DEVON GOLF
DEVON SENIOR MEN LOSE TO GWENT IN OPENING CHANNEL LEAGUE MATCH
Devon’s Seniors endured a tough start to the season, suffering defeat away to Gwent at the Monmouthshire Golf Club.
It was a much-changed Welsh side from previous years as a few new players had reached the minimum age of 55 making them a more formidable unit and playing on a course they use for most of their home games. Although this meant the visitors also had a good knowledge of the course the home side dominated from the off.
Gwent won the top three of the morning 9-hole Greensomes matches. Up against Welsh International Chris Dinsdale from Newport and debutant Rick Taylor of Llanwern Saunton’s Mark Snape (former Wiltshire player in his first outing for Devon) and Warren’s Chris Audin went down 3/2, Devon debutant David Holyoak (Saunton) with Churston’s Rick Osborne lost 2/1 to the host club’s Jon Griffiths and Darren Millar from Newport. The RND pairing of Mark Evans and Simon Waddington were down early to Newport’s vastly experienced Andy Williams and Jon Davidson from Llanwern but thought they might get a half when Waddington hit their approach at the final hole to gimme range, only to watch Davidson hole from 20 feet for a half in 3 on the hole to win 1 up.
The old firm of Tim Aggett (Warren) and Colin Papworth (Teignmouth) were back together and after a farcical 5th where both hit tee balls in the water reeled off 3 birdies to beat Dave Edmunds from Pontypool and Rob Collett from West Monmouthshire 2/1. Tony Allsopp (Tiverton) and Tim Jones (Warren) were dormy 2 on Mike Matthewman (Parc) and Gareth Jones (Newport) but the Wesh duo birdied the last two holes to force a half.
3 ½ to 1 ½ down at lunch the Devonians needed a fast afternoon start. And they got it.
Leading off Snape holed in 1 at the 5th, the start of an eagle, birdie, eagle, birdie run which blitzed Taylor as he won 5/4. In the third match Audin threw 6 birdies at Griffiths in winning 4/3 whilst in between them Holyoak played out a titanic halved match with Dinsdale. At that point Devon were level; that was as good as it got.
From there on it was all Gwent. Davidson birdied the 1st against Waddington and pretty much kept going to win 4/3. Williams threw 4 birdies in 5 holes at Aggett to put that match away, winning 5/4 whilst Evans found himself up against a very solid performance from Millar who won 4/3.
Papworth provided some welcome relief winning game 8 with a 4/3 victory over Matthewman but both Tim Jones and Allsopp lost, respectively 5/4 to Gareth Jones and 4/3 to Collett. That left Osborne the only live game in an up and down battle with Edmunds. The Welshman was 1 up after 16, but blew his tee shot way right at 17 allowing Osborne to draw level. He was right again off the tee at 18, having to chip out sideways, but the Osborne tee shot was inches out of bounds left and although the Devonian made a great birdie with the second ball for a 6 a superb Edmunds iron shot 3rd to the green secured the par and the 1 up win. Gwent 10, Devon 5
Devon go straight back into action at Royal North Devon against Welsh giants Glamorgan with only one change from the side, Paul Newcombe (East Devon) coming in for the unavailable Papworth.
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