YIDU - BRADFORD V SUGC

A bright but breezy South Bradford Golf Club welcomed a very determined Sheffield squad featuring some new faces for the first time for this YIDU match.  South Bradford is a nine hole course necessitating negotiating steep gradients on the middle holes, a significant factor when players are on their fourth circuit.

The morning foursomes was a tight contest with three matches finishing all square but with the players in the other three matches rallying late on to run out comfortable winners Sheffield completed the morning session undefeated and a with a pleasing 9 – 3 point advantage.

As the morning foursome matches had been hampered by balls collecting mud on landing the afternoon singles saw the introduction of a “mark, clean and re-place” rule so that the soft conditions were not too much of a handicap.  For quite some time it looked as though the Bradford team was going to stage a come back as, after the first circuit of nine holes, the outcome of many of the matches could not be forecast.

The wind during the afternoon had abated somewhat and club selection which had been successful in the morning round was proving to be unreliable now.  This was never more apparent than on the 9/18 hole. On the face of it an innocuous 143 yard par 3, but with water on the left, out of bounds on the right and a footpath and the first tee awaiting the over hit tee shot, it was to have a significant impact on the outcome of many of the matches throughout the day.  Whilst no one found the club house veranda with their tee shots, although one or two came close, there was a watery grave for some and a very difficult chip shot back for those who had taken too much club.  A par score was becoming an achievement on this hole although one Bradford player managed to chip in for a birdie two from a position almost under the veranda, a result greeted with enthusiasm from a large partisan home crowd enjoying an after lunch tipple!

Thanks to the grit and determination not to lose this match, combined with some magnificent putts, the visitors took control in the last circuit of nine holes and picked up points in eight of the twelve singles matches and run out 23 – 13 points winners.

Nigel Ogden

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