John Dornan and Mike Withers are Colchester Golf Club's qualifiers

Dornan playing off seven handicap and Withers off nine had a score of minus one in this bogey formatted competition.

They did not have it all their own way as returning the same score were Alan Sharrocks (2) and Keith Newnham (6) who lost after the countback with their back nine of minus one losing out to Dornan and Withers’ plus one.

After the front nine, Dornan and Withers were two holes behind the pairing of Sharrocks and Newnham and the turning point came on the 11th hole which, with Dornan and Withers winning against a loss by Sharrocks and Newnham, provided the two-hole swing which levelled the scores.

Their scores were neck and neck from then on and it was the countback which eventually separated them.

Third place was taken with a score of minus two by Michael Mayes (12) and Mike Akin (13) with Ben David (-1) and Matt Everitt (7) in fourth on minus three.

Dornan and Withers go on to play Clacton Golf Club’s nominated pairing in the first round of this nationwide competition.

Saturday also saw the start of Colchester Golf Club’s regular walk on stablefords when Stewart Ness (13), the club’s vice-captain, romped away with the victory returning a score of 41 points.

He had just the one double bogey on his card on the 15th but he had already made a birdie on the 11th which softened that blow.

Scott Farthing (18) was second with 37 points and Andy Smith (8) third with 35.

On 33 points, and in fourth place, was 13-handicapper James Cooke.

The ladies played a 14-hole stableford with Linda Freeman (20) scoring 24 points to beat, after a countback, Margaret Carter (24).

Third place was Hayley Joel (34) on 23 points and fourth spot went to Marilyn Free (29) who returned 20 points.