A TEAM from the organising body won the fourth annual Mercia Healthcare Bob Tucker Memorial Charity Tournament at Burghill Valley - and immediately put back the prize for next year.

Mercia Healthcare were sponsoring the prize and their Mercia Allsorts team, which included general manager Steve Caldicott and Martin Woodford, chief executive of Herefordshire Hospital Trust, finished first on a countback in a close finish.

The competition was based on teams of four, with the best two scores to count on each hole, and Allsorts and Captita/ Consort both finished on 86 points.

There was also a countback for the next two places qualifying for prizes, with Mills and Reed taking third place and Hereford Times, fourth, with 85 points apiece.

A prize for the best individual score was this year introduced by Alison Tucker, the widow of Bob, and this went to a member of the winning Mercia team, Sean Hayley, who contributed 42 points.

Other prizes, Team yellow ball: WR Edwards 35 pts; longest drive: David Rose; nearest the pin: Jeremy Finney; putting: Ian Gardiner.

Twenty-five teams competed, the most entries yet received, and at least £3,500 - the highest amount in the four years of the Mercia competition - was raised for the Macmillan Renton Appeal in connection with the Haematology Trust Fund.

Defending champions Monty P Boys prevailed by just one point over Tamworth Four in the Westfields HC/Herefordshire CCC team stableford at Burghill Valley.

Westfields footballer Paul Jones led Boys to victory with Johnny Walker, Nick Giles and Chris Neal being the other team members.

Other results, Best last four holes: Westfields; longest drive: Brian Simmonds; nearest the pin: Steve Wetherbee.