PLAYERS from all over the country flocked to the Old Links Club last weekend to participate in four days of hotly-contested golf competition.

Sadly the very popular Texas Scramble on Thursday did not survive as the course became flooded when constant rain gave way to a late afternoon cloudburst.

Friday saw Colin Jakeman's team (Fairhaven and St Annes Old Links) prevail with 88 points over the strongly-fancied home squad of Paul Dawson, Martin Price, Brett Dutton and Richard Powter, 87 points, in the four man team event. Jack Perks (OL) teamed with Peter Moss (OL) and his dental profession colleagues to extract a painless 86 from the course under the "2 from 4" scoring system.

Saturday saw an incredibly close result sequence, no less than four pairs sharing a nett 63 (medal format). Old favourites Wersun and Dickens (Hart Common) took a card play-off first prize from Old Links "bankers" Swift and Brooking, with John Maree (OL) and Andy Coop (Breightmet) just pipping the Captain and Paul Dawson.

The ever-popular open mixed on Sunday saw Walker Cup reserve Richard Walker (Frodsham) off plus 3, teaming with well-handicapped Gill Hogarth (Douglas Valley) 30. Fate nearly took a hand when a wrong-ball penalty (not by the high-handicapper) and a four-putt on the 17th green saw them hang on to a one-quarter stroke card play-off victory over Janice Emmett (OL) and Greg Brooks (Harwood).

RESULTS:

Four Man Team Event (Friday, June 25): 1. Jakeman, Jakeman, Holmes, Muncaster (Fairhaven and St Annes Old Links); 2. Dawson, Price, Powter, Dutton (Bolton Old Links); 3. Moss, Perks, Kay, Mallalieu (Bolton Old Links and Guests).

Special Prize (team) Lyons, Watkinson, Bryan, Gill (Bolton Old Links and Guest); (indiv) J Maree (Bolton Old Links), B Attwood (Preston Golf Club).

Open Fourball (Saturday, June 26): 1. W Wersun/ G Dickens (Hart Common); 2. D Swift/C Brooking (Bolton Old Links); 3. J Maree/A Coop (Bolton Old Links/Breightmet); 4. Captain/P Dawson (Bolton Old Links).

Best Gross S Whittaker/D Jones (Bolton Old Links).

Special Prize A Iqbal/A Iqbal (Rounday GC, Leeds).

Open Mixed (Sunday, June 27): 1. Richard Walker /Gill Hogarth (Frodsham/Douglas Valley); 2. Janice Emmett/Greg Brooks (Bolton Old Links/Harwood); 3. Bob and Roselle Crompton (Rossendale); 4. Ian Waters/Janet Haydock (Bolton Old Links).

Best Gross Lady Captain/D Sweeney.

Special Prize Harold and Yvonne Heywood (Ellesmere).