WILLINGDON'S TROPHY AFTER 23 YEARS BREAK
After a break of 23 years Willingdon won the Davies & Tate Trophy making it a third success in the Sussex Inter-Club Matchplay championship.
A 7-5 margin over Crowborough Beacon at The Nevill, Tunbridge Wells, may be the last under the Davies & Tate banner.
The contract by the Uckfield-based replacement windows company with the Sussex County Golf Union has expired and is open to bids.
Michael Sharkey, director of Davies & Tate, said the company are seeking to sponsor the six-months long tournament again after funding it for 17 years. The biggest amateur team event in Sussex has grown apace under the patronage of Davies & Tate and 56 participating clubs come from all over the county.
In an all-East Sussex
finals day, East Sussex National beat Cooden Beach 9-3 to win the Plate.
It is ESN's third D&T prize in four years comprising the Trophy (2004) and
two in the secondary competition.
Willingdon recovered from a 2.5-1.5 foursomes deficit to win five of the singles and draw one. With three matches still on the course, the Eastbourne club was assured of victory. It was then time for Graham Carn, the Willingdon club captain who also runs the scratch team, and Sussex president David Harmer, to relax.
Carn was a member not only of the winning sides in 1980 and 1984 but also played this season. And Harmer appeared in Willingdon's team firstly as team captain in 1980 and four years later as vice-captain of the club.
"We had a very tight game out there and I would like to pay tribute to the Crowborough boys," said Carn. "In the morning we wobbled a little but came through strongly in the singles. Apart from the team that played today I would like to thank Adrian Sharpin, Des Brockwell and Anthony Killick who played in previous rounds and helped us get to the final, and, I'm almost forgetting, me too."
In time honoured fashion Carn was sprayed with champagne by the players before they returned to their own club for a celebration party.
Ian Every, the Crowborough team manager, congratulated
Willingdon. "You played fantastic golf and thoroughly deserved to
win. Maybe we can go one stage further next year but I would like to say how
proud I am to be your team manager."
The Richardson father and son combination of Andrew (dad aged 45) and A.J. (son aged 25) did ESN proud. Together they won their foursomes and then went out separately to score big singles wins. A total of three points from the Richardson's made light of the fact that they are separated by 20 years. They were the only pair to win in morning and afternoon Plate matches.
Steady Alan Ratcliffe, winner by 4 & 3 over Cooden's Peter Bradshaw, had par figures on all five short holes.
Derek Howe, ESN's general manager and team guru, is
confident that they can win the Trophy next year. With no fewer than 35
category one players out of a 650 membership, that is no idle boast. From Ben
Newsome (+2), Dan Casey and Luke Cornford, also Sussex juniors off +1, the
highest handicaps in the side are Ratcliffe and Malcolm Clear both on
four. Howe has had a tough job on who to leave out with such competition
for places and thanked Ed Reyes and Ollie Hayes for their efforts in previous
rounds.
Willingdon beat Crowborough Beacon 7-5.
Foursomes (Crowborough names first):
Richard Leeves & Martin Thornhill halved with Rob Hampson & Dean Plant;
Tom Dagwell & Jess Ellwood beat Jay Penfold & Andy Theo 3 & 1;
Gavin Park & David Mackellow lost to Craig Fletcher & Matt Hepburn 3 & 2;
Graham Smith & Ian Adams beat James Gietzen & Mark Wootton 3 & 2.
(singles):
Dagwell lost to Hampson 4 & 2;
Leeves lost to Plant 5 & 4;
Ellwood and Hepburn halved;
Thornhill lost to Fletcher 4 & 2;
Adams beat Gietzen 2 & 1;
Mackellow lost to Penfold 7 & 6;
Smith beat Theo, one up;
Park lost to Wootten 2 & 1.
East Sussex National beat Cooden Beach 9-3.
Foursomes (ESN names first):
Andy & A.J. Richardson beat Martin Thompson & David Munro 2 & 1;
Ben Newsome & Alan Ratcliffe halved with John Heys & Chris Skinner;
Luke Cornford & Daniel Casey beat Ben Nash & David Warden 4 & 2;
Malcolm Clear & Dave Bridger lost to Peter Bradshaw & Doug Park 2 & 1.
(singles):
A.J. Richardson beat Thompson 7 & 6;
Casey beat Munro 4 & 2;
Cornford lost to Park 2 & 1;
Andy Richardson beat Skinner 4 & 3;
Newsome beat Nash 4 & 2;
Bridger beat Warden 4 & 2;
Ratcliffe beat Bradshaw 4 & 3;
Clear and Heys halved.