SENIOR MEN BEAT WILTSHIRE IN CHANNEL LEAGUE

The Devon Seniors' side travelled across Salisbury Plain to Tidworth Garrison Golf Club, unsure which Wiltshire side would be there to play them on Friday, 5th August.

Wiltshire’s top players are an immensely powerful group, as they showed in winning the South West Counties' Championships at Bristol and Clifton Golf Club but in Channel League matters they have been relying on their wider squad. The home club’s Mark Snape was in attendance, along with Tidworth GM Al Patterson (both of whom will likely be in Wiltshire’s County Championship Final’s side) but Messrs White, Edwards, Tomlinson and Slater were all missing. With Devon's Jez Binch still out of action following a very nasty bicycle accident and Dave Eva (Thurlestone) newly recovered from back problems, Devon put out 9 of the same 10 who had defeated Cornwall at Thurlestone Golf Club with Colin Papworth (Teignmouth) returning to the starting line up.

In the top morning Greensomes, Peter Bicknell and Chris Audin (Torquay and Exminster) faced the powerful home course duo, but emerged with a huge point and top start for Devon winning 2/1. Churston duo of Rick Osborne and Simon Knapman were hauled back to a half at the 9th and final hole by Hamptworth’s Andy Lake and Paul Bloomfield from Kingsdown. However, behind them Team Manager Tim Aggett (Warren) and Colin Papworth won both the 8th and 9th for a 2up win against Marlborough’s Per Axel Warensjo and Ian Warwick of Chippenham to extend Devon’s advantage.

Our back pairing of Tim Jones (Warren) and Tony Allsopp (Tiverton) also delivered a full point, beating Graeme Wright of N Wilts and Kevin Arthur of High Post by 3/1, this despite a spectacular hole in one for Wright at the 5th. That left undefeated pair of Mark Evans (RND) and Dave Eva playing the Ogbourne Down's duo of Chris Graham and Pete Notton. The Devon duo were 1 up playing the 8th, but consecutive 3 putts on Tidworth’s slow and sloping greens undid them for the first time this season.

Nonetheless, it was a near perfect start for the Devon side, 3½–1½ at lunchtime.

Wiltshire started with the two homers, who both racked up strong wins to level the match. Snape defeated Osborne 5/4, Patterson accounting for Evans 3/2 in a game of General Managers and that proved to be the high point for Wiltshire.

Devon reeled off 8 consecutive wins in the remaining singles. The powerful middle order did its thing again, Bicknell leading the charge with a 3/2 win over Lake (on a tricky day for him playing against his former county of which he is also a Past Full County Captain) and his partner Audin defeating Warwick 2/1. Aggett found himself up against an opponent he had played twice before and never beaten in the vastly experienced former Welsh international Bloomfield, but courtesy of holing an outrageous putt across the 17th green to sneak into the lead held on to win1 up.

Papworth was nip and tuck with Warensjo for 14 holes but then won consecutive par 4s to close the game out 3/2. Knapman had to be in good form against the very experienced Graham and won his game at the 17th. Jones cruised past Notton 6/4, Allsopp defeated Arthur 3/2 and Eva accounted for the hole in one man Wright by 5/3.

It all added up to a Wiltshire 3½, Devon 11½ result. Click here for match results.

Post-match, Wiltshire Captain Nigel Phillips acknowledged the very evident strength in depth of the Devon squad.  Aggett both applauded the quality of play of his troops and wished the Wiltshire guys the very best in representing the South West at English Seniors' County Finals later in the season.

In terms of the League itself, the Devon Seniors are now very much in control as the only undefeated side to date with 5 wins out of 5. Only Glamorgan, their final opponents, can equal their match point total, whilst the size of the victories Devon have accumulated make their For and Against a remarkable +42 meaning the Welshman (2 wins out of 3 with a +2 'goal difference') need to win both their remaining away games against Gwent and Cornwall - and do so with significant margins of victory to give themselves a chance when they meet Devon at Neath Golf Club in September.

Return to News Page

Created by intelligentgolf version 10.1.2.