Cornwall Golf Union
Seniors Narrowly Lose Out to Dorset
(L to R; Richard Jones, Mark Blaber, Guy Norris, Ian Ashenden, Andy Rowe, Mark Johnson,
Dave Kneebone, Gary Hawking, Warwick Holland, Ian Veale and Gary Stone)
[County Seniors Captain Warwick Holland reports]
Our second match of the Seniors Channel League season saw the Cornish Senior's team travel to Yeovil GC to play Dorset. Both teams were fortunate enough to be fielding strong teams, including our new cap Ian Ashenden from China Fleet., who had just finished as runner up in the Scottish Seniors Championship, only losing out in a play off to Stephen Jensen (Trevose).
As expected the morning Greensomes saw a very hard fought affair. Hawking and Norris won on the last with two other matches also going to the last gaining halves, Ashenden & Blaber and Veale & Stone. However this left us marginally behind 3 - 2 from the morning play.
Weather was set fair on a tight tree lined course for the afternoon singles. On a day that saw many a ball lost in deep hay off the fairway, if not trees, the single matches were going to be a test.
It was Andy Rowe’s 100th match for the CGU Seniors and the Captain saw it appropriate to give Andy the honour of going out no 1. A tough task but if Andy could get an early result it would set up the match nicely. After 10 holes the captain asked Andy how the honour was paying off, his response “not so well and by the way do you have any more balls”. He was 4 down. I left Andy to his own devices and to enjoy the rest of his day until I saw him again off the 17th green. I praised Andy for taking the match to the 17th and asked for the exact score, his response yes 2 & 1…….I won. 'Mr Evergreen' never fails to surprise.
Andy's efforts were well supported by our top end, with wins by Ashenden, Blaber and a half from Norris. However Dorset weren’t lying down winning the next three, so we were back where we started and like all close fixtures it came down to the last game on the course involving Mark Johnson. Mark saw an early lead evaporate and he stood on the 18th tee all square and the match square. An almighty crash was then heard from the 18th fairway with a 100 year old substantial tree felling itself across the 18th fairway. Needless to say the Dorset player managed to avoid it but Johnson wasn’t so lucky with his ball finishing 6ft behind it. After much consultation with referees it was agreed that the 100ft tree (which was still attached to the stem) was not a loose impediment, not GUR, it was still a fixed tree.
No relief was granted, Mark chipped out sideways, played a great pitch to 6ft but sadly lipped the putt, leaving Cornwall with a very disappointed 8 - 7 loss.
Perhaps the gods weren’t with us that day or maybe Andy’s early heroics had used up all of Cornwall's good fortune, but nevertheless we will press on and strive for greater fortune in our next fixture against Glamorgan, which takes place at Lanhydrock Hotel & GC on Monday 1st July.
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