The Laferla Club Championship and Centenary Plate 2025.

A write up where I genuinely don’t know where to begin.

Let’s start with the Plate. Benji Mangion turning back the clock to lift it from Eugene Cranley (on CB) from Rayan Husni Bey.

A number of players got edged out on CB including Andrew Naudi and Thomas Jacobsen.

Benji collects 25 OOM. Well done. Best celebration of the day !!!!!!

The Championship – surely a book or Netflix film will be made of it.

The returning prodigal son, LSD, stormed through early on – an outward 33, but he came unstuck on 15 with a 7.

Andy Borg – an uncharacteristic 37 on the outward nine giving the flight a chance and Aleks Vagimov backed it up with an outward 35 to close the gap and executed a towering approach to the 15th for a kick in Eagle. This put him 1 clear.

This lead was doubled by the time they stood on the 17th for Aleks to put it to 15 feet. Game over.

Hang on…….Andy nailed a 25 footer across the green for a birdie, with Aleks tapping in for a 3.

All on it down the last. Aleks with another par, but a sweet shot over the bunker and a 10 footer for Andy – another 3 to tie it up. A play off over 3 holes.

Andy, two shots clear after the first but then bunkered his approach on the 17th, and again, another one shot lead going down the 18th.

Andy, in trouble on 18, on the green for three, with another 20 footer, across the hill, which he duly holed to match Alek’s 4 when extra, extra time seemed likely.

Difficult to argue that these are currently the two best players in the Club, but Andy’s competitiveness shon through again with clutch birdies on 17 and 18 to take the title. His 11th, with the OOM taken also for good measure. Steve Paterson edged out for 2nd. But he consoles himself with a major.

The Club celebrated both players, as they should. Another full house, to which I am extremely grateful.

My thanks to Keith Laferla for his support and that of Laferla Insurance.

Thank you for your support this season. Stick a fork in it, it’s done.

My personal thank you Dennis, Nigel, Tim and Alex who have done a sterling job of the competitions.

Stewart Davies

RMGC Captain