87-Year-Old Wins Historic England Tournament

Rosemary Reed and her partner, Steve Toyne, claimed the Central England Mixed Foursomes, an event Rosemary first played in back in 1957!

Reed and Toyne hold the trophies
(Image credit: Woodhall Spa)
Matt Cradock
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Golf is a game that can be played by people of all ages and backgrounds, with over 65 million people hitting the fairways. It doesn't matter who you are, the sport can be enjoyed and played by a wide variety of people.

On Sunday, that was once again the case, when 87-year-old Rosemary Reed and her 64-year-old playing partner, Steve Toyne, won the Central England Mixed Foursomes on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa Golf Club.

Playing in her first event back in 1957, Rosemary has now won this tournament four times. Firstly in 1961, then 1985 and 1986. Incredibly, there's over 60 years between her first victory and her most recent!

Staged at Woodhall Spa, the Central England Mixed Foursomes is played over the Hotchkin Course and has a maximum entry of 64 pairs. From there, it is a straight knockout over three days, with two matches played every single day until the winning team is crowned. 

What's perhaps most impressive is that not only did Rosemary play all six rounds, but also reportedly played on Thursday prior to the competition starting, as well as on Monday in a league match against Seacroft Golf Club! That's eight rounds in five days...

Reed and Toyne stand next to their opponents

Steve and Rosemary and their opponents in the final Chris & Jo Dyson

(Image credit: Woodhall Spa)

After making their way through the first three rounds, the pair delivered a 7&5 rout in the Quarter Finals, as the final day got underway on Sunday. Defeating the duo of Steve Davies & Moira Page, Rosemary and Steve faced Chris & Jo Dyson in the final.

Against the West Sussex pair, they delivered yet another win, as Rosemary, who still plays off a handicap index of 18.9 and her scratch partner, Steve, picked up the title.

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Matt Cradock
Matt Cradock
Staff Writer

Matt joined Golf Monthly in February 2021 covering weekend news, before also transitioning to equipment and testing. After freelancing for Golf Monthly and The PGA for 18 months, he was offered a full-time position at the company in October 2022 and continues to cover weekend news and social media, as well as help look after Golf Monthly’s many buyers’ guides and equipment reviews.

Taking up the game when he was just seven years of age, Matt made it into his county squad just a year later and continues to play the game at a high standard, with a handicap of around 2-4. To date, his best round came in 2016, where he shot a six-under-par 66 having been seven-under through nine holes. He currently plays at Witney Lakes in Oxfordshire and his favourite player is Rory McIlroy, despite nearly being struck by his second shot at the 17th during the 2015 BMW PGA Championship.

Matt’s current What’s In The Bag?

Driver: Honma TW747, 8.75°

Fairway Wood: TaylorMade Rocketballz Stage 2, 15°, 19°

Hybrid: Adams Super Hybrid, 22°

Irons: Mizuno MP54, 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland 588 RTX 2.0 Tour Satin, 50°, 56°, 60°

Putter: Cleveland TFI 2135 Satin Cero

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

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