PARKER TROPHY AND BASIL STEER TROPHY FINALS DAY

6 hopeful teams descended on a very windy and occasionally wet Thurlestone Golf Club for the final acts of two of the County’s season-long inter-club knockout events.

First up in the morning were the Parker Trophy semi-finals, the inter-club Scratch tournament. The format is 3 pairs of foursomes per match, the semis pitching Sidmouth against the Warren and Woodbury Park against Tavistock.

Both matches were close affairs, although there was a 7-5 win for Woodbury’s 3rd pair of David Baldwin and Jack Veale in their game against Tavistock. Of the remaining 5 games across both matches, 3 went the full distance, the other 2 finishing on the 17th green.

In the remaining Woodbury v Tavistock games, the Woodbury pair of Ben Sandry and Tom Jessamine defeated Jack Philpotts and Jon Behenna 2-1. Woodbury's Pete Lawrence and Andy Hale won at the final hole, 2 up over Dave Turnbull and Mark Cottingham.

In the Sidmouth v Warren match the top two games went up the last. David Bater and Duncan Taylor won the top match for Sidmouth against Sam Dunn and Chris McGill with Ben Sclater and James Allum getting one back for the Warren against James Pickard and John Jones. A 2 at the 17th from Neil Holland and Lewis White closed out Tim Aggett and Tim Jones 2-1 putting Sidmouth into the final.

Before the Parker Final started the juniors were out - Staddon Heights playing Tiverton in the final of the Basil Steer Trophy. Again this is 3 games per match playing handicap singles.

Staddon Heights were in control from early on with Joe Aldous, Thomas and Luke Moulder getting good leads early in their games, important with the weather worsening as the afternoon wore on. They held those leads through the turn, and extended them as the games went into the (even) more exposed back 9.

Aldous came to the par 3 13th dormy up on Carys Morris and although the County Girls’ skipper had a shot at the par 5 14th she couldn’t break Joe’s control. Thomas Moulder defeated Jack Thorpe at the 13th as the Tiverton youngster’s tee shot went out of bounds in the now hammering cross wind. And that was that - Staddon Heights were the Basil  Steer Trophy champions. Luke Moulder made an excellent 3 at that tough par 3 hole to extend his lead to 4 holes over Rhys Floyde, but with the weather worsening and the match over they sensibly all headed for the comparative comfort of the Clubhouse.

For full Basil Steer Trophy Final match results click here

By this point the Parker finalists were well into the back 9. Woodbury Park had exerted early pressure, and reached the turn 3 up in the top game, Sandry and Jessamine against Taylor and Bater, 2 up in the middle, Lawrence and Hale against Pickard & Lewis Perry, swapped in to replace Jones. Woodbury Park won the 9th hole in the final game to make the Baldwin & Veale v Holland & White game even.

From there things went downhill very quickly for the last Woodbury Park  pairing as Holland & White reeled off 5 holes in a row to complete their win at the 14th and put a first point on the board.

Taylor & Bater had discovered something of a fascination for hitting the ball behind walls during the round, doing so again on the 15th, despite a fantastic shot over the wall to the left of the green they could not salvage par and went 2 down with 3 to play to Sandry & Jessamine. Nothing if not determined the Sidmouth duo got a hole back to take the match up the final hole but could not force the birdie necessary to go into extra time, Woodbury winning 1 up. 1 game all.

It all hung on the middle game where Woodbury’s Lawrence & Hale looked in control, 2 up through 13 holes, but foursomes is a funny game and the two par 5s proved critical as Pickard & Perry won them both with pars to square the match. 16 was halved, then Hale & Pickard both hit excellent iron shots to the 17th. Lawrence’s putt just missed the left side of the hole, Perry poured his in for birdie and suddenly Sidmouth were 1 ahead.

Perry’s tee shot to 18 flirted with the wall on the right whilst Lawrence pounded one straight up the middle. Pickard punched an iron to within 80 yards of the par 5 green. Hale hit what looked a solid shot towards the front left of the green but it hit the hard pan where everyone walks ending up in a bunker. Perry pitched within 20 feet, whilst Lawrence’s bunker shot released to the front of the green around 30 feet away. Hale summoned all his willpower in the midst of a downpour and made the unlikely putt. When Pickard missed it was extra holes.

Two solid drives on the 19th with Lawrence to pitch first and he was a bit strong, his ball skipping off the now very wet surface onto the back fringe around 20 feet from the hole. Perry produced an exquisite pitch almost holing out; birdie conceded. Could Hale do it again? Incredibly he could and the slippery downhill left to right putt went straight in the back of the hole.

On to the 20th; two solid long iron tee shots, two sound approach shots both to around 25 feet. Both putts miss. Next the par 3, 21st. Brilliant iron shots from Hale & Pickard in the heavy cross wind, both within 20 feet of the hole. Perry’s putt came up short, Lawrence grazed the right edge.

To the 22nd; anguish from Lawrence as the tee shot went right, towards the heavy rough. Determined not to follow him, Perry went left and found a gorse bush. Referee’s watch was on 2 minutes 50 seconds when the Woodbury Park  ball was found but an unplayable lie had to be taken – same for both teams with Sidmouth in the gorse. Third shots both within 20 feet and, from the fairway, it looked as through Woodbury Park were closest. In fact it needed the ref to measure to determine order of play and it turned out to be Woodbury’s putt by inches. Lawrence missed left and it was Perry’s turn to graze the edge of the hole with a potential match winner.

Although comparatively early evening, the looming weather made it increasingly dark and cold as they played the 23rd; both tee shots left, Woodbury’s significantly so on the very long par 3. Woodbury Park’s attempted recovery from a poor lie in the now very wet rough only found the greenside bunker from where they could not rescue a 4. Perry hit a sensible chip from a bare, downhill lie around the bunker to 15 feet allowing 2 putts for the trophy as Pickard rolled it hole-side for the Sidmouth win.

It was fantastic victory for a relatively small club, hard fought and well-deserved. All were hugely impressed with the venue as Thurlestone Golf Club looked after all the contestants and those who had come to watch and support with aplomb. It was a very long but ultimately exciting and memorable day.

Full Parker Trophy Final Day match details click here

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