Posted on behalf of 2019 Team Captain Wayne
SURREY NATIONAL v FARLEIGH – 24 March 2019
Following several years of having the same fixture list, it was decided to reverse the fixture list for 2019. There were complications with other club’s diaries being booked for various in-house trophies and fixtures for the year ahead but eventually dates were agreed and the new fixture list saw us play the first game against the ‘old enemy’, Farleigh. It also leaves us playing the last match in September away at Surrey Downs, hopefully for top honours, so a long season ahead of us!
The weather was smashing and upon arriving at the driving range, the Farleigh boys were already gunning to get off to winning start with most of their team practicing ahead of the matches.
Teams were exchanged between myself and Tom Clearly, the new Farleigh Captain, and the following individual match reports follow.
Match 1 – Myself & Beef Austin
Me & Thomas played Bryan & Mike from Farleigh. Bryan is very well known to all and Mike was having his first outing in the Surrey Hills league coming off a win 5 & 4 win against our Surrey Five’s outfit the weekend before at Farleigh.
We should have gone one up after the first hole, but with both of us three putting the first, we walked off with a very sorry half! Needless, to say when Mike rolled his second shot up and down the hill on the second for a birdie putt, we had a very upset Mr Austin. The next hole didn’t get any better, with me sticking a ball in the lake and Tom firing one just long, which set up Mike for a two putt par to go two up.
Things were still looking bad on the fourth, but luckily I had escaped the bush, which had me the day before, so a nett birdie got us, our first won hole. The fifth was also won with a nett birdie, which could have been the case on the sixth, but Thomas stole the show with a chipped in birdie for us to go one up in the match.
This certainly got both of us motivated and saw Thomas not dropping any more shots, in fact going two under the course on the back nine. The game was fought well on both sides seeing us three under par better ball and winning 4 up, which certainly was not looking the case at the start!
Match 2 – Gabriel and James
The second match saw Gabriel and vice captain James (Carter) take on uncle and nephew pairing of Paul and always-in-form Harry. (Hew: I heard Harry went round their blue nine in 29shots in the wind last week… playing v well).
Harry off 4 was giving Paul and I 3 shots & Gabriel 6. The first 3 holes were halved then the Farleigh boys had a three hole run of wins including a tap in birdie for Harry on 5th. The next two holes were halved with pars. The 9th saw Gabriel almost hole his chip shot & made his short putt to take the hole and reduce the gap to two.
The back nine started with steady golf from both teams and 4 halved holes. 14th & 15th holes saw Surrey National let 2 holes slip which included a 2nd birdie for Harry. The 16th was a shot hole for all and chance for the gap to be reduced, unfortunately it was not to be as Harry made a good up and down for the side of the green to claim the half. On the 17th, Paul was unlucky not to find his ball. From the worst drive I made a 4 to take the hole.
The 18th was a shot hole for Gabriel, although he couldn’t make best use of it as he and Paul both made the green in 2 but from a similar spot could not match Paul’s two putt and so the hole was a half. The match was played in a good spirit and Farleigh deserved to take the win.
Match 3 – Rob and Lee
Rob Hance and Lee Stringer Vs Tom (team captain) and Andy. We started well with a par watching steady Tom 3 putt and giving us the hole. The 2nd hole Toms second shot landed 2 ft away from the hole. I parred the hole only to see Tom hole for a Birdie match evens after 2 . The next 4 holes were halved with me and Lee knocking in some putts and watching Tom 3 putt on a few.
7th hole we watched them both hit the bunker Lee came up a bit short while I knocked 1 8 ft from the pin which after seeing them duff the bunker shots I had a easy 2 putt for a 1 up lead, next 2 holes halved with Lees putter on fire (1 up after nine) We won the 10th&11th with pars all down to Toms 3 putts. 12 th hole with me in the Trees Lee stepped up and Tom and Lee both had eagle putts and Both 3 putted for another half. (3up after 12)
Both me and lee left of 13 Tom puts his ball 2ft left of the hole and gets his second birdie. (Back to 2 up) They won the 14th with some poor performance by all apart from Andy who had a shot. Back to 1 up Both me and Lee were on the green in 2 on the 15th but as my second putt was longer I was first to step up and took the hole (2up) 16th Eagle eyed Tom puts his second 6 foot from hole with Lee’s second out the back who chipped on and got a par lucky we had a shot to see Tom get his 3rd birdie only halving the hole
17 was halved. 18th we all had good drives with Lee in the bunker.
We watched Andy hit one around the water and over the sleepers to rest by the bunker. Bit of pressure as he gets a shot! We could only make 5s which Andy got a 4 net 3 to take it to 1up to us. Could of been a lot worse for us if Tom’s putter worked. Lee’s putter on fire.
Final result 1up
Match 4 – Hew & Roscoe
Hew and Ross played Farleigh’s Darren and Terry. Ross and Darren receiving 5 shots, Farleigh debutante Terry 8. No shots till the 4th so we did what we needed to and sneaked into an early 3up lead. Losing the 4th to shots, we got it straight back with a birdie on the 5th before then missing out to a shot on the 6th.
So we were looking in good shape but things didn’t then go so well for the Farleigh boys. On the 7th tee, Darren placed his tee and that innocuous movement unfortunately put his back out. Strange how that can happen. Despite hoping it would loosen, he walked the next holes before sadly having to retire.
Terry was a last minute sign-up for the team and was great in playing on against Hew and Ross who unfortunately for Terry were both playing well. Hew considered a gentleman’s agreement to shake hands if it went 9 up but it came down to the team event, and it could well have backfired if other matches were down and we could’ve lost points on the match overall.
Terry was great and battled away but I’m afraid couldn’t get much going against us. Not least after hitting a fantastic approach into the 17, he had to suffer Hew slotting in from distance off the green for a 3. Still, Terry secured a win on the last with a shot and came in with his head high going down 14-4. (Hew – additional thanks to Terry, he played in his first ever Surrey Hills mostly solo, away at a course he’d only played once off the yellows).
Match 5 – Jaggsy & Jack
Our final pairing was Matt Jaggs, last year’s Captain with young Jack Greenwood. In Matt’s own words “Jack shot 73, I was there for moral support”, so a good 4-up win from a new another new partnership.
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A fantastic start for SNGC with a 53 to 37 win, which will hopefully give us a chance to catch up with the other teams, once we play our next match in May now.
Please visit the league website for results and upcoming fixtures for both MENS and SENIOR leagues.
http://surreyhillsleague.com
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