NAUNTON Downs golfers Carol Park and Clare Spiller realised a four-year ambition when they won the Australian Spoons national final.

Since the Cotswold duo first partnered each other in the stableford foursomes, they set their sights on claiming the spoons title.

They won their club round three times in the last four years but did not progress past the regional final until 2014 at Belton Park, Lincolnshire.

Park and Spiller made the most of their chance to win the trophy with 19 points over the front nine before play was abandoned because of torrential rain.

They claimed the spoons on count-back from two other pairs.

The runners-up were Marjorie Scott and Shirley Higgins, of Maxstoke Park, Warwickshire, ahead of Harrogate’s Celia Fowler and Pat Benson. Park, the Downs ladies’ captain, said: “It’s wonderful, absolutely fantastic.

“We came here semi-relaxed, telling ourselves that we would just do as well as we could, but deep down desperately wanting to win.

“We can’t quite believe we’ve won a national final — and the club are going to go bananas!”

Spiller, who plays off 25, and Carol, a 29-handicapper, both took up golf through their husbands.

The Australian Spoons is a stableford foursomes competition for players of 15 handicap and above.

The finalists were the overnight guests of England Golf.

Belton Park presented each pair with a four-ball voucher to play the course because the competition round was curtailed.

n Chipping Norton racehorse trainer Charlie Longsdon picked up several successes.

Long Wave (11-4 second-favourite) won at Market Rasen, while Orby’s Man (4-6 favourite) triumphed at Worcester.