Warwickshire Golf
DEJA VU FOR SENIORS AT WORCESTER
For the third year in a row Warwickshire Seniors played against Worcester Seniors proudly boasting two wins from their opening two league matches and for the third year running their unbeaten record was left in tatters after defeat by their near neighbours. The hosts' second league win of the season lifts them to the summit of the West Midlands League and puts them in a strong position to retain their league crown after their success last year. Warwickshire missed the late withdrawal due to a sickness bug of their newly crowned Seniors Champion Tim Cooley from Ladbrook Park although Worcestershire were without their County Second Team Captain, Duncan Macpherson, a member at the host club.
The players of both teams were welcomed to Worcester Golf & Country Club last Friday by Worcester Captain Paul Newman. The course designed in 1927 by Dr Alister Mackenzie, who went on to design Alwoodley and Moortown near Leeds and his most famous creation Augusta National, is located just outside the centre of Worcester and measures 6251 yards, with long, narrow heavily bunkered greens.
The morning foursomes set the tone for the match, when apart from a comfortable win for Warwickshire pairing Tony Allen and Nev Gardner in the lead match, Worcester were able to get something from each of the other five games. Emphatic wins for the home side in matches two and six were supported by another win in match three. With Warwickshire clinging for survival, it was important to get some momentum from somewhere. Match four saw the Warwickshire pair of David Calvert and Laurence Greatley denied victory when their putt for a last hole win lipped out on the final green for the match to finish all square. Similarly in match five, Andy Collins and George Kennedy saw their final effort also lip out but this signalled a one hole defeat rather than the match finishing level. Worcestershire's lead at lunch was a healthy four and a half points to one and a half, but with the afternoon matches all being worth two points the match was not beyond Warwickshire.
As the afternoon matches approached their halfway point, word from the course was that the position for Warwickshire was rather encouraging as they led in four of the six matches, whilst being down in one and all square in the other. Match five went the way of Worcestershire who had led for the most part but this was matched by the Warwickshire last pairing of John Hathaway and Mark Reynolds, who had been a little out of sorts in the morning foursomes. Whilst only having a one hole lead at the turn, the visitors won three holes in a row with sub par golf from the eleventh hole and were quickly four up with four to play. Despite losing their only hole in the afternoon when not making a four on the par four fifteenth, a birdie three to half the next hole was enough to secure the win. The top four matches however were the key to the result.The opening fourball saw Tony Allen and Nev Gardner who had been in front all afternoon lose two of the last three holes to lose one down. Match two saw David Mason and Andrew Carman who had been behind playing the final hole, then win it to finish all square. Match five saw David Calvert and Laurence Greatley lead by two holes with three to play again suffering on the greens when their opponents holed two very long putts to win both the sixteenth and eighteenth holes to grab an unlikely half and deny Warwickshire a much needed win. Match four saw Peter Holt and Martin Fell who had been five up with six to play, suffer the same fate when an unlikely putt of some distance was holed across the final green to snatch a half for the Worcester Captain and his partner. Worcestershire had staged a great fightback to win the afternoon fourballs by seven points to five and the overall match by eleven and a half points to six and a half. Warwickshire were beaten comfortably by the end and having only won just two matches during the day, can only reflect on too many halved matches.
To Worcester Golf & Country Club my thanks to their staff for their hospitality and presentation of their course and to the caterers who looked after both teams so well during the day.
To Alex Mackie who acted as starter during the day for both sets of matches a nice touch by Worcestershire and much appreciated by both teams. To Captain Paul Newman and his Worcestershire team mates who always provide such a stern test, the match as always was played in a very committed, competitive but friendly manner. I wish them well for the remainder of the season. They will now be seen by many as favourites to win the league again this year. Worcestershire will remain my nemesis as Warwickshire Captain as in my three years tenancy I have not been able to beat them. I hope my successor next year will be able to turn the tide.
My thanks to Warwickshire County President Graham Barton for his support on the day, I know that he was as disappointed as the whole team that the result was not in our favour.
To my team thank you for all your efforts in what was ultimately a losing cause. We now have to prepare for the Senior 6's at Coxmoor in August where we were second last year. Let's hope we can go one better again this year as we did in 2017.
Mark Reynolds
Seniors Captain
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