Lance and Charlie Forster, representing Basingstoke Golf Club, won the 75th staging of The Antlers 36-hole Scratch Foursomes Medal event at Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club in Richmond last weekend with a total score of 142, including an impressive opening round of 66.
They were placed ahead of Liam Cella and James Lennon (Sandy Lodge GC) in second place and Stephen Ross and Jacob Austin (Sunningdale GC) in third spot after a countback on scores achieved on the famous JH Taylor course.
Charlie Forster, who won the Peter Alliss Memorial Trophy on the same course last year, plays at Long Beach State College in the United States and has just been selected for the GB&I team for the St Andrews Trophy. He and his father were presented with a new trophy for the event – the Martin Christmas Trophy – in memory of the host club’s former president.
More than 50 teams entered The Antlers competition this year and a handicap ballot was needed to reduce the number of teams to 48. It included club representatives from Sunningdale, The Berkshire, Wentworth Club, Royal Wimbledon, Walton Heath, Worplesdon, Centurion, Sandy Lodge, Burhill, Felixstowe Ferry, Fairhaven, Frilford Heath, Roehampton, Burnham Beeches, Copthorne and Effingham.
“The tournament was a huge success, with the biggest and best quality field in many years,” said club general manager Mark Gailey. “We had tremendous feedback from the competitors who complimented the condition of the course and the greens, as well as the catering and general organisation. Once again, The Antlers proved itself as the leading scratch foursomes event in the country,” he added.
The Antlers, which takes its name from the club emblem, was first played at Royal Mid-Surrey in 1933 and was once regarded as the final opportunity for the GB&I Walker Cup captain to try out prospective foursomes’ pairings ahead of facing the US team. Among past winners on the clubhouse roll of honour board are well-known names in broadcasting such as Bruce Critchley (1974) and Richard Boxall (1981).