WYDER CUP 2007-LONG MARSTON CAPTAIN'S REPORT

This really is a tremendous competition and to those who started it all 7 Wyder Cups ago, I salute you. Only my third time but I already feel as though I have been playing in it for years. For that I thank everyone from both sides for their great friendship. Irrespective of the keenness on both sides to win the spoils there is always a genuine good feeling throughout all 3/4 days.

The result tells the story of another ROW win and the margin will always say it was by 3 points but you have to look deeper to get the true picture of just how close this was. Seven halved matches and 5 losses on the last hole is a far better reflection of just how close my team came to grabbing the Trophy.

Myself and my trusty Vice Captain Rob Walsh were two up with four to play in the singles and both ended up with halves so you could say it was down to our two games that the Trophy was lost rather than won. I have had time to think about the 3 holes I lost on the trot that left me needing to win the last to halve my match with Ian Searle. Okay so there was a 3 putt and a shank in there which I can partly put down to nerves and the rest down to the way Ian never let go and made ours such a cracking match.
When Ian boomed his drive down 18 I did think that I was down and out. Somehow I managed to scuttle a 'Sally Gunnell' down the 18th fairway which left me 175 to the pin. I thought that if I could hit the green then Ian would be forced to have a go himself and that big tree on the left was right in his line of fire. That's when I pulled out the 6 iron and hit my own 'shot of the week' to about 18 feet. Was I pumped up or what! That's just how this event gets you. Then Ian found the water and the rest is history-an honourable half and a fitting end. Thanks Ian, may we do battle again in the years to come.

As for Walshy, he too will admit to a few nerves but full credit to Dave Silvester for squeezing a half out of their match, especially after having such a troublesome time with those 2 footers and playing the wrong ball on the 10th. You almost had that singles point that you've been after Dave. Perhaps you 'should have gone to specsavers' before the trip!

Anyway back to the first day when my aim was for the LM team to be in any sort of lead after the 4somes and thanks to Terry and Kenny pulling off a great win against Wardy and Carl Griffiths, my dream start came true. Then when the draw for the 4balls was made on thursday evening I had a really good feeling that we were going to move forward further and take a 2-3 point lead into the singles. Unfortunately I failed to take account of the way alcohol and lack of sleep can deprive some individuals of the ability to hit a golf ball properly, if at all, and the 4balls slipped away from us. We were left with a deficit that was just too much on the final day.

I will mention at this point that my sole nominee for 'player of the tournament' was Terry Edmonds and a deserved winner. Not just because he played two and won two but also for comments he made to me that I believe epitomise the spirit that is the Wyder Cup and the team ethic of LM this year. Firstly on thursday evening he pulled me aside and told me how he fully understood the difficult job I had as Captain with several reserves eager to play. He told me that he would fully understand if he was left out of the 4balls and even after his 4somes victory against the odds, I did leave him out and he took it right on the chin. When I told him on friday evening that he was playing in the singles he looked me straight in the eyes and said, 'nothing to worry about there skipper, I'll get you a point,' and he delivered by dispatching Malc Ward for the 2nd time in 3 days. Thanks Terry you made my job a lot easier and I'd like to think that your attitude rubbed off of the others in our team that didn't play in all the matches.

There was some great fighting spirit shown out there, not least by John Matthews who forced a great half out of Andy Winkle. Joan's face was a picture when I saw her by the side of 18th green and told her that John's match was right behind and still in the 'melting pot'. The look she gave me suggested that she thought John had got lost walking in from the 12th.

So that's about it from me. My thanks go out to all my team and to those I was fortunate enough to play with and against. I know Mark Sherratt was disappointed that he only got one chance to play me this year, and lost, but don't worry Mark as there will be plenty more opportunities. To those on my team I have not given a personal mention to, don't worry. I could have said something about you all but I'd be writing forever. It was great being your Captain and I wish Rob Walsh all the best for next year. Wherever the venue is it will take something special to beat the weather we had and the standard of the Emerald Course. It only remains for me to say congratulations once more to Stuart Whitehead and his Team on another win and to remind the ROW that LM are no push overs. We intend to win this Trophy very soon.

 

 

 

Rest of theWorld Team  (ROW) - Captain’s Report - Stuart Whitehead

From a personal point of view, barely two hours had passed since the opening drives, and depression was setting in fast; as Bob and Spence were systematically taking Martin Winkle and myself apart.

But one match doesn’t decide a tournament and even though there were further setbacks that afternoon, a 4 – 3 deficit wasn’t the end of the world. Now remember, no side had ever been down on the first day and won; but the weather was grand.

However day two was to see a dramatic change in fortunes with the ROW taking the fourballs 5 – 2, the in form pair of Blair and Farrell being Long Marston’s only winners. The result that caught the eye though was Dave Silvester and Darren Marshalls’ 3 and 1 triumph over Anthony Hodges and Mick Pennington, and good performances also from Martin Wink / Steve Luker, Ian Searle / Malc Ward and my partner Scott Walters: And the weather was grander.

Day three and the nitty gritty of the singles; Long Marston’s hopes must have been raised with the opening two singles matches comfortably going their way.

The ship was then steadied with the ROW regaining, and then eventually increasing the lead. Mark Sherrat’s mid-round birdie blast which outgunned Jamie Waugh was a joy to watch, only eclipsed by the very sorry sight of Alan Hone desperately wandering from fairway to fairway (he’d only seen sand, bushes and trees whilst playing) attempting to flog his clubs to the highest bidder!
So the ROW’s winning run has now stretched to four, and the depression that was setting in forty eight hours earlier had evaporated and turned into elation, as attention was diverted from our wonderful Tournament, to the Rugby World Cup and England’s victory over the Aussies:

Thanks to everyone involved

And the weather was grander still.

See you all next year.

 

 
Stuart Whitehead

 

 

 
By Dave Silvester

Beginning with a dispute on the first green after a very nervous start by Rob Walsh and Dave Silvester it was agreed that Dave was one up with a 7. Dave had several chances to go further into the lead but 3 missed putts from 2ft kept it to 1up. Then on the 10th Rob is in trouble as Dave creams one down the fairway, Rob is then similar distance from the green in three shots, Dave hits his 2nd shot onto the front of the green thinking he should go 2 up only to realise when Rob is about to take his shot that he has played Rob’s ball so its loss of hole and the match is all square instead. This unsettles Dave for a few holes as he lets Rob get to 2 up, he then pulls it back to all square on the 16th only to miss yet another tiny putt inside 2ft on the 17th to let Rob go Dormie 1up.

So on it goes to the 18th with Dave’s memories of losing all his previous singles matches in the Wyder Cup looming large.
A sudden surge of determination makes him hit his best tee shot of the day over the water and way down the right of the fairway to about 130yrds out from the green.

Rob’s drive is not as long so he lays up his second shot, follows with a duff shot to eventually getting it on the front edge of the green for 4. Dave hits a 9 iron 2nd shot between the tall trees and over the pond guarding the green buts runs off the back right, he then nervously chips to about 15ft from the pin. Rob chips past the flag to about 10ft. Dave’s putt (4th shot) is agonisingly 3ft short and not given. Dave cannot watch as Rob tries for a 6 with his putt which would mean Dave has to hole the 3ft putt to win the hole and halve the match. Now with the previous thoughts of the other 4 missed putts he is dreading to see Rob hole this putt. A big sigh of relief from Dave as Rob knocks it about 5ft past and immediately concedes the hole to Dave, a fantastic Half, an end to a fantastic match and at last ½ a point for Dave from a singles match.