On Monday 18 June our Scratch Team played their first Home game of the season when they entertained near neighbours Radcliffe on Trent in a real golfing “local derby”. After defeats in their first two Away matches our Team were looking for their first victory. On a warm evening a strong breeze welcomed the teams to our Championship Course which was looking in fine condition.
Paul Calland was our lead man and immediately went in front when he won the first only to lose the 2nd and 3rd when his opponent nearly holed his second for a gimmie birdie. Paul bounced straight back and won the next 2 holes only to be pegged back again when he lost the 6th. Paul then hit a purple patch and playing by far his best golf of the season won 6 holes on the bounce to demoralise his opponent and close out a fine victory by the comfortable margin of 6&5 to give his side a great start.
Behind him Alex Brewin found himself up against our former player Heath Scholes. Alex won the first and was favourite on the 2nd when Heath went in the water but in typical Heath fashion he scrambled a half. Alex then took a 2 hole lead by winning the 3rd only to lose the 4th. The 5th was halved and the 6th and 7th were traded. The match was very even and was level at the turn. Alex won 10, halved the 11th and lost the 12th when he went in the water. Things were not looking good for Alex when he went 1 down after 14 but he then dug deep and drawing on the qualities that Heath had so often displayed in the past and a birdie at 15 leveled the match and he then calmly won 16 and 17 to win by 2&1 after a real tight match.
In the third match Callum Fern the recent winner of The Nottinghamshire Amateur Championships was involved in a very close start to his match. The first 3 holes were halved and Callum actually fell behind when he lost the 4th when his opponent played 2 fine shots to the green. By then Callum realised his opponent was really up for the challenge and this brought out the beat in Callum and he visibly raised his game and by the 11th he had gone 3 up. He steadily built on this and although he lost 14 he finished the match on the 15th to record what turned out in the end to be a comfortable victory by 5&3.
Behind him Robin Moody was up against another of our ex players and former professional Chris Newbold. Robin did not start well and after losing his ball on the 1st immediately fell behind. He restored order by winning the next 2 holes. Robin continued to build on this start and displaying the form that had marked his previous two games of the season went 4 up after 10 holes. He stuttered a little when he went out of bounds on the 11th and went into the water on the 12th but recovered his composure by restoring his 4 shot lead when he won 13 and 14 and another win on the 15th meant that he too recorded a win by 5&3 to maintain his unbeaten record for the season.
In the final match John Purser was up against yet another of our former players in Steven Brearley. John lost the first but won the second only to lose the next 2 holes. Steven returning to our Club after an absence of several years was drawing on past memories which included winning our Club Championship and by playing Par golf was always that bit too good for John who nevertheless was hanging on without really threatening to level the match. A win on the 14th kept John in with a chance but he had to concede defeat by 4&3 when he lost the 15th.
So after 2 Away defeats we comfortably won our first Home match and although we have played less games than most of the teams in the League as we have already had our “bye week” we have at last got our season off the ground against a Team who had won 2 of their first 3 games.
Our next game, in just a weeks time, is Away once again when we travel to Worksop to play Kilton Forest on Monday 25 June with the First Tee being at 5-00 pm. This will be another stern test for our team as Kilton is recognized as being a difficult course for visiting Teams but after this victory they will travel there in confident mood.
