Lloyd Wing on the same score.

Stratford’s scratch team notched up an excellent victory in the Mid Warwickshire League Premier Division, with a tense 3½ to 2½ victory over Coventry Golf Club.