The 2019 Taskers Trophy Inter-Club Golf Competitions for the over fifties concluded on 29th September in the Final of the three match-play golf competitions at Beeston Fields Golf Club and was followed by the distribution of over £10,000 for Junior Golf Development to the participating county golf organisations, achieving the aim of ‘Supporting Junior Golf in Your County’.

The 2019 Taskers Trophy comprises of 2 Competitions and 3 Trophies; For Men aged over 50 the Taskers Trophy and for those teams knocked out in the first round the Taskers Plate. For Women aged over 50 the Ian Burtoft Trophy. The Teams of seven players competed in a match play team knockout with this first round being played in March/April 2019 and the finalists continuing to battle through to the Final on Sunday 29th September. This year across both competitions saw 125 teams from 88 golf clubs participate involving over 1,340 golfers.

Some familiar teams return to the finals; Hillsborough in the Trophy Final, winners in 2017; Uttoxeter who have previously won the Trophy and Plate in recent years. Mapperley who always enter a vast number of teams has made the finals of the Taskers Trophy competition this year, having last year competed for the Taskers Trophy in the final but lost to Uttoxeter.

Taking on these familiar finalist teams were newer finalist team names, Beauchief in their first year of
entry into the Ladies Inter-Club made it to the final playing Little Aston. Ormonde Fields battled to the Final having been knocked out of the Trophy in Round 1 and continued to fight for the Taskers Plate through to the final.

The results of the 2019 final:
Hillsborough win the Taskers Trophy 5-2 against Mapperley F
Beauchief win the Ian Burtoft Trophy 5.5-1.5 having faced Little Aston
Ormonde Fields win the Taskers Plate 4-3 beating Uttoxeter A

All finalists’ players were all presented with mementoes of their day. The winning teams were presented with the Trophies for their respective competition along with mementoes at the prize presentation hosted by Mike Crawford, representing our sponsor Taskers UK.

The presentation at Beeston Fields Golf Club included the distribution of funds to Junior Golf, 100% of each teams’ entry fee has been donated to support Junior Golf Development. The funding is proportional to the number of teams entering from each county and this year saw donations to Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire & Rutland, Sheffield / South Yorkshire, Staffordshire, Lincolnshire and Lancashire, County Golf Unions & Associations.

Mike Crawford, Sponsor Taskers UK said “It’s fantastic to hear how this 20-year-old competition is
continuing to make a significant impact on Junior Golf development across the counties. Hearing from the Sheffield Golf Union that funding from this competition has been a part of the foundations for Junior success for Ben Schmidt who won the English U18 Boys’ Open Amateur Stroke Play for the Carris Trophy and the 16-year-old also became the youngest-ever winner of the Brabazon Trophy this year is a reflection superb achievement and effect this competition has for Junior Golf. In addition to and the past influence, it has had on the early development of players of Alex Fitzpatrick who joined the Walker Cup team, his brother Matt Fitzpatrick the US Amateur Champion, and the 2016 Masters Champion Danny Willett. All of this funding ensures we have the players and champions of tomorrow for the growth of the game of golf in the participating Counties.”

Entry for the 2020 Taskers Trophy Competitions, for Men and Women aged fifty and over, opens in October and closes early January 2020 where the aim of Supporting Junior Golf in Your County will continue into its 21st Year.