Prudhoe's Season Gets Even Better

Prudhoe golf club have rounded off one of the most successful seasons in their 80 year history with victory in the Dixon Cup - the annual champion of champions scratch strokeplay shoot-out between the winners of all five North East leagues which stretch from North Yorkshire to the Scottish border.

At Arcot Hall golf club on Sunday the Prudhoe team, representing the Newcastle & District League, secured a convincing nine shot victory over defending Dixon Cup champions Saltburn, champions of the Teesside Golf Union. And Prudhoe were without two of their top players.

With six out of seven gross scores counting for each team, Prudhoe's young guns led the way with best of the day one under par rounds of 69 from Andy Scrimshaw, recently selected for the England Schoolboys team & James Curry.

Under the rules, they had to go out again for a sudden death play-off which Scrimshaw won after a long straight drive & a 50 yard pitch to three feet for a winning birdie three, against Curry's par, at the first extra hole.

One of Prudhoe' missing players was Dan Shevill, back in the USA in the final year of his golf scholarship at Midland University in Texas. The other was Tom Rowland, away on a trial for the England team. And while his team mates were adding to their haul of silverware, Rowland's trip proved equally successful as he was selected for the Under 18 performance squad.

Prudhoe's unique feat of winning both the Hadrian & Newcastle & District Leagues in 2010 qualified the club to submit two teams in the Dixon Cup. Finding 14 players would be difficult for any club especially when not all players were available. It demonstrates the enormous strength in depth of players available that Prudhoe managed to put out two highly competitive teams.

Club Captain, Malcolm Ward, wasn't able to be at Arcot Hall as he is currently in hospital awaiting an operation. However, he was kept fully informed throughout the day & had this to say from his hospital bed, "I am so proud of the lads. Their commitment to themselves, to each other & to the club has been exemplary & the results they have achieved this year, as individuals & as a team, is thoroughly deserved."

Final results in the Dixon Cup were:
Prudhoe (Newcastle & District League) - 438
Saltburn (Teesside Union) - 447
Heworth (North Durham Union) - 454
Goswick (North Northumberland League) - 462
Prudhoe (Hadrian League) - 474