[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter"/> <v:formulas> <v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"/> <v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"/> <v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"/> <v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"/> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"/> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"/> <v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"/> <v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"/> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"/> <v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"/> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"/> <v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"/> </v:formulas> <v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect"/> <o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t"/> </v:shapetype><v:shape id="_x0000_s1026" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="" style='position:absolute; margin-left:0;margin-top:0;width:375pt;height:3in;z-index:251658240; mso-wrap-distance-left:7.5pt;mso-wrap-distance-top:7.5pt; mso-wrap-distance-right:7.5pt;mso-wrap-distance-bottom:7.5pt; mso-position-horizontal:left;mso-position-horizontal-relative:text; mso-position-vertical-relative:line' o:allowoverlap="f"> <v:imagedata src="http://eu.vocuspr.com/Publish/2999329/vcsPRAsset_2999329_61252_6911a604-6909-4f70-85e6-c4956ddbd6a4_0.jpg"/> <w:wrap type="square"/> </v:shape><![endif][if !vml][endif]A quartet from Pyrford Golf Club in Surrey led the first set of six qualifiers for the grand final of England Golf’s new Club Team Championship.
Club captain Brendan Campbell, together with Adele Slavin, Lynne Daniel and Chris Barber won the first qualifying tournament at Stoneham in Hampshire with a total of 85 stableford points.
The other five qualifying teams are: Newbury & Crookham Golf Club, Berkshire, 83 pts; Bramley Golf Club, Surrey, 81; Rochester & Cobham Park Golf Club, Kent, 80; Hennerton Golf Club, Berkshire, 80; and Enmore Park Golf Club, Somerset, 78.
They all go forward to the final at Frilford Heath in Oxfordshire on Friday, 14 August, where they will play off against finalists from three other qualifying events. It will be a feature of the new Golf Week festival, staged by England Golf to create a national grand finale for a host of handicap and team championships.
The new competition invited clubs to enter teams of two men and two women with combined handicaps between 50 and 96. They play a stableford off three-quarters handicap, with the best two scores counting on each hole.
The mixed format was an instant hit with Pyrford as Brendon Campbell explained: “We are a club which includes women in our weekend competitions so we are very much behind mixed formats.”
The team combined well: “It was tough out there but we all managed to come in and help each other,” said Brendan. “The course was fantastic and the greens were fast and true.
“We’re very pleased to reach the final and we have heard good things about Frilford Heath.”
The other qualifying events will be held at Fulford Golf Club, York, on June 14; the Hotchkin course at Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire, on June 21; and Coventry Golf Club, Warwickshire, on June 28.