MARTIN Selby and Neil Carthew posted a three-under score of 15 to finish top of the pile in the medalford qualifier for the men's Winter Foursomes at Tiverton on Saturday.
But because they had already booked their place in the knock-out stages in the first event a month ago, second-placed John Hanson and Steve Garland went through as the leading qualifiers.
In cold conditions and with the course playing long, Selby and former club captain Carthew were three under on the front nine with a nett 33 and level on the back with 18 stableford points.
The stableford score on the back nine is deducted from the medal figure on the front to give the total.
Selby and Carthew finished three clear of Hanson and Garland, who edged out Eric Cole and Steve Hosford on a countback.
Reigning champions Les Hartley and Ron Stonebridge made it through as the seventh best qualifiers.
The top eight pairs qualified for the last 32, which gets under way in the new year.
The fourth and final qualifier is a bogey competition on Saturday, December 15.
Medalford qualifiers: 1 John Hanson and Steve Garland (18); 2 Eric Cole and Steve Hosford (18); 3 Dave Horn and Colin Baker (20); 4 Kelvin Woodgate and Matt Woodgate (21); 5 Chem Austin and Charles Durnan (21); 6 Roger Norton and David Mallock (21); 7 Les Hartley and Ron Stonebridge (22); 8 Mark Sangster and Rhys Cruse (23).

Former England footballer Neil 'Razor' Ruddock played a fourball with members Mark Sangster, Peter Garnsworthy and Richard Colman at Tiverton last Tuesday.
Ruddock was the special guest at two sportsman's dinners at Tiverton Town Football Club last Monday and Tuesday and was keen to get a round of golf in during his stay.
Ruddock, a six-handicapper, chipped in for an eagle on the par-5 3rd as he and Colman won 2 up over 11 holes.
The former Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur centre-back said he was keen to return to Tiverton in the future.

NICOLA Chilcott and Alex Dudley were the joint winners of the juniors' RAF Trophy for 2008 at Tiverton.
The award is given to the player or players who do the most for the junior section throughout the year, including factors such as achievement, practice and support.
Chilcott and Dudley have played in all the junior competitions, acquired full ladies' CONGU handicaps and then gone on to win ladies' competitions.
Chilcott has reduced her handicap to 18 while Dudley is now off 27.
They will share a £50 cash prize donated by the RAF and follow in the footsteps of previous trophy winners Jack Ridge in 2005, Matt Woodgate in 2006 and Jess Bradley in 2007.
Junior organiser Mark Sangster said: “With a fast-expanding junior section and juniors such as these girls, the future is truly bright at Tiverton.”
The award was presented during the juniors' annual end-of-season outing, when 40 youngsters and 11 adults enjoyed ten-pin bowling and a pizza in Taunton.

Rachel Bray, Marian Stevens and Joan Reed scored 42 stableford points to win the ladies' 3-2-1 team competition on Wednesday.
Annie Mills, Jackie Leonard and Sheila Ball were the runners-up on 41 while Chris Williams, Sue Probetts and Liz Marriott came third with 38.
One score counted on the par-5s, two counted on the par-4s and all three counted on the par-3s.

VETERANS Gerry Franklin and Hugh Crowle secured a half in their special charity match with young stars Hannah Grant and Jess Bradley on a cold day at Tiverton on Saturday.
The veterans challenged the girls to a game and looked set for victory after being two up at the turn, but their opponents won the 10th and 17th to ensure honours were even.
One-handicapper Grant and Bradley, off two, both had to play off the yellow tees rather than the usual reds for ladies while Franklin, off eight, and Crowle, off 14, went off the whites.
A total of £175 was raised for the Special People charity, Devon Air Ambulance and the club's junior section after members tried to guess the correct score and the number of pars and birdies achieved, with a prize up for grabs.
Club caterer Andy Lovell, Ashley Stark and Peter Kerr correctly thought it would finish all-square.

