There can be fewer prestigious prizes to be won at the club than the John Adams Scratch Cup awarded to the seasons best scratch golfer, writes Andy Wagner.

Its a trophy fought for over 36 holes in one gruelling day and means you are the club champion golfer for the year!

For 36 holes your handicap means nothing and all that matters is your score against par. This is golf as the big boys play it, as the tour professionals play it and there are no shots given and certainly none asked. It’s also a great measure of your progress in the year and we’ve had quite a few ‘challengers’ this year who have showed the promise to become that ‘Champion Golfer’.

A bright, equitable day had a few rounds in the low 80’s putting down markers against a par of 69, but Mark Gillard’s nett 76 was going to be hard to overcome over only 18 extra holes. As it happened his nearest rival, Mark Tierney (nett 79), fell away badly in the afternoon and Gillard, consistency itself, went round in an impressive 77 to fight off his nearest contenders. So Honiton’s 2014 champion is past champion Mark Gillard with a 76, 77 for a brilliant nett 153.

In the end his nearest rivals were Peter Clarke 83, 79 for 162 and Dan Noar 80, 82 for that same 162.

Mark Gillard, club champion, we salute you.