Club Championship 2026
- 11 hours ago
- 3 min read
Sunday, 6th September saw 71 golfers take to the links at Caister with plenty at stake. With
the Bateman Plate, the Lindsay Cup and the prestigious title of Club Champion all up for
grabs, there was no shortage of anticipation as the field headed out into the familiar Caister
breeze.
And, as always, the wind was there to make its presence felt. Blowing as though it had a
permanent home on the links, it made for a testing day of golf, challenging even the lower
handicappers and ensuring that every score had to be hard-earned.
Morning Round
In the morning scratch competition, Thaine Hacon wasted no time in setting the standard,
returning an excellent gross 70 to put himself firmly at the head of the championship race.
In the handicap competition, it was Ian Lardner who stole the show. A superb net 66
secured him the Bateman Plate, although he had plenty of competition with strong morning
rounds from Ben Phillips and Jack Reeve, who was quietly putting together what would
prove to be a very impressive day.
With the morning business complete, attention turned to the second round.
The Championship Decider
An impressive 51 golfers returned for the afternoon round — a fantastic turnout and more than in recent years — ensuring that the second round had plenty of stories still to be written.
Hacon once again showed his class, carding another excellent 72 to finish the day with the consistency that ultimately separated him from the field. Jack Reeve also produced a 72, keeping the pressure on and ensuring the championship race remained interesting until the final scores were in.
But there was no denying the winner. With two highly consistent rounds, Thaine Hacon
claimed the Club Championship and was deservedly crowned Club Champion and Golfer of the Year.
A fantastic performance and a thoroughly deserved title.
Lindsay Cup Drama
The Lindsay Cup, awarded to the handicap champion, was still very much up for grabs after the morning round.
The morning leader couldn't quite maintain his form in the afternoon, while Ben Phillips also slipped back from his promising opening round.
That opened the door for Daniel Purcell, who came out after lunch in fine form and
produced one of the afternoons standout performances an excellent net 68 to throw himself firmly into contention.
However, hovering just behind him was Jack Reeve.
Following his strong morning round, Reeve kept his composure when it mattered and quietly put together a performance good enough to edge ahead and lift the Cup.
A terrific day of golf from Reeve, who leaves Caister with a trophy to show for his efforts.
A Day to Remember
All in all, it was a fantastic day of club golf, with plenty of competitive spirit, some excellent scores and trophies that went right down to the wire.
There were also some particularly pleasing performances from the clubs junior members, Harry Doran and Ellis Sparrow, who took part in the morning Bateman Plate round under the guidance of Bryan Smy.
A big thank you to Bryan for chaperoning the juniors and helping them enjoy the
experience. It is great to see the next generation of golfers getting involved in club championship golf.
Congratulations to all the winners and to everyone who took part. The wind may have done
its best to make life difficult, but it certainly provided a fitting backdrop to a memorable Club
Championship at Caister.
As usual special thanks to the staff back of house and the volunteers whom we owe so
much to.
Tim Starbuck
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