GOLF: BILL Swindley is the toast of Widnes Golf Club - the drinks were most definitely on him after he shot two holes-in-one in as many weeks!

His first ace came during an exchange day at Upton-by-Chester and he followed up by getting down at the first attempt at his own club's Thwaites Open.

Bill has been playing golf for 20 years and been a Highfield Road member for half that time.

He said: 'I had a hole-in-one last year on the 11th at Widnes, but apart from that, have never been anywhere near.'

Now playing off 12, although his handicap has been as low as nine, Bill rediscovered his Midas touch at the end of last month when his six-iron tee shot on the 176-yard par-three sixth at Upton-by-Chester flew straight in.

It meant the Haydock-based Widnesian buying a round of drinks and he had hardly finished celebrating when the rare feat was achieved again.

This time it was on home territory with an eight-iron shot on the par-three 136-yard 15th providing the perfection every player is seeking.

And Bill duly lined up tots of whisky and vodka on the bar to ensure everyone shared in his latest success.

He added: 'The hole-in-one at Chester was the better of the two because I could actually see it was going right in and all the lads were around. It dropped just short and rolled straight into the hole.

'On the one at Widnes, I didn't see it because all the bunkers were in front but someone who was with us said 'That's hit the flag!''

The club presented Bill, who works as a fitter, with a bottle of spirit and they are sorting out a small memento for him from the competition sponsors Thwaites.

* The Ford Am Cup competition and Category A prize at St Michael's was won by Ronnie Forrester by the slimmest of margins.

A card play-off saw him pip Graham Lewis with both having shot a gross 73 off their 11 handicap for a nett 62.

Third-placed Ian Rixon triumphed in category B with a nett 65. Lowest gross was shared by Lol Crosbie and Duncan Martin with 72s.