JOEL Farnworth and Bertie To Jnr made light of impending dark to score a significant success for Discovery Bay Golf Club in the Hong Kong Titleist Inter-Club League yesterday. With nightfall almost upon them, Farnworth made a bogey five at the 18th hole of Royal Hong Kong Golf Club's Eden Course to secure a half against Brian Choa and Jason Kwok and record a crucial triumph for the Discovery Bay pair by the narrowest of margins. With John Ball and Mike Peasley also winning one-up, the visitors were able to afford the luxury of losing the final one of the three four-ball, better-ball contests to the Royal Hong Kong duo of Ian Hindhaugh and Adam Osborn. Discovery Bay's 2-1 success enabled them to take over at the top of the standings, two points clear of Royal Hong Kong with just one match remaining. Captain Ball's team need only to avoid defeat in their final match at home to Clearwater Bay to secure the title. Should they lose, Royal Hong Kong could retain their crown if they win at Shek O. Yesterday's victory was the first time Discovery Bay had won at Fanling since the league was inaugurated three years ago. However, with Farnworth and To trailing after 15 holes, their prospects did not look good. But To made a birdie at the par-five 16th to square the match and Farnworth put the visitors in front with a birdie two at the short 17th. Meanwhile, Joann Hardwick, Hong Kong's leading female player, finished equal 10th in the Singapore Open women's amateur championship at Raffles Country Club. Hardwick, the defending champion, returned scores of 78, 76 and 78 over the par-72 layout to finish with a 54-hole aggregate of 232. That was seven shots behind Singapore's victorious Kee Bee Khim, one of the players Hardwick beat in a sudden-death play-off to win the title two years ago. Lam Shiyu from China's Zhongshan Hot Spring Golf Club finished second on a countback with a total of 228.
