Oldham Golf Club’s Gems — the club’s band of gentleman elderly members — shrugged off January’s gales and rain to contest their first trophies of 2024 under new captain Paul Street, who handed out prizes in the clubhouse after playing in the events himself.

Vic Brown, Keith Jackson and Mike Smith claimed the season-opening Three Man Texas Scramble with a net 39.75, edging Brian Allen, John Holgate and Ken Lunn (40.00) and the captain’s own trio of Allan Frost, John Smith and Paul Street (40.50). Geoff Beard and Barry Cotton then paired up to win the better-ball Stableford with 30 points, comfortably ahead of Gordon Howard and John Wood (19) and Allan Frost with Martin Stimson (18), while Mike Smith’s name was drawn from the card deck for an additional prize.

Across the moor at Saddleworth, N. Mooney and P. Beswick captured a Two Man Texas Scramble on countback after tying with M. Anderson-Wild and B. Simpson at the top of a five-pair logjam. A professional-am better-ball later produced a runaway victory for D. Cockburn and M. Burke on 50 points, and another better-ball went to a playoff where M. Taylor and A. Schofield prevailed on 45, one better than M. Orme and N. Kerin and two ahead of S. Leigh and S. Robinson. In the women’s Stableford, Sarah Mitchell returned 28 points to beat Helen Hopkinson (25) and Fiona Hesten (24).

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