With the matches coming think and fast… a double match report!
OWGS v Bradfield at Sunningdale
On a surprisingly mild Sunday morning, some of OWs finest turned out at one of the UK’s finest to take on a Bradfield side bristling with super stars and big hitters.
The challenge was beefed up, playing off the back tees of the New Course in a strengthening breeze. We had seen to this though – the team had some neat interchanges of personnel through the day to ensure freshness in the legs and canine companions were not over walked (Hawkings replacing Winkworth at lunch).
OW also drew on the services of a new season signing; James Cameron who arrived from Royal Winchester fresh from playing once a week and boasting a low single figure handicap.
The morning’s play was tight and tied… 3-3. Notable strong play from Twiney and Lewis and the new man Cameron eked out a point on the last.
The afternoon’s play saw OW dominate their much fancied oppo… Holt and Cameron recovering from 5 down through 7 to win on the last. With gloom closing in, three games came up the 18th at the same time with Winchester picking up all the points and winning the afternoon 4.5-1.5
Overall winning margin 7.5 – 4.5
Thanks to all who played and Tom Hawkings for organising… onward to the Captain’s weekend on the 11th March
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Captains Weekend Royal St Georges 11/12th March 2017.
Even the weather obliged in making the captains weekend an organisational success after much hard work and admin! Saturday dawned bright and cloudless and the OWGS assembled, joined by two boys (Sergei & James Brockman) and Mr Dodds, (for the of you of a certain sporting vintage Jason Dodds will be a familiar name) substituting ably on all fronts for Rob Moore.
Having already selected the HH team for 2017 the chance was available to get some of the pairs together. In the top match Tim Lewis and the captain were pitted against experience and debutant in Richard Sanders and James Cameron. Lewis & Coulman came out flying, taking an early lead and putting the new pairing under pressure, further solid play saw the Lewis/Coulman pair run out 6/5 winners.
In the second match another untried combo of Ben Twiney and Christian Portz looked powerful, but James Whittington firing on all cylinders with some sweet hitting, shepherded the impressive Sergei around the links to complete a comfortable 5/4 victory.
Not to be out done on the victory margin, Tristan Hanson, and Andrew Tusa, who had made a remarkable effort travelling from Cambridge for the morning, and heading off to Oundle for some evening culture, played some great gold, holing putts from everywhere to run out 7/6 winners against James Brockman and Jason Dodds from the school.
After a typically spectacular lunch, enjoyed by all, the president joined us for the afternoon, replacing Sanders, and George Close-Brooks arrived to replace the skills of Tusa.
Keeping with the HH pairs where possible, Close-Brooks and Portz took on the school pair of Dodds and Brockman in the top match. A very close fought encounter by all accounts with some long striking from Portz and Close-Brooks, including an impressive eagle at 7 (there 16th). This was eclipsed by the diminutive Brockman who hits his 7 iron from the left had rough at 9 stone dead, to see off the HH combo 1 up.
The Lewis/Coulman combo continued to thrive, and despite not hitting many fairways, and when they did the result wasn’t often any better, hitting greens and holding a few putts beat off the steady Hanson, and a little weary Sergei 4/3,
The final match pitted the debutant Cameron and impressive Twiney against the president and increasingly solid Whittington. The president drawing on all his experience and guile showed the young pretenders how to compete, and with Whittington back on song the youngsters had everything to do to secure a point.
The weather was fantastic and the company spectacular as OWGS golf tends to be, evidenced by the President jaegerbomb debut in the George and Dragon on Saturday evening, where the golf got even better and latterly the Hanson was able to show his talents on the bar billiards table.
Sunday morning arrived bright and calm, and 7 became 6 when the president’s knee held him back. We all wish Tim the very best in sorting his knees out and look forward to seeing him back fit and able again very shortly.
Again in the vain of keeping HH pairs together Close Brooks and Portz took on the captain and Hanson, fresh from their bar billiards victory. Some solid pay early on from the latter saw an early lead develop, however Close Brooks and Portz are nothing if not competitive, and soon got back in the groove, making an unlikely birdie at eight thanks to a majestic four iron from two twenty from Portz. The HH combo eventually running out one up winners.
Lewis and Cameron took on the singles match, Cameron taking to the links like a duck to water after his learning on Saturday, and Lewis making better use of the fairways without the captain.
So a very enjoyable weekend I hope was had by all, some good golf was played, and prospects for April look promising. Thanks you to all for playing, and trust all had an great weekend.
Mark Coulman
Captain OWGS