Midweek Medal
Competition Report
How Neil Benstead Won
Neil Benstead won the Wednesday competition with a net 69, playing exactly to his 4 handicap in blustery, wet conditions — a feat most golfers manage only about one round in five — and beating his own season average by 2.6 shots gross. After a steady start, his back nine of +1 gross ranked among the very best of the season, and he closed with a phenomenal -1 gross over the final four holes, the joint best closing four holes by any adult man aged 55-64 in all 411 rounds this season. That strong finish carried him to a four-shot net victory, a fitting way to end his 23rd and final round of the year.
How the course played
Harder than usual. Turnout was down: 7 players, where a Wednesday men's competition here usually draws 18. On the day, the 13-18 group averaged about a shot above its season figure and the 5 & Under group averaged about 2 shots below its season figure. 10 of 18 holes played harder than usual and 5 easier. The harder holes cost the average player about 3 shots between them and the easier ones gave back about 2 shots. Holes 7, 11, 14 and 17 played significantly harder than usual: the 7th averaged 5.9 against a usual 5.3, the 11th averaged 5.9 against a usual 5.3, the 14th averaged 5.4 against a usual 5.2 and the 17th averaged 5.4 against a usual 5.2. Holes 8, 12 and 13 played significantly easier than usual: the 8th averaged 4.6 against a usual 5.0, the 12th averaged 5.0 against a usual 5.3 and the 13th averaged 3.6 against a usual 3.9. The number of players who didn't finish was normal for the course.
🏆 Final Leaderboard
Division 1 Handicap Index 12.4 and under
| Pos | Name | Gross | Hcp | Nett |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Neil Benstead | 73 | 2 | 69 |
| 2 | Dominic Adams | 85 | 10 | 73 |
Finishers: 2
Division 2 Handicap Index 12.5 and above
| Pos | Name | Gross | Hcp | Nett |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Simon Shaw | 88 | 13 | 73 |
| 2 | Craig Higgs | 90 | 14 | 74 |
| 3 | Neil Robson | 95 | 17 | 77 |
| 4 | Adrian Berry | 95 | 16 | 78 |
| 5 | Paul Robinson | 103 | 20 | 82 |
Finishers: 5
⭐ Outstanding Hole Performances
Remarkable individual achievements that stood out during this competition:
- Neil Benstead - Had a birdie 3 on the 12th (Par 4) which was 2.0 better than field average
- Neil Benstead - Had a birdie 2 on the 15th (Par 3) which was 2.0 better than field average
- Neil Benstead - Had a birdie 4 on the 6th (Par 5) which was 1.7 better than field average
🌟 Standout Round Performances
Players who significantly outperformed their handicap group average:
- Simon Shaw shot 88, 4.0 strokes better than average of peers in the 13-18 handicap group.
Course Statistics
Most Challenging Holes
- Hole 7 (Par 4): Averaged 5.86 (+1.86)
- Hole 11 (Par 4): Averaged 5.86 (+1.86)
- Hole 9 (Par 4): Averaged 5.43 (+1.43)
Best Birdie Opportunities
- Hole 13 (Par 3): 0 birdies, averaged 3.57
- Hole 8 (Par 4): 0 birdies, averaged 4.57
- Hole 6 (Par 5): 1 birdies, averaged 5.71
Complete Hole-by-Hole Statistics
| Hole | Par | Eagles | Birdies | Pars | Bogeys | Dbl+ | Avg | vs Season | Rank | Twos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | - | - | 1 | 5 | 1 | 5.14 | +0.05 | 10 | - |
| 2 | 3 | - | - | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3.71 | -0.30 | 15 | - |
| 3 | 3 | - | - | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4.29 | +0.17 | 6 | - |
| 4 | 5 | - | - | 2 | 2 | 3 | 6.29 | +0.12 | 7 | - |
| 5 | 3 | - | - | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4.29 | +0.35 | 8 | - |
| 6 | 5 | - | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5.71 | +0.02 | 16 | - |
| 7 | 4 | - | - | - | 3 | 4 | 5.86 | +0.54 | 1 | - |
| 8 | 4 | - | - | 3 | 4 | - | 4.57 | -0.48 | 17 | - |
| 9 | 4 | - | - | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5.43 | +0.31 | 3 | - |
| 10 | 4 | - | - | 2 | 4 | 1 | 4.86 | +0.03 | 14 | - |
| 11 | 4 | - | - | - | 3 | 4 | 5.86 | +0.59 | 2 | - |
| 12 | 4 | - | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5.00 | -0.51 | 12 | - |
| 13 | 3 | - | - | 3 | 4 | - | 3.57 | -0.21 | 18 | - |
| 14 | 4 | - | - | - | 4 | 3 | 5.43 | +0.23 | 4 | - |
| 15 | 3 | - | 1 | - | 4 | 2 | 4.00 | -0.26 | 13 | Neil Benstead |
| 16 | 4 | - | - | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5.14 | +0.31 | 11 | - |
| 17 | 4 | - | - | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5.43 | +0.43 | 5 | - |
| 18 | 4 | - | - | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5.29 | +0.16 | 9 | - |
⚔️ Virtual Matchplay
What would the head to head score have been at matchplay?
We've simulated 21 head-to-head matches between all 7 players using their actual hole-by-hole scores.
🎯 Head-to-Head Matchplay Simulator
Pick two players to replay their rounds as a match, hole by hole. In Nett, shots received are marked •.
Nett rankings · all 7 players
| Rank | Player | Record (W-L-T) | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Neil Benstead | 6-0-0 | 100.0% |
| 2 | Simon Shaw | 5-1-0 | 83.3% |
| 3 | Dominic Adams | 4-2-0 | 66.7% |
| 4 | Craig Higgs | 3-3-0 | 50.0% |
| 5 | Adrian Berry | 1-5-0 | 16.7% |
| 6 | Neil Robson | 1-5-0 | 16.7% |
| 7 | Paul Robinson | 1-5-0 | 16.7% |
** Singles Nett: full handicap allowance (100%).
Performance by Handicap Group
| Handicap | Players | Avg Gross | Season Avg | Best | Avg Nett |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 & Under | 1 | 73.0 | 75.2 | 73 | 69.0 |
| 6-12 | 1 | 85.0 | 83.2 | 85 | 73.0 |
| 13-18 | 4 | 92.0 | 90.9 | 88 | 75.5 |
| 19+ | 1 | 103.0 | 97.5 | 103 | 82.0 |