In glorious sunshine the 16 men of Somerset turned up at a wonderful Cumberwell Park with the words ‘it was a tight match’ seeming to emanate from everyone.
Playing the Red and Orange 9s with a two tee start the first match was Captain of Captains Mike Rossiter playing with Peter Dawson against Ian Vincent and Robin Allen from Wiltshire. The lead changed several times with only 1 shot being the difference all the way. A great match with great company a friendly half was agreed.
The second match was super sub Rob Ford and Rob Duvall against Andy Lucas and Steve Powers. Walking down the last hole level Wiltshire won the last to win 1 up.
Matt Lazenby and Robert Hardy lost 2 and 1 against Liam Coleman and Ian Young. A very good match played in great spirits.
On the red course the match manager Iain Robertson and David Bate went 3 up. However over the orange 9 Ian Wood and Kevin Philp steadily eroded the difference to win on the last hole.
In a game of Phil Hodge(s), Phil Hodge and Ian Gover played Phil Hodges and Martin Cooper. This was another one of the tight matches with a marvelous putt on the eighth from Martin making sure that the teams were level after 9. Then going 2 up Wiltshire looked in control until Somerset won 3 holes on the bounce. By winning the last Wiltshire managed to half the match.
Somerset started well in the next match but by the expert use of his shots Ian Lund playing with Jeremy Bowers from Wiltshire went 3 up against Paul Chesney and Mike Poole. Mike then came into his own and reduced the deficit to 1 down at the turn. Wilts then went 3 up again with Mike managing to chip into Ian’s bag from a bunker! Somerset then rallied over the final holes winning the last to halve the match.
Matt Baker and Martin Morgan playing for Somerset went 3 up early on. At the turn Somerset were 1 up but the Wilts pair of Dave McGrory and Richard Sealey turned up and then went 3 up. Nobody wanted to win the match however and in the end the match was halved.
Going down by 2 after 2 holes was not a good start for Clive Stilwell and Murray Parsons who played Martin Lang and Tim Harding. Murray used his shots well to level the match and then Clive recorded 2 birdies on the back 9 to push Somerset in front. A quality up and down from Murray sealed a 2 and 1 victory.
The conversations throughout the well received meal were around how the individual matches were won or lost with many recounting how the small differences that change the result. Paul Chesney could not let the fact that trick shots by players aiming at their partners bags were allowed although he was encouraged to ‘let it go’.
Somerset presented the trophy Wiltshire having lost the match and 5 and 3.
