Jane Austen wrote that ‘There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort’. Ignoring this sage advice a group of past captains decided it would be a good idea to travel to Sussex and Surrey as part of the 2024 tour.
The first stop was Bognor Regis Golf Club to play Sussex Past Captains. Arriving in the dystopian rain there was talk of how bad it would be to get very wet on the first day. The sides were announced and then as the first groups started the clouds parted and the sun shone. Was this the portent needed for the two-day tour?
Mike Rossiter played with Rob Hirons against Nigel Wates and Mike Oates. Rob chipped and putted expertly around a course that played extremely well, and a four at the last by Mike meant that Somerset started with a 1 up win.
President Roy Parmiter and Maddie Casson played in a match that was ‘birdie city’ with holes being won rather than lost. The great spirit shown by Terry Vamhingbeech and Ian Potter from Sussex was not enough – Somerset again winning on the last.
Now two up Somerset had George Davis and Glyn Sewell playing Richard Jays and Paul Warley. Somerset had a slow start, but once Glyn had divested himself of his trousers the balls began to drop unhindered! Helped by the course guidance given by the Sussex pair led to a resounding 4 and 3 win for Somerset.
Unsportingly the Somerset pair stated that they had their ‘pocket picked’ in the fourth match. Some talk about the opposition putting ‘clingfilm over the holes’ to prevent Somerset’s putts going in was not a very considerate way of describing a match that was played in great spirit and friendship by John Perkins and Paul Chesney for Somerset and the deserved eventual winners from Sussex, Nigel Powell and Raz Ghahilon by 1 shot.
The next Somerset pair held the opposition all the way until the third hole. Given a lesson in golf by Craig Milyard and Brian Hooker, Rob Ford and Murray Parsons lost 6 and 5, but even in this loss they greatly enjoyed the excellent company.
With the score now 3 to 2 the match could have gone either way. Colin Davies and Ian Gover played Andy Plowright and Alan Butcher in a very close match. Somerset went 1 up several times only to be pared back time and time again. An excellent putt on the 17th halved the hole for Somerset and with the extra shot on the 18th Somerset came away winners by one hole.
Geoff Rooke and John Beer had another tight game with the Sussex pair of Mitch Clark and Paul Manser who dovetailed well to win 3 and 2 on the 16th. This was a very sporting match with the rough experiencing some ‘pick and placing’ and some ‘pick and dropping’.
The eighth match consolidated the Somerset win with a 4 and 3 victory by Mike Usher-Clark and Kevin Blakely. Dave Kemp, for Sussex, accompanied by John Macauley, putted supremely well to bring the match back from 3 up to just the one hole but fortunately the tide did not fully turn.
Dear Reader with this Somerset won the Match 5 and 3 and all retired to have the meal with their new friends. Replete with the delicious pie followed by sponge and custard Mike accepted the trophy from Sussex completing the first win on the tour.
Our many thanks to Sussex Past Captains for their wonderful hosting and to Bognor Golf Club whose course which although suffering from the ‘slings and arrows’ of the wet weather shone in the sunshine.
Somerset drove to their hotel and were told to meet in the bar for a detailed team talk. It was calculated that Somerset had never won both matches on tour against Sussex and Surrey. Could this team be the first to complete this task to create a splendid record?
