29th September to 2nd October - Carlyon Bay, St Austell, Cornwall
HEADLINES:
'Rest of the World' team retain Wyder Cup!!
.jpg)
.jpg)
R.O.W. Lead 4½-1½ after the Friday’s Fourballs and go on to increase their lead to 8½-3½ after the Foursomes.
Its Deja vous as both sides win 6 singles each on Saturday but this means R.O.W. are the first side to retain the cup with final score of 14½-9½ which is also the biggest winning margin in Wyder Cup history.
After a slight comeback by Long Marston with the score standing at 11½-7½ Dave Winkle’s win in the singles takes R.O.W. to the 12 point target and past it to retain the cup and also win it outright.
Excellent victory in Foursomes for Sherratt and Innes over Pennington and Edmonds.
Winning Captain Martin Winkle sticks to his guns and plays everyone in the squad at least twice and achieves victory.
One of the tightest matches in Wyder cup history sees Mike Pennington and Anthony Hodges come back at the death to earn half a point in the fourball match against Dave Winkle and Scott Walters.
Dave Silvester fails again in the singles despite getting back to all square from 4 down after 4 holes.
Garrod & Farrell struggle to beat outsiders Cooper & Collins in a tight Foursomes match.Early bath for Luker & Collins after their impressive Fourball victory 8 & 7 over Aston & D.Hodges.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Individual Stories:-A story of three 2ft Putts
.jpg)
By Dave Silvester ( A Great Captain but a crap golfer under pressure)
Having done the usual in my singles match (This time against P.Garrod) I found myself 4 down after 4 holes. Pulling myself together I managed to halve the 5th & 6th to stop the rot. I then won the 7th then the 9th to get back to 2 down before the start of the back nine (A chance now I thought) I won the next lost the 11th but won the 12th to get back to one down. I then won the 13th unlucky for some but to me it meant All Square with 5 to play (now I thought my big chance to win a singles match).
This was the real start of the battle, we both played and battled well to halve the next 3 holes then on the 16th I chipped brilliantly from 30 yards and I have a 2ft putt to win the hole and missed so only a half again. Then on the 17th again a 2ft putt to win and go Dormie but I miss again to stay all square. So now with all the pressure on we go to the 18th we both end up with 2ft putts if we both hole out we halve the hole and halve the match. I am about an inch further away so I go first (Advantage I thought if I hole out it means all the pressure on his putt, but Oh No ! I miss another f*****g one and before he gives me the tap in I see the Red mist and boot the ball out of the back of the green closely followed by my favourite putter, turning round I realise the heal of my shoe has taken a small divot out of the green (Sorry Green keeper, and all those who had to putt over it in the matches behind me)
Pat said “I have this putt to win the hole and the match then”, I said “No I can’t make you take that putt after the way I have just reacted” after all I hadn’t been given the tap in before I booted the ball away so In my book it was a foul and I had no alternative but to offer my hand and concede the hole and subsequently the match. What can I say but I had the chances to win my first singles point and failed miserably again. Oh well I suppose it puts more pressure on me for next year (As though I need it, just hope its not on 2ft putts) Mind you my mate Mick Wassel (Next Years R.O.W. Captain) could always be kind and save me the embarrassment by dropping me for the singles matches ?
In for a Penny, In for a Pound
.jpg)
By Dave Winkle R.O.W.
Or … A monetary tribute to next year’s Long Marston Wyder Cup Captain
After the draw I was feeling a little pesetamistic (it doesn’t get any better than this) about the morning match with Scott and I being drawn against Mike and Anthony. My captain informed me that any sort of result in this match would be great for team morale and give us kudos (told ya) for the afternoon matches. So I snapped out of it and got Scotty “up for it” as instructed for the golf to come.
