Long drive pays off as Dewsbury member wins Renaissance event

A Dewsbury golfer was rewarded for a 440 mile round trip when he won a qualifyng round at The Renaissance Club, near Muirfield.
Dewsbury District golfer Ben Crowther receives his prize from Jerry Sarvadi, CEO of the Renaissance Club.Dewsbury District golfer Ben Crowther receives his prize from Jerry Sarvadi, CEO of the Renaissance Club.
Dewsbury District golfer Ben Crowther receives his prize from Jerry Sarvadi, CEO of the Renaissance Club.

Dewsbury District member Ben Crowther now gets to join European Senior Tour pros such as Sam Torrance and Ian Woosnam when he plays in a team with a pro at the Scottish Senior Open, in August.

The prize for the longest drive of the day was something science teacher Crowther could never have dreamed of when he set out on the 440-mile round trip from Yorkshire to the Renaissance Club in East Lothian.

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The 42-year-old travelled to Scotland to play in the Alliance Pro-Am Qualifier, with the winner earning a place alongside the top professionals in the Scottish Senior Open in August.

With a score of 37 Stableford points, the two-handicapper emerged successful over the highly acclaimed Renaissance Club course to secure his return ticket to Scotland’s famed ‘Golf Coast’ to play in the Alliance format, which pairs an amateur with a pro over two days on Friday, August 4 and Saturday, August 5.

The qualifier, the first of two organised and hosted by Renaissance Club, proved to be a highly successful venture and Ben, who teaches science at Freeston Academy in Normanton near Wakefield, relished the experience.

He said: “It was by accident that a friend told me about the qualifier, which he had seen on the internet.

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“I’ve always been a great lover of links golf and I felt it was a wonderful opportunity during half-term to play an exceptional golf course.

“I wasn’t motivated by the prize I just wanted to experience the course. I knew it has a big reputation, which is fully justified. I loved the course and the overall experience at Renaissance and it was great to receive my prize from the club’s CEO, Jerry Sarvadi.

“It’s a thrill to be returning to play with senior professionals.”

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