You could be forgiven for thinking we were playing at Hayling, not Leatherhead, as the players were welcomed to the course with black skies & ongoing bludgeoning from hail stones!
The day will be remembered for its ‘four seasons in one day’ weather conditions – or ‘five seasons in one day’ as Rosso (Mike Rossiter) phrased it – with gales, rain, hail, thunder, lightning & a smattering of sunshine.
The first group were led out by Captain Marcus Woodward & Vice-Chair Colin Davies. They were pitched against another Woodward, this time a Steve, & the effervescent Eddie Wheeler. It was a tight game with a yo-yo-ing score line. Somerset went 2 up, but Surrey fought back & were 1 up at the turn. However, Somerset won the next 4 holes & hung on to the end, victorious on the 17th.
Hot on their heels, being blown along by the gale, were Peter Dawson & Geoff Rooke with Nigel Scandrett & Ray Irwin. It was a competitive game until it was abandoned when the klaxon sounded shortly before they finished the round.
A similar fate befell Kevin Blakely & Rob Ford with their partners Steven Rutherford & Phil Hammond. They made it to the 16th before hearing the same klaxon – so a second match was abandoned.
Match 4 led by Pete Pritchard & Rob Hirons was equally up & down. The swirling winds & incessant rain showers meant the golf was challenging but the banter with Richard Dakin & Kevin Haag made it enjoyable. On hearing the siren, the group headed for the clubhouse. Two players, Rob for Somerset & Kev for Surrey, ran for the showers whilst the other players checked the forecast. On discovering they would be allowed to resume in fifteen minutes, Pete & Richard agreed to finish the match. Somerset, in Pete’s capable hands, won on the 17th.
Mike Rossiter & George Davis enjoyed an extremely tight game with Ian Allen & Mike Weaver. The thunderclaps & the faint sound of the klaxon persuaded them to call the match a draw before sprinting for shelter.
The rest of the groups were out of earshot of the siren so continued playing. Fortunately, they all survived the storms!
Mark Necker & Maddie Casson were playing Steve Hunt & Nigel Harris. Nigel played exceptionally well throughout the opening holes, with Surrey taking a 4-hole lead by the 5th. The Somerset pair refused to give up & battled on. Sadly, the inevitable happened & they eventually lost 5&4.
The penultimate group, Somerset’s John Beer & Rob Load playing with Richy Walker & Mike Wickings also managed to complete their round. A great shot into the 15th by Surrey’s Richy resulted in a three – quite outstanding bearing in mind the atrocious weather conditions.
Match Manager Paul Chesney & Glyn Sewell were the final Somerset pair. Their playing partners Mark Elswood & Malcom Handyside commented on the Somerset pair’s high-quality dovetailing which gave them the 4&3 victory. Respect must go to Surrey player Mark for his birdie on the 11th, given the biblical conditions!
As the players headed to the changing rooms to warm up & dry off, the organisers were in deep discussions about how to decide the overall result. Without knowing the full picture of the scores, it was agreed that the finished games’ results would stand, whilst all unfinished games would be halved.
The final result was 4 ½ to 3 ½ to Somerset.
Congratulations to all the players, on both sides, for braving the challenging weather. The conditions were far more convivial in the clubhouse over the post-match festivities!
