Autumn Trophy - Cowes GC 22nd September

An all day event played this year at Cowes Golf Club on Sunday 22nd in near perfect weather conditions. The event includes three trophies, the Hugh Lloyd Trophy scratch golf for the elite players with Island games points at stake, the Brannon Salver for handicaps up to 20 and the Veterans Trophy for the over 55s.

The morning tee times saw a sizeable contingent of home players who dominated the Veterans trophy and set a fine marker in the scratch with Chris Hayward returning a two over par 72.

No one in the afternoon could compete with them and the Veterans Trophy was won by Paul Young with a blistering 64, ahead of J Carter 66 and P Bradshaw 69 in second and third places respectively all from Cowes.

Paul's score was good enough to take the handicap trophy as well with Matt Williams from Osborne managing to sneak into third place with a 67 in the afternoon.

The majority of the quality players where out after dinner and Chris Hayward morning leading score of 72 was equalled by Shanklin's Nat Riddett and Osborne's Scott Meek to to share joint second place.

Lowest round of the day, winning the highly polished scratch trophy, was a level par 70 shot by Darren Masterton from Osborne. Darren leads the ranking points at the end of the first of two years for the Jersey 2015 Island Games team selection from this years Bermudan team mates Scott Meek and Matt Barnicoat in second and third spots followed by non playing manager George Foreman staking his claim for a playing spot lying fourth.

Golf Union Island Fourball Report

On a beautiful early Autumn evening, the final of this year’s island Fourball was played at Shanklin and Sandown Golf Club.  The final was contested between Dave MacToldridge and Dave Vale from the home club and last year’s finalists Kev Garrett from Freshwater and Kev MacArthur from Westridge.

The Two Dave’s started steadily and won the first two holes and maintained their lead into the back nine, but the two Kev’s played the better golf to bring the match back to all square at the 14^th.  The 15th,16th & 17^th were all halved, so the match went to the 18^th all square.  What followed was golf that would not of been out of place at The Ryder Cup.  Kev G found the green at the par 5 18^th in 2 and was looking at a certain birdie and possibly an eagle.  Dave McT hit his approach shot inside Kev’s but had played one shot more.  Kev putted up, just missing his eagle putt, but was a conceded birdie.  Dave had a 15 foot putt to tie the hole and take the match to extra holes.  Dave bravely holed the putt and the match moved to the 19^th.  All 4 players hit good drives.  Dave McT hit a great approach to 10 feet & Kev G then hit an shot slightly closer.  Dave McT then holed his putt, back to back birdies on 18 & 19 to put the pressure on Kev G.  He duly holed the putt to take the match to the 20^th.  All four players kept up the high standard by hitting the green, but advantage to the Dave’s as they were both close to the hole.  Kev G had a long putt across the green for a two.  He stepped up an holed it another put!!  So, the pressure was back on the Dave’s.  McT was first with a downhill left to right putt of about 10 feet, but it was never anywhere else, straight in the hole. Amazingly, the last 3 holes all halved in birdies.  With the light fading fast, the match moved to the 21^st.  Kev McA had a shot though on this hole, could he take advantage.  Both pairs hit 1 good tee shot and 1 indifferent drive.  Unfortunately Kev McA lost his ball after his 2^nd shot which left Kev G against the 2 Dave’s.  Kev hit his 2^nd into the greenside bunker and took two to get out and two putted for a 6.  Dave V hit his 2^nd just to the left of the green and left himself 3 shots for the match.  He chipped up to 5 feet and the Kev’s conceded the match.  Never was the saying no one deserved to lose the match more relevant.  A great final. Congratulations to Dave Vale and Dave McToldridge. 

