DEVON SENIORS TRIUMPH IN SOUTHERN COUNTIES' FOURSOMES QUALIFIER

It was a successful day for DevonGolf Seniors at the Southern Counties' Foursomes qualifier, hosted by Gloucestershire at Stinchcombe Hill Golf Club. The golf course was brilliantly presented and provided an ideal test for the format, but it felt more like October than June as a bitter north-easterly wind blew across the hilltop course.

The format pits Devon, Somerset and Gloucestershire against each other in triangular scratch foursomes matches, in two sessions morning and afternoon. It's unusual to watch groups of six golfers walking the fairways together, but only 3 balls are in play.

Devon got away to a solid start in the morning, leading off with Team Manager Colin Papworth (Teignmouth) with regular partner Tim Aggett (Warren). They fought off strong comebacks from both Gloucester and Somerset pairs to record a win and a half in their matches and, with second duo Pete Bicknell (Torquay) and Chris Audin (Exminster) doing the same, a solid base was formed.

Tony Allsopp (Tiverton) and Phil Lyons (Churston) playing third struggled and went down to both opposing teams. Devon came roaring back as the Thurlestone pairing of Dave Eva and Daryl Day, followed by the Churston duo of Rick Osborne and debutant Simon Knapman recorded double wins to give the team the perfect morning session, 7 points of a possible 10 and a 2-point advantage over Gloucestershire.

The pairings were shuffled for the afternoon which put Allsopp and Lyons out first. They found the going tough again, sadly losing both matches down the final hole. Papworth and Aggett came next in the order and established an early strong position against both opposing pairs, eventually winning 5/4 and 4/3. Bicknell and Audin were equally strong at 3, also producing two wins and both by a 4/3 margin.

Rick Osborne (Churston) and Simon Knapman (Churston) were struggling in the afternoon and would eventually lose both their matches so the situation looked potentially tight should Gloucester get the better of Somerset. Much frenzied maths followed as the various permutations were worked through as the results of games between Gloucester and Somerset assumed ever greater importance to Devon. Could Gloucester find enough points to threaten Devon?

It was all looking very solid in the 4th group for Eva and Day, 3 up and 2 up with 5 to play, but a poor tee shot at 14 and a tweak out of bounds off the tee at 17 brought them level with Gloucester playing the par 5 18th. After a sound tee shot from Day had bounced into the right semi-rough, a superb fairway wood from Eva shaped around an intervening tree and between two fairway bunkers to finish just short of the green. An excellent approach from Day and a good short birdie putt from Eva meant they had secured another double win. That took the team’s score to an unassailable 13 points, sending Devon Seniors to the Finals at Waterlooville Golf Club in September where they will once again cross swords with the pick of the big South East Group Counties' Senior teams.

From left to right:
Tony Allsopp (Tiverton), Dave Eva (Thurlestone), Daryl Day (Thurlestone), Simon Knapman (Churston), Phil Lyons (Churston), Colin Papworth (Teignmouth, Team Manager), Rick Osborne (Churston), Peter Bicknell (Torquay), Chris Audin (Exminster) and kneeling Tim Aggett (Warren, Vice TM)

A huge thank you to Nick Morris for all his organisation on behalf of Gloucester Golf - and to Stinchcombe Hill Golf Club for the excellent presentation of their golf course and their hospitality throughout the day.

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