tournament dinner
09 October 2024 Whittington
Lt Col (Retd) Keith Seddon and Brig Kieran Sheldon
Following the success of the inaugural event at the BT Tower in 2023, we knew it would be challenging to match that experience, especially as it was always intended to be a one-off.
With the kind permission of Whittington Heath Golf Club, we decided to extend the dinner to include a golf tournament. The chosen format was a Florida Scramble (Strokeplay), played in teams of four.
40 players had registered within 24 hours of the event, with a further five attending for dinner only. Unfortunately, only 38 players teed off, resulting in 8 teams of four and 2 teams of three. The clubhouse buzzed with anticipation for the live team draw, Captains, and tee times, especially as an automated programme had been designed specifically to select not only teams but also tee times and Team Captains.
Players were divided into four “pots”: Pot 1 comprised nine players with the lowest WHS index, Pot 2 included the next ten, Pot 3 contained the following nine, and Pot 4 had the highest ten. The automatic picking programme selected one player from each pot, creating balanced teams. Most teams ended up with a combined handicap of 4 or 5, setting up a competitive day. Additionally, the format required each team member to take a minimum of four drives, ensuring that no single player could dominate the round. This put pressure on Team Captains to inject strategic play into their team’s approach.
The day was enjoyed by all, with a narrow margin of only seven shots separating 1st and 10th places. All teams fought hard, but the eventual winners were Team 9, who secured victory with an impressive back-9 score of 29, just edging out Team 3 on countback.
Despite some heavy downpours, the weather was more cooperative than
forecast, with showers moving quickly across the course. Special mention goes to Loreen Siaga, new to golf, who will undoubtedly be upgrading her “handbag umbrella” to one with better rain protection soon!
Team Results
Stu Hawkins
Vinny Peters
Kieran Sheldon
Kyle Cooper
Craig Butler
Steve Davis
Karen Fidell
Glen Watt
Dean Geoghegan
Adam Herbert
Matt Priston
Gina Smith
Neil Williams
Chris Vaughan
Dewi Williams
John Palmer
Matt Bruce-Smith
Chris Hammond
Chris Bartley
Gregg Mulligan (H&K)
Zoe Burrell-Knipe
Gaz Gurung
Craig Morton
Alex O’Brien
Bob Gamble
Stuart Evans (L3Harris)
Chris Kelly
Claire Ham
Ben Ware
David Thomas
Guy Wilkinson
Zain Sharif
Loreen Siaga
Chetan Gurung
Ian Mahan
Keith Seddon
Jit Thapa
Al McKenna
Countback calculated on back 9, back 6, back 3
Individual
Results
Nearest the pin (7th) - Jit Thapa
Nearest the pin (11th) - Chet Gurung
Nearest the pin in 2 (3rd) - Neil Williams
Nearest the line (18th) - Al McKenna (actually landed on the line)
The presentation dinner followed, with 42 attendees enjoying a superb meal.
Full colours were presented to Glen Watt and half colours to Laura McLean.
The first awards of the evening went to the winners of the Corps League Divisions 1 and 2, with RAPTC winning Division 2 and Infantry taking Division 1. RAPTC will now be promoted to Division 1 for the 2025 season.
Next, the Players of the Year were recognised, with citations read by their respective Captains. While the Women team chose not to present a Player of the
spoke passionately about their players, making it clear that both recipients were highly deserving of these accolades.
Men’s Player of the Year
SSgt Gaz Gurung
Women’s Player’s Player
ATpr Laura McLean
The final presentation was made to Lt Col (Retd) Keith Seddon, who is stepping down as Tournament Director after more than 45 years of involvement in Army Golf. Fittingly, his first-ever round of golf was played at Whittington Heath Golf Club on a Sunday morning, still in his Mess Kit after a Sergeants' Mess Ball.
Over the years, Keith has held nearly every position in Regimental, Infantry, and Army Golf. His dedication to
ATpr
Laura McLean with Women's Players' Player trophy
SSgt
John Palmer receiving Div 2 trophy on behalf of RAPTC