A dry and overcast day greeted our Surrey opponents who arrived at The Mendip Golf Club as current holders of the trophy contested annually by the two counties. The rains of March and April seemed a distant memory as the course had begun to firm up and the wind became a factor as the matches progressed. The new closing holes at The Mendip would see half of the eight matches decided on them.
In Match One, Somerset Captain David Bate and current Mendip Captain Chad Patel took on Surrey Captain John Ledgard and current North Downs Captain Stu Porter. Somerset thought they had it sewn up after racing to a three hole lead but Surrey narrowed the gap by the end of the front nine. A tight back nine ensued along with some escapades with a remote control trolley! A fantastic day ended with Somerset running out winners by 3&2.
Match Two saw Somerset President Roy Parmiter and partner Adie Pearce take on Surry Secretary Eddie Wheeler and partner Brian Hooper. The pairing renewed old rivalries and Eddie and Brian were great company as well as difficult opponents. Somerset held on for as long as they could, but the match, which was played in great spirit, ended on the 17th with a 3&1 win for Surrey.
In Match Three, Roger Magor and former Mendip Captain Colin Davies paired up to take on Paul Gardner and Richard Kennett. Another tight game took place on a course the players thought was in great condition and the combination of Paul’s ball striking and Richard’s strong back nine was enough to see Surrey home by 2&1. All agreed it had been a great day with great company, even if the pace of play slowed towards the end.
Match Four pitted Somerset pair Phil Hodge and John Shakesby against Roger Young and Mike Wickens from Surrey. It proved to be a very enjoyable game in which there were never more than two holes in it. It was no surprise that the honours remained even after 18 holes and a halved match was the result.
In Match Five, Stephen Parker and Phil Barrett teamed up against John Hayward and Mike Weaver in a match with only a couple of shots being given. The teams knew it was going to be a tight match and so it proved, all square after 9 and although Somerset went two up, Surrey dragged them back and the match ended all square. The pairs enjoyed great company and a great course despite the tricky wind.
Match Six saw David Andow and Nick Bye take on Jack Lambert and Dave Yabsley. Despite the first nine ending all square, Somerset pulled away on the back nine to win 4&3. Everyone had their share of good golf and agreed that they enjoyed splendid company. The overall match had been levelled and it was all to play for!
Match Seven saw Barry Saunders and George Davis team up to play Mark Stevenson and Nigel Harris in what proved to be a one-sided affair in which Somerset gave the courtesy of the honour to Surrey on the 1st and never got it back! A 6&5 win for Surrey meant the trophy had been retained and Somerset were left to try and level the fixture with our last pair.
Match Eight pitted Match Manager John Beer and Geoff Rooke against Surrey Match Manager Steve Woodward and Martin Prevezer for a game played in the true spirit of golf. John and Geoff had much the better of things and ran out winners by 5&4.
So another halved match for Somerset left Captain of Captains David Bate with his victory speech still tucked away tightly in his jacket. Rumours of a sweep being started by his team to predict how long it would take our Captain to record his first victory are, however, ill-founded. Perhaps another home match next week could deliver?
Everyone agreed it had been a great match, played in the true spirit of our great game and the annual rivalries with golfing friends from our County opponents. Surrey retain the trophy for 2023 which Somerset will head east to win in 2024 and meet up with old friends again. Many thanks to The Mendip for a great day.
