SEMI-PRO footballer Nick Peare has clearly been able to hone his golfing skills in the close season as he won the Birthday Vase at Cirencester Golf Club on Sunday with a sparkling nett 64.

Peare, a sports teacher at Ciren College who played for Yate Town last season, was pipped for the Monthly Medal in May but made no mistake on this occasion.

Peare overcame a very shaky bogey, triple bogey start but steadied the ship and played the final 16 holes in one over par to win by two shots from Rob Simmonds and Gavin Allen who came in with nett 66s.

The 11-handicap winner was automatically cut a shot but his recent fine form  has led to a further discretionary two-shot ‘exceptional scoring reduction’ and he is now off 7.6. 

“I was a little hungover, to be honest, and I made a bad start, hitting one out of bounds at the 2nd,” said Peare. “But I played pretty steadily for then on.

He proved the round was no fluke by going back to the course in the afternoon to play a social round with his dad Bruce and this time shot 74.

Peare has signed on again to play for Yate Town in the Southern League next season.

“Charlie Griffin at Cirencester Town came in for me last season,” he said. “But I live in Ciren, work in Ciren and to play my football in Ciren as well would have meant I was in too much of a bubble.”     

Jeremy Holman-Green (67) and Toby Harris (68) filled the fourth and fifth slots. Toby shot the lowest gross score of the day with his 72.

Seventeen birdie twos were recorded with Gavin Allen gaining a remarkable trio of them on the 2nd, 13th and 18th holes. Special mention too for Lewis Flett whose deuce came on the par four 6th.

Congratulations to Tom Gavan who backed up his recent win in the Centenary Putter by lifting the winter/spring knockout competition for the Ellett Cup. Tom beat Chris Yeates in the final.