All weekend my drives were as bent as a five bob note but my chipping was on the sixpence every time and against Mike and Anthony it was no different. Scott on the other hand showed the two sides to his coin yet again. With me on day one he put in a sterling performance and was worth a million dollars, but on the singles day he proved to be our bad penny once again. But let’s concentrate on his good day.
He really was the full schilling for our side whilst Mike due to his bad back was only half a Penny for theirs and Anthony to be franc I think was lired into a false sense of security being in Mike’s side.
Early on, I stood up to be counted and thanks to my seven wood which I wouldn’t give up for love nor money we got off to a good start. Later on, Scott’s putting was grand and we thought we were in the money after nine holes being two up.
But on ten I owed Scott a thousand apologies after missing a five footer to go back to one up. But we rode our pony when Mike missed a two footer on eleven to make it all square and I temporarily got the putting monkey off my back with a six footer on twelve to keep the score one up to us.
But, mark my words, when the pressure hits you can bank on it to tell. I missed another two footer on fourteen to go two up and Scott’s driving started going so high I thought he was playing “Quidditch”.
But we steadied ourselves with helping notes on each other’s putting to a pace Mike later described as less than nifty and held out till sixteen. Euro (You’re a) (weak, I know) champion I declared to Scott after he won it with par to take us two up with two to play.
But the fat lady wasn’t singing and the three tenners weren’t even warming up. Mike knew it was time to dig deep and birdied the 17th and parred the 18th via the bunker to make the match all square.- What a cracker jackpot of a match!
Later on that evening I thought I’d sit down for a nice friendly game of Shoot Pontoon – “Doh!”
The highlight of singles day was watching Pete Watson tear off in the buggy like Ayrton Senna, spin before he reached the ladies tee, and see John Matthews fly out the side like a pearl diver straight on his shoulder.
Game and fun over for another year and we all traveled back home. I travelled home in the back seat of the captain’s car with the cup between my legs and I thought to myself. How nice it is to be playing Ftse with the trophy sponsored by Dow Jones on the way home.
FINAL WORD (and the point of the monetary references) :- Like Spence after a game of Shoot Pontoon, I’m sure all of the Long Marston and Rest of the World teams are glad we’re not Penny-less. Cheers Mike, Good luck for next year.
“Long Marston, My part in their downfall” .jpg)
by Arthur Collins
Morning four ball Steve Luker and I versus Dave Hodges & Ken Aston, Long Marston losing by 8 & 7 , all the holes won by Steve who was obviously an awesome opponent for anyone with a handicap around the 20 mark. I might have equalled Steve’s score on two or three holes but my final (short) putts were not required.
Steve was straight and long throughout. Dave and Ken , under pressure early on and not getting any breaks began to play better about halfway round got a hole back and halved another, but it was too late.
Afternoon foursomes Mick Cooper and I versus Spencer Farrell (L.M. Capt) & Phil Garrod, Spencer and Phil won 3 & 2. Mick and I went four down straight away and nearly went five down but for a miracle putt. We gradually reduced the arrears getting to one down and could have gone all square on the 11th if Phil’s supersonic chip from off the green had not hit the flag, (we saw the vapour trail and heard the sonic bang) Mick began to drive straighter and longer but we were unable to to take full advantage only managing to win one hole compared with Long Marston’s two plus one halved.
Reached the 15th two down and thought we had one the hole, which would have got us back to one down, but agreed a half in 7’s on recount, (both teams were wandering around on opposite sides of the course).
My chip across the tricky slope on the 16th green ran too far, hole lost, match lost 3 & 2.
It was an enjoyable round, we got close to causing an upset or maybe sneaking a half, but it was not to be.
Slow Play ???
The only other matter I can recall was the aggression and foul language of the club members on the course who considered our play too slow.
I drew their attention to the signs on the course advising that their course ranger was detailed to deal with such problems, they countered with some rather disparaging remarks concerning the desirability or otherwise of our right to exist.
Player of the Tournament goes to Mark Sherratt for Team ROW with 3 points from 3
.jpg)