ROCK BOTTOM

SUGC v Halifax & Huddersfield UGC Hillsborough G.C. Sunday 6 August 2023  - The final home match was to prove an extremely tough fixture against a talented and determined Halifax and Huddersfield team. The match had been in doubt because of the inclement weather experienced during the past week in the area but the Hillsborough course was presented in very good order, due in no small measure to the efforts of Jon Berrisford who had arrived at the course at day break to ensure that bunkers and other course issues were in as good a condition as possible. The wet weather did mean that placing on closely mown areas was necessary however.
The morning foursomes went the way of the home team after some close matches, but the final two pairings brought in four points to ensure a comfortable 8 - 4 points lead at lunch time. The visitors took the opportunity at the break to re-appraise their strategy realising that taking the driver from many of the tees on a very tight course was not the way forward. Sacrificing 30 - 40 yards on their drives by playing irons or hybrid clubs from the tee to ensure good positions on the fairway providing easier, but maybe longer shots to the green, was a much safer way forward.
The matches now became much tighter affairs with seven of the games going to the eighteenth green, three finishing all square and honours also shared with four points each from the other four games.
Unfortunately Sheffield suffered heavy defeats in four of the remaining matches. The wisdom of a much more conservative approach from the tee was illustrated by one of the visiting players recording a five under par score for the fourteen holes he played. He had used his driver only twice during this round. By following this philosophy and collectively holing a considerable yardage of putts from all angles the visitors returned a resounding 17 - 4 points advantage from the afternoon singles and a 21- 15 overall victory.

Nigel Ogden SUGC Admin 7 Aug.2023

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