HALIFAX & HUDDERSFIELD JUNIORS V SUGC JUNIORS

This fixture was viewed as likely to be a very challenging match and on a Fixby course playing to its highest degree of difficulty with its steep gradients and severely sloping, hard fairways, it proved to be just that.  It was a real baptism of fire for our two new debutants and a tough test for those who had not played the course before.

Our fears were not allayed when we lost the first three of the morning foursomes and by lunch time Sheffield knew they had more than a battle on their hands when, on completion of the morning matches, the score was 8 – 4 in favour of the hosts.

To win eight of the twelve singles necessary to turn the match around was always going to require a sterling effort and we almost saw that.  The players gave everything they had to reverse the morning fortunes and when we won the two opening singles spirits began to lift a little. Two more wins from the first six singles began to make the hosts a little apprehensive.  One of those losses was to a player who carded a score of four under par, so the golf was of a very high standard.

Three losses in succession from the matches in the final six brought about a need for Sheffield to win the final match to secure a tied fixture.  This match, featuring one of our new players, went to the final putt on the eighteenth green.  We were one up needing a win to win the match but when  the home player’s approach shot to the green ricocheted from the branches of a tree to pin high on the green, enabling him to two putt for a birdie four in response to our par five, it gave Halifax and Huddersfield a halved match and the extra point they needed to secure an overall 19 -17 points win.

Any fixture which goes to the final putt on the eighteenth green in the final match has to have been a great match, which this was, played in the most competitive way but adhering to all the expectations of sportsmanship and courtesy between rivals.  On completion of the match and whilst making our way back to the clubhouse the heavens opened and within minutes everywhere was flooded, as if mourning our first defeat in a very long time!

Nigel Ogden - Junior Administrator

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