Title triumph for Norfolk senior golfers
Norfolk Seniors squad celebrate their East Anglian Senior League title success. Jon Batten (Sheringham), Mark Butt (King’s Lynn), Simon Butts (Hunstanton), Dean Futter (Eaton), Carl Green (Great Yarmouth & Caister), Chris Lamb (Royal Norwich), Iain Reid (Eaton), John Shapland (Swaffham), Mark Williamson (Sheringham), Iain Yule (King’s Lynn). Photo supplied by supplied by Rushmer PR.
Norfolk stormed to the East Anglian Senior League title with an emphatic win against Cambridgeshire at Thetford Golf Club.
Norfolk powered to an 11.5-3.5 victory to climb above Lincolnshire and claim the title by a point. It was the first time since 2021 that Norfolk had finished at the summit.
The hosts produced a near-faultless performance across the day, asserting early on in the morning foursomes.
Carl Green and Chris Lamb led the way in the opening match, posting Norfolk’s first point courtesy of a 2 and 1 win.
Sheringham duo Jon Batten and Mark Williamson quickly recorded another success before King’s Lynn pairing Iain Yule and Mark Butt made it 3-0.
Eaton combination Iain Reid and Dean Futter suffered a slender loss on the final green but John Shapland and Simon Butts eased to a 3 and 2 victory to give Norfolk a healthy 4-1 lead at lunch.
Reid headed up the home side’s singles order and blazed a trail with a comfortable 7 and 6 success. But Futter soon went one better as he closed out a thumping victory on the 11th green.
With Norfolk needing just two more points to win the overall match, Lamb and Green almost simultaneously signed off on their respective clashes.
Lamb, who played some terrific golf during the day, rammed home a putt on the 15th green to triumph 5 and 3.
And on the hole in front of him, Green was busy applying the final touches to a 3 and 2 victory.
Shapland, Williamson and Yule all won to keep the points piling up for Norfolk and Butt took a half from the last match out on the course.
Norfolk’s stylish eight-point victory was a brilliant way to close out a campaign in which they remained unbeaten across their four league matches.
Non-playing captain Gary Brayshaw said: “It has been a real squad effort this year. People have bought into what we want to do, how we want to play. And there has been a healthy competition for places, which really helped.
“We’ve had a few knockbacks in the past, which makes this taste even sweeter. To come from where we have to be where we are now is a great achievement. I’m absolutely proud of them.”