FORMER Brean Golf Club bar manager Les Byrne was the winner of the prestigious Captains Cup on Dave Porter’s Captain’s Day on Saturday. 

He was awarded the silverware after a countback for the best score overall with Matt Shaw, which saw him victorious over the back six holes. 

Both players returned nett 64s on a damp day, when as always a large number of players turned out to support the club captain on his big day, but Byrne picked up the big prize. 

He had the best score in Division 3 as he headed home Bob Masterman by three, Masterman in turn three ahead of third-placed Steve Hill. 

Shaw, who just six days earlier had won the Club Championship at Weston-super-Mare, where he is also a member, was on track to challenge Porter’s course record, but let a couple of shots slip on the homeward run to end with a level par round of 69. 

He won the Division 1 category by two from Clive Goode, with Leighton Jenkins third. 

The middle division had the countback rules working overtime with the top duo requiring it to decide the winner. 

Nigel Hodges and Mel Brown both posted nett 67s, with Hodges getting the verdict with a superior back nine. 

Third-placed Wayne Barrett also won a countback, with no fewer than six others, who all matched the par of 69 to claim the prize. 

The Ladies event was won by the youngest competitor in the field – 12-year-old Millie Jones is improving fast and she shot a stunning nett 65 off a 36 handicap to win by seven from birthday girl Gail Mason.

Club Pro Andrew March devised his usual devilish course for the teams in the afternoon Cross Country Scramble competition, where each player was restricted to just two clubs and a putter each. 

The afternoon drizzle dampened a few spirits, but the scoring was still good with Clive Goode, David Glasby and Phil Barry running out the winners on nett 28. 

Phil Aspinall, David Hunter and Phil Hodgson were the runners-up, 0.6 behind, with Ladies captain Jenny Vaughan joining her husband Roger and Pro Shop assistant Jordan Hills in taking third spot on 28.9. 

At the presentation captain Porter thanked the members for their support over the day, especially his wife Leanne, Val Groves, Glenys Flett behind the bar, and Robin Williams and his team for the excellent presentation of the golf course. 

He also thanked the competitors for contributing to his captain’s charity, Cure Leukaemia.

Brean’s two Avalon League teams produced stunning performances on Sunday. 

Both produced their best results of the campaign so far, with the Division 5 side keeping up their challenge at the top of the table by defeating Worlebury 5-0, and with it avenging their early season defeat in the reverse fixture at the Weston-super-Mare venue. 

Following the completion of that match, the Division 3 team matched the result by sending their Stockwood Vale opponents back to Bristol empty-handed on the back of a 5-0 drubbing.

Craig Higgins was the winner of the Super Series Stableford on Sunday, with a 42-point score played from the white tees. 

Last year’s Series winner Steve Martin matched his score of 42, but missed out to Higgins on countback.