Seniors Playing in CAGU Knockout
After hearing of the exploits of our Scratch Team and our Ladies in recent years at CAGU events, the Seniors Committee decided that the seniors too should enter some CAGU competitions this year. No one could remember the last time that we had done so. Our entry form for the Inter Club knock-out trophy was accepted and we were drawn to play March at home in the preliminary round. The format is 4BBB handicap match play with three pairs per team. 21 clubs have entered and there are scheduled to be five rounds, including the final. Our first pairing, Colin Brown and Derek Green are also our most in-form players. Derek had scored 40 in Monday's Stableford and Colin had won through to the final of the Winter Pairs on Tuesday. Colin (10 handicap) is not used to receiving shots but he was playing Les Forrester (7 handicap), our opponent's lowest handicap player and Paul Wood. All too often players waste these shots. However, Colin and Derek won each of the three holes, where Colin received shots. At the turn Walden were 2 up, but March fought back to win the next three holes, to go 1 up at the 12th. Walden increased their focus to win three of the next holes and halve the remainder. So the result was a win by 2 holes. Our second pairing of Bill Sandford, Seniors Captain and Clive Walker have also been on good form. Our opponents were Mick Russell, March Club Captain and Danny Daniels. The March pairing had just returned from a golfing holiday in Turkey. Certainly Mick benefited as he played comfortably under his handicap of 13. He played the seven holes from 6 to 12, in level par, giving March a 2 shot lead. Clive played his best golf of the day, to find the green in two on the 15th and to win the hole with a nett birdie, pulling one shot back. Bill then parred the 17th to make it all square as we moved to the 18th tee. Probably due to the pressure no one found the green with their tee shots. Bill and Mick were closest to the pin after their chips. Mick made his putt whilst Bill's lipped out, to give March a win by one hole. Our final pairing was Chris Rix and David Wiseman. Chris was sporting a brand new Cambridge blue sweater. He has been a member for over 20 years but this was his first match for the seniors. David is a veteran on many counts and has played in countless competitions. They had another very close match with John Farnsworth and Derek Wisbey. They arrived at the 18th tee all square. There was something of a Ryder Cup atmosphere with our first pairing on the patio and other spectators including Jennie, our Marshall clustered at the back of the 18th green. David was the only player to find the green, just 6 foot from the flag. The speed of the green meant that John misread the shot and his chip sailed 10 foot past the hole. Derek then chipped into the Captain's bunker. David lagged his first putt to make sure of his par and to give us a win by one hole. The final result was a win for Walden by two games to one. Our next match will be Away to either Old Nene or Heydon Grange. We hope it will be every bit as exciting as our match with March. Prepared by Match Captain Clive Walker
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