Golf Union Singles Report

 

The final of the IWGU Singles Scratch Knockout was played on a balmy Tuesday autumn evening at Freshwater Bay Golf Club fittingly between two of the Bermudan Island Games Team, Scott Meek from Osborne and Mat Barnicoat from Shanklin and Sandown. At this level of golf pars are the order of the day and both players know each others games so well that any putt under 4 feet could be confidently given. In fact the first putt that needed to be holed was a tricky downhill six footer on the 5th that Scott needed to hole for a three to keep the match all square. On the 6th it was up to Mat to fight for the half with a tremendous sand save from a green side bunker fully seven feet below the level of the pin. It wasn't till the 8th where Mat made another great green side up and down for birdie, choosing to play from the "centre reservation" of the Tennyson with his feet together, that the beginnings of a lead started to emerge. A solid four at the 9th for Mat and an uncharacteristic three putt from Scott saw Mat reach the turn two up, not that troubled Scott renowned as the king of the fight back. However turning into the waining sun and freshening breeze Mat had other ideas going three up following a cast iron birdie at the 10th and four up after eleven. Scott's comeback kicked in at the 13th after making par from a wayward drive heading towards the sea and Mat firing his approach through the back of the green, then hitting a poor chip. Both players were well long on the par three 14th with Mat coming away with a win to go back to four up. His tee shot on the 15th was straight at the flag prompting Scott to say "Guess it's a hole in one to keep the match alive!". In actual fact Mat had gone through the back of the green leaving a testing 15ft down hill chip, Scott just missed his birdie from 18 ft leaving Mat to hit a perfectly weighted chip to within inches to secure the title.       

Autumn Trophy Start Sheet

ISLE of WIGHT GOLF UNION

AUTUMN MEETING

to be held at

COWES GOLF CLUB

BY KIND PERMISSION OF THE CAPTAIN AND COMMITTEE

SUNDAY 22nd SEPTEMBER 2013

8:30 C Hayward L Whittock P Young

8:40 Peter Widgery C Knowles L Rowley

8:50 D Haworth P Dow K Arnold

9:00 D Wren Ian Wood G Martin

9:10 J Carter B Balchin P Bradshaw

9:20 E May M Lucy F Crawford

9:30 K Strange David Barker

9:40

12:00 Richard Couse Chris Edmond-Smith Bertie Everson

12:10 Peter Richardson Ted Sampson Bob Everson

12:20 Ed Ormston

12:30

12:40

12:50 Darren Masterton Scott Meek Mat Barnicoat

13:00 Josh Oddy Nat Riddett George Foreman

13:10 Bryce Wilson Jack McLoughlin Richard Harrison

13:20 Gary Meszynski Steve Newman Stu Bancroft

13:30 Andy Westhorpe Derek Wright Mat Williams

13:40 Tony Williams

13:50

Mixed Foursomes Final

 

The final of the IWGU Roger Webb Trophy was played on neutral ground at Shanklin and Sandown Golf Club on Saturday, a mixed foursome (alternate shots) knockout played over the summer. Cowes husband and wife pairing of Paul and Wendy Young took the lead on the second hole with a tap in three and increased the it to two holes on the fourth. The fifth was halved in par following Paul's tee shot to 15 ft with their opponents from Ryde, Debbie Skoludek and Nigel Claxton making a great up and down from short of the green. Another par at the 8th saw Wendy and Paul stretch their lead to three holes which they retained right through to the 13th. Debbie hit the green in regulation but far enough away from the pin for her partner Nigel to comment "I didn't realise this green was so big!" however an excellent putt left them a tap in par to win the hole after Wendy and Paul found the heather in front of the green. Solid pars at the 14th and 16th from the Ryde pair squared the match on the 17th tee with the Cowes pair receiving a shot. Nigel's tee shot finished 18 ft from the hole setting them up with cast iron three while Wendy and Paul did well to make a half from a difficult lie to the right of the green. Debbie and Nigel made a faultless par down the 18th to go ahead for the first time in the match and wrest the Salvers form the grasp of their opponents at the eleventh hour, all in all a great match played with exceptional spirit on both sides.