Shropshire golfers miss out on Morocco trip
A pair of amateur golfers from Telford just missed out an expenses-paid trip of a lifetime to Morocco.
Colin Brown and Lee Steadman finished third in the regional southern pairs final of the 2016 Morocco Matchplay.
Former England international darts player Brown, 57, a 16-handicapper, and 21-handicapper Steadman, 51, a ground worker, scored 38 points at Woodbury Park in Devon.
The two, both members at the Shropshire Golf Centre, fell just two points short of bagging the trip to February's grand final in Marrakech, sponsored by HowDidiDo.
In total, 32 golfers from the two regional finals will enjoy complimentary return flights from Gatwick to Marrakech, courtesy of the event's partner British Airways; five nights' luxury bed-and-breakfast in the five-star Palmeraie Palace; four rounds of championship golf on the Robert Trent Jones-designed PalmGolf Marrakech Palmeraie and a last-night gala dinner and prize presentation.
Four competitions culminate at the grand final, sponsored for a second year by the Moroccan National Tourist Office (MNTO): singles, pairs, mixed pairs and senior pairs, with 32 golfers, from across the UK, ultimately fighting it out for the titles.
Each finalist played up to four qualifying rounds merely to reach the regional final.
Previously, the event – formerly known as the HowDidiDo Matchplay – was played in Rabat, in 2015, and Essaouira, earlier this year.
It continues to visit different parts of Morocco thanks to the backing of the MNTO.
Palmeraie Resorts, spread out across almost 570 acres in the heart of the palm grove of Marrakech, includes hotels, a conference centre and spa.
