SGC Heart of England Tour starts with a narrow loss at Shropshire and Herefordshire
A dozen Somerset Golf Captains ventured into the heart of England for their two-match tour feeling confident after the Wiltshire match saw them win for the first time this season. Tour Manager Rob Ford was leading the team due to the Four Counties event being on the same day back in Somerset.
Hot and sunny conditions greeted Somerset on their arrival in the English Marches and at Leominster Golf Club, where the team was hoping to take the first steps towards a couple of wins on the road. Leominster dates back to the very early 1900s as a nine-hole course before it eventually moved to the present site and then became 18 holes in the 1980s. The story of the Club is fascinating as volunteers were primarily responsible for its numerous moves and course development.
Back to the fixture! Rob Ford led from the front, pairing up with Geoff Rooke for the first match out against Vice Captain Fred Crouch and Bob Pace. A close encounter saw Rob and Geoff lose on the 17th green by 2&1.
Nick Prince and Colin Davies took on Captain Colin Wall and Jamie Griffiths in the second match and started strongly, taking the early lead. However, Colin and Jamie dragged it back and the four shook hands on the 18th for an honourable half.
In Match 3, SGC veterans and Mendip teammates Jim Scott and Tony Taylor took on Phil Lawrenson and Graham Hosker. A good game ensued, played in the right spirit on an enjoyable course. Tony and Jim used their renowned match-play guile and eventually won on the 17th by 2&1 to level the overall match score at 1.5 each.
Somerset’s fourth pair of Maddie Casson and Glyn Sewell took on Bob Holloway and Ken Hayman. The pair from Cannington enjoyed the company of their opposite numbers and although the result looked like an easy win for the home pair, it was tighter than it looked with many holes being closely contested. The pairs shook hands on the 13th and the home team had re-taken the lead.
Mark Tidcombe and Phil Barrett were our fifth pairing and took on Tony Green and Tom Morris to try and keep Somerset in the match. After a great match which all four thoroughly enjoyed, another half was recorded, leaving Somerset needing to win the final match to secure a draw.
Ian Gover and Rob Hirons were up against Gareth Boxall and Pete Morris in Match 6. Despite their best efforts, Ian and Rob said that they didn’t turn up until the 9th, by which time it was too much for them to recover and a 4&3 loss secured the overall win for the hosts.
During the meal it was noticed that the agreed informal dress code had been taken to its extreme by one Somerset player!
Somerset enjoyed the Shropshire and Herefordshire hospitality and headed off to their overnight accommodation having enjoyed the day and looking forward to some reinforcements arriving for the 16 player match the following day against Warwickshire. Special thanks to Rob Ford for his organization of the tour and accommodation.
