SALE Golf Club players have won the Mersey Club's Ladies Shield for the fourth successive year.

The competition for the ladies of Chorlton, Didsbury, Northenden, Sale and Withington Golf Clubs has been played annually since the first event at Chorlton in 1959 and the same club hosted the 60th competition this year – with all of the 100-plus in the field receiving a special commemorative ball marker.

Sale had won the competition for the previous three years and were hot favourites to retain the title as they also won the prestigious Manchester and District Ladies' Golf Association Bell Cup in 2018 at Prestbury.

And they proved to be in a league of their own, led by the top individual score of the day of 44 points from former Sale president Carol Broadbent, and Mathilda Bottman.

More high scores were posted from their other top five pairs to give them an unassailable lead, finishing on what could be a tournament high of 244 points, 11 more than second-placed Withington.

Their other top scores came from Sonia McCann and Sara Young (42), lady captain Jenny Page and Sue Oldham (42), Cath Rawthore and Caroline Croxton (41), Moira Forster and Jenny Kehoe (38) and Chris Johnson and Maria Walmsley (37).

The presentations to teams and individuals were made by Chorlton stalwarts Pam Draper and John Hegg, with Page and all the other winners and players paying tribute to the host club for their excellent organisation, fine course and friendly welcome to a terrific event.

The top individual scores in the other teams were: Didsbury – Louise Biddlecombe and Tricia Allison (36), Chorlton – Jeanette Freeman and Jenny Carter (43), Withington – Tammy Chan and Dianne Emmett (43), Northenden – Bridget Hopkins and Gay James (38).

Final scores: 1 Sale – 244, 2 Withington – 233, 3 Chorlton – 230, 4 Didsbury – 204, 5 Northenden – 201.