FARNHAM Golf Club held the 26th Ken Parker Tantalus Trophy competition last Friday.

Open only to Farnham’s past captains, the event is unique in its format of ‘scratch stableford’. All contestants play the course to scratch, then add whatever points they score to their handicap number to decide the winner.

There was a record entry this year, with former captains from 1980 to 2015 taking part, their ages ranging from 40 to 80-plus.

Play began at noon and Keith Wheatley and Bill Talbot were fastest out of the blocks, as befits two former cricketers.

Mark Butcher, current holder of the trophy and ‘baby’ of the party, could not find his form of last year, while others struggled in the fresh westerly wind.

Two ante-post favourites, David Powell and John Cooper, began well, only for Powell to lose his ball on the 17th and with it the trophy by one point.

Many failed to master the greens and Wheatley three-putted seven times to fail by four points.

Meanwhile, Colin Pickup, now into his eighth decade and the senior player on the day, was playing a brand of golf many of his younger rivals could only dream about.

The years may have dulled his fire off the tee, but the flame of competition burns as brightly as ever and Pickup was relentless for 17 of the 18 holes and although Mark Forrester, runner-up last year, pushed him hard, he was not to be denied.

With a handicap half that of his main challengers, Pickup secured his first victory in this prestigious competition with 38 points, on a count-back from Forrester, once again the bridesmaid.

Apart from a disastrous seven on the 16th, Pickup was a model of consistency and his net score of 82 was just two more than his age. Proof again that form may be temporary, but class is permanent.