The Paul Daw Memorial Trophy was held last Sunday at the Links, Newmarket Golf Club.
The event was founded in 2018 to commemorate the sterling work by the late Paul Daw on CAGU Friendly Golf.
Paul started the Friendly Golf in the early 1990’s following the emergence of a number of new golf courses in the County. These clubs were finding it difficult, if not impossible, to arrange matches with the established clubs so Paul thought if that’s the case we will form our own leagues and play one another.
He also formed junior leagues and senior competitions that ran successfully for over 25 years. So successfully in fact that after Paul’s death, CAGU decided to take over the Friendly Golf competitions and leagues and they have been renamed CAGU Inter Club.
31 teams of 4 players took part, including 2 ladies teams and a CAGU boys team. Also invited to play were club professionals or their assistants. The handicap limit was 20 so it was an all-encompassing event for all levels of golf within the County.
It was a cold windy morning as club teams tee’d off from 7:50 am.
The format was best 2 Stableford scores each hole from the 4 team members and early scores, all in the 60’s, suggested that the golfers were finding the conditions difficult.
Early leaders were Elton Furze with 76 points and a number of other teams came in with similar scores until the eighty points barrier was smashed by a Links team,led by club manager Matt Hartley, who recorded 85 points. The rest of the team comprised of Dan Knight, Lee Allen and Ian Clark and were all low handicappers.
Other teams challenged this score as the afternoon wore on, with Brampton Park, CAGU Boys and Ramsey scoring 83 points, but it was the home team club that triumphed in the end, winning this prestigious trophy for the 2nd time.
Paul’s wife Marguerite kindly presented the Links GC team with the trophy after a welcoming speech from County President Alan Duggins.
The course was in fine shape and all the competitors and officials were well looked after during the day by Tabby and her catering and bar team.
Next year’s event will take place on the 22nd September at the St Neots Golf Club.