Sussex Golf Captains
London v Sussex
Planes, trains and automobiles!
Following last year's thrashing of London Captains at Cowdray Park, we expected a tough match against seasoned opponents. Armed with ear defenders, we set off for Wyke Green, a course ideally located between the Heathrow Flightpath, a motorway and an underground and overground railway; sadly, no wombles were present.
Match one
Ian Potter (Captain) and Andy Plowright faced John Godwin (Captain) and C K Lee. This was a good match, Sussex were never behind, and with some help from their opponents, they managed to be three up at the turn, easing to a win on the 15th. Sussex enjoyed the greens. Our captain said, "They look particularly good from a distance; it was a very pleasant walk." Won 4&3.
Match two
Joe Angella (IPC) and Trevor Haegar treated John Nugent (IPC) and Geoff Hancock to a wonderful display of four-ball golf. This was an extremely close match. Sussex were two up at the turn, then London came back at us. Joe rolled in a couple of good putts that were congratulated (grudgingly, surely? Ed.) by our opponents. It was all square after 16, but Trevor's excellent birdie on 17 for Sussex to head down 18 one up. John played a good shot on 13, and Geoff helpfully pointed out to John that the rubbish his ball was lying in was GUR the previous week. John was not amused. It was great fun, and Joe's lap of honour around the dining room was the icing on the cake. Won 2Up.
Match Three
Nigel Wates and Mitch Clark lost to Tony Metcalfe and Barry Compen. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles came to mind. It was a cracking course and great fun to play. The Ice Breaker beer was lovely. (This may explain the result. Sherlock Holmes.) Barry was playing in his first Captains match and was in good form, making a birdie on 18 to win the game. Lost 2 Down.
Match Four
Brian Street (Pres) and Keith Hayward entertained Clive Morton and Henri Henriques. Clive and Henri birdied the first, but we got it together; Brian by using his shots and me by putting long ones in. It was up and down, but in the end, we won a very enjoyable match. Won 1 up.
Match Five
Brian Hooker and Andy Lamb took on David Alder and Barry Lloyd. A shaky start saw Sussex two down by the 8th, where we enjoyed a restorative cup of tea and a piece of fruit cake. One down after nine was soon to be two up, with Brian coming up trumps. A loss on 17 brought a close finish, but a half was enough to hold out for the win. Won 1 Up.
Match Six
Kieran Laverty and Rasoul Shahilow took on Irvine Walker and Tom Herbich. We made a good start with Kieran's birdie on the first hole. The opposition was fun to be with, and we had some fun on the course. The course was excellent, with relatively fast greens, and I look forward to returning to Sussex. Won 4&3.
Match Seven
Keith Talbot and Richard Jays were up against two home players, Richard Healy and Derek Stonestreet, in what turned out to be a tight contest. The Sussex boys went one up early, but they were two up at the turn by dovetailing well and playing par golf. This became three with Keith's birdie on the 10th, but back came the London duo to reduce the deficit again. Finally, Richard's "would have been a birdie" on the 16th closed out the match. Great course, great company and a better result than Nigel's. Won 3&2.
Match Eight
Phil Manser and Garry Winwood took on Mick Rowe and Steve Goldie. This was a good, fun game. Lots of shots bouncing off of the railway line fence. It was very close, even with the bandit's shots. Garry made lots of friends with his work (Have you been at the cheese again? Ed). We all missed loads of putts. Won 1 Up
Match Nine
Terry Vanhinsergh and Des Malcolm took on Peter Cramb and Mike Morrow. It was a tight match. Terry was in good form, Des hit the trees (No surprise there. Ed), and we had good opposition, but they could not contain the thunder that is Terry. I can see why Cottesmore win everything. Won 2&1.
Match Ten
Ron Adams and Kevin Heanen played Gordon Tindale and Alan McWilliam. Gordon (Bond) had worked in the diplomatic service and served in British Embassies worldwide; at 85, he still carried his clubs. We went tree up early on, but they fought back, and we went one down with four to play. Won 2&1
Result
Sussex 9 London 1
Captain Potter’s winning run continues. What a fantastic away win! London losing two years on the trot! As for the course, the company and the food, they were all first class. It was truly a memorable day.
Next up is a home match against Bedfordshire at The Dyke.
Created by intelligentgolf version 10.1.2.