IN the ladies' November Stableford on Wednesday, all three divisions were won with 31 points.
Val Walker headed the Silver Division, Joan Reed topped Bronze Division One and Ros Williams led the way in Bronze Division Two.
Julia Cole (18) and Helen Scriven (17) were the leading scorers in the nine-hole stableford played alongside the main competition.
Results:
November Stableford: Silver Division – 1 Val Walker (31); 2 Sheila Ball (24); 3 Sue Norris (24). Bronze Division One – 1 Joan Reed (31); 2 Marian Stevens (26); 3 Shirley Ward (25).
Bronze Division Two – 1 Ros Williams (31); 2 Christine Young (27); 3 Margot Seamer (22).
Nine-hole stableford: Division One – 1 Helen Scriven (17); 2 Liz Hall (14); 3 Annette Cardwell (14).
Division Two – 1 Julia Cole (18); 2 Jean Granger (10); 3 Enid Harding (9).

Former seniors' captain David Green claimed the veterans' Duckworth Salver on Tuesday with 39 stableford points.
Results: 1 David Green (39); 2 Keith Bassingthwaighte (37); 3 Mike Hurley (37); 4 Rod Wiltshire (36); 5 Peter Stuckey (35); 6 Gerry Franklin (32).

PHIL Head and Pete Guest booked their place in the knock-out stages of the men's Winter Foursomes after winning the stableford qualifier at Tiverton on Saturday.
The Heathcoat cricketers, receiving 20 shots, scored 39 points to win by one from Kevin Phillips and Harry Borden.
The top eight went through to the last 32, which takes place in the new year.
Qualifiers: 1 Phil Head and Pete Guest (39); 2 Kevin Phillips and Harry Borden (38); 3 Gary Taylor and Roger Higman (36); 4 Ed Tansey and Mike Hurley (36); 5 Dominic Bristow and Keith Williams (36); 6 Roger Millett and Gerry Franklin (35); 7 Dave Chattey and Steve Cox (35); 8 Mike Eastmond and Ed Whall (34).

A SENSATIONAL start set Lee Davey on the way to victory in the men's Meat Fayre at Tiverton on Saturday.
The 10-handicapper eagled the par-5 1st and birdied the 3rd and 5th to go four under par gross.
Davey, nicknamed Sid, missed a four-footer for a birdie on the 8th to go five under but by that stage was still nine better than his handicap.
He blobbed the 9th after a triple-bogey six, taking him out in 25 stableford points.
Five pars on the back nine saw him come back in 16 for a total of 41, which left him two clear of junior captain Rhys Cruse in Division One.
Roger Norton finished top of Division Two with 40 ahead of a group of four players on 38.
Results: Division One – 1 Lee Davey (41); 2 Rhys Cruse (39); 3 Mike Hurley (37); 4 Nick Conabeare (37); 5 Graham Dyson (36); 6 Lloyd Sampson (35).
Division Two – 1 Roger Norton (40); 2 Ricky Cruse (38); 3 Shaun Hughes (38); 4 Tony Bodgin (38); 5 Dave Buxton (38); 6 Martin Mountstevens (37).

Dean Farmer won the men's Eclectic after posting a 16-under score of 55.00 for his five rounds.
Following him and also in the money were Lee Scott, Andy Pryce, Gerry Franklin, Ian Bray and Rob Sansom.
Kelvin Woodgate claimed the scratch prize with 67, Neil Carthew took the award for the best front nine and Colin Taylor was the back nine winner.
Eclectic competitors play off Ύ handicap and mark a maximum of five cards in September and October, with their best scores on each hole added together to give the total.

Dave and Simon's winter warmer

DAVE Buxton and Simon Young became the first pair to qualify for the men's Winter Foursomes after shooting a nett 70 in cold, windy conditions at Tiverton on Saturday.
With the course playing long after heavy rain earlier in the week, Buxton and Young were the only pair to break par in winning the foursomes medal by one from John Phillips and Ray McIntosh.
Scores down to 75 qualified, with Colin Taylor and Simon Budden squeezing out Richard Jessop and Roger Tucker on a countback for the final spot.
It was the first of four qualifying competitions for the knock-out stages and the top eight from each will go into the hat for the last 32.
The next event is a stableford on November 15, followed by a medalford and a bogey before Christmas.
Qualifiers: 1 Dave Buxton and Simon Young (70); 2 John Phillips and Ray McIntosh (71); 3 Cliff Hagley and John Webber-Rookes (72); 4 Chris Auton and Paul Bayley (72); 5 Neil Carthew and Martin Selby (73); 6 Martin Taggart and Shaun Hughes (74); 7 Lloyd Sampson and Lee Davey (74); 8 Colin Taylor and Simon Budden (75).