CURTIS Mann, a Rushmere junior and son of European Seniors' Tour golfer Robin Mann, won the inaugural Rushmere Vase played in sunny but breezy conditions on Sunday.

By Tony Garnett

CURTIS Mann, a Rushmere junior and son of European Seniors' Tour golfer Robin Mann, won the inaugural Rushmere Vase played in sunny but breezy conditions on Sunday.

Mann, who plays off a handicap of five, won the trophy on countback from Kevin Eagle (Rushmere) by virtue of a better net second round. He had net scores of 74 and 69 for a total of 143.

Third in the battle for the Vase, one shot behind, was Ben Farthing of Ipswich who won England Schools' caps last year. His second round of net 69 beat John Wybar of Aldeburgh into fourth place on countback.

Wybar, a member of the Aberdeen University golf team, was striking the ball well while Farthing enjoyed a purple patch during his second round and will be frustrated by his failure to secure a birdie at the short par four 15th hole after a long drive.

The Vase, a new Suffolk Golf Union order of merit event, is run on exactly the same lines as the Silver Barrel at Ipswich and the Eastern Counties Cup at Woodbridge.

The main prize is for the leading player on handicap. The order of merit is decided on gross score.

Eagle was the outstanding player in the field. Playing off plus one his rounds of 70 and 71 would have been better still had his drive not landed in a divot on the 18th hole of his opening round. He thinned the ball into trouble or his name would have been the first to be inscribed on the plinth of the Vase.

Syer Shulver of Rookery Park, who has regained his amateur status, was gross runner-up six shots adrift of Eagle. Farthing was third with Sports Academy pupil Robert Murray fourth.

Aaron Parkes of Stoke by Nayland, another Academy pupil, was unfortunate to play a wrong ball in his first round after Darren Elliott of Woodbridge had played his ball. Parkes had a good second round of 72.

The greens at Rushmere received plenty of praise but a case could be made out for having preferred lies so early in the year. Tales of woe were plentiful but it was a good event that will surely become well established on the calendar.

Gross scores

141: K Eagle (Rushmere) 70 71.

147: S Shulver (Rookery Park) 75 72.

148: B Farthing (Ipswich) 77 71.

149: R Murray (Stoke by Nayland) 75 74.

150: W Wright (Rushmere) 77 73, J Wybar (Aldeburgh) 76 74, O Pearl (Stoke by Nayland) 74 76.

153: A Parkes (Stoke by Nayland) 81 72, C Mann (Rushmere) 79 74, P Spraggs (Stowmarket) 74 79.

154: W Goddard (Fynn Valley) 80 74.

155: T Hellyer (Hintlesham) 79 76, T G Wright 76 79.

157: P Westley (Hintlesham) 80 77.

158: P Vincent (Bungay) 81 77, R Howard (Rushmere) 80 78, R Thompson (Gorleston) 79 79, C Gooding (Ipswich) 75 83.

159: D Inglis (Woodbridge) 79 80, A Smith (Stoke by Nayland) 76 83, D Housman (Bungay) 75 84.

160: J Marks (Woodbridge) 82 78, P Robinson (Rushmere) 77 83.

161: J Jowers (Ipswich) 82 79, A Meredith (Hintlesham) 82 79, J Whitby (Fynn Valley) 80 81, S Masterson (Rushmere) 80 81.

162: C Duffy (Gorleston) 82 80, N Denny (Fynn Valley) 79 83, G Hills (Stoke by Nayland) 80 83.

164: D Elliott (Woodbridge) 79 85.

165: C Ginn (Woodbridge) 81 84.

168: A Holmes (Gorleston) 85 83.

170: A Studd (Woodbridge) 88 82, J Day (Stoke by Nayland) 85 85.

172: S Sheppard (Cretingham) 88 84, C Monk (Rookery Park) 82 90.

174: D Marshall (Felixstowe) 85 89, D Western (Gorleston) 84 90.

180: R J Barber (Rushmere) 91 89.

No returns: M Buck (Rushmere) 72 nr, S Forgan (Stowmarket) 81 nr, G Robinson (Woodbridge) 85 nr, M Stockdale (Felixstowe Ferry) 82 nr, B Tawell (Rushmere) 83 nr, G Wardley (Ipswich) 83 nr, D Markham (Rushmere) nr 83, A Whittaker (Woodbridge) nr retired.

Prize winners (no one able to win more than one) - morning net: A Smith 69, P Spraggs 71 - afternoon net: D Markham 71, T Hellyer 72.

Overall net: 143: C Mann 74 69,144: B Farthing 75 69, J Wybar 73 71.