Two's Company

I played in a club match yesterday against Caversham Heath and was partnered by Derek Williams. He and I have played together in these affairs before and were putting our extensive 100% record, played one, won one, on the line. I love these club matches. Whilst they are competitive, the winning isn't the be all and end all and it is all about having some fun, meeting new people and enjoying the game. Yes, the club does play in other types of matches where the result is the crucial thing and those games have a part to play in our golfing calendar and it is always great when the club does well. However as one who will never be good enough for selection for any of these sides on current form at least, I'll content myself with these friendly encounters.

I had arrived early primarily to get some practice in. I'd had to miss the stableford on Saturday for domestic reasons and so hadn't hit a ball in anger since the Jubilee Cup on Bank Holiday Monday. Whilst I was on the practice ground (or Bedborough Field as it's known) a junior sauntered on and started to hit shots. Every one was high, long and straight and with minimal effort unlike the contorted body shapes I was throwing to try and make reasonable contact. He wandered off and I thought nothing more about it. I'm sure many of you are already ahead of me but this whippersnapper was one of the opposition pair that Derek and I would face. He was a 15 year old off 11 handicap which meant he had to give me two shots and Derek six. He was partnered by a great Liverpudlian guy and I knew that while the golf would be tough, the atmosphere would be cracking.

I started off pretty well making a chip and putt for a par. I knew it could be a long day when this youngster stood on the 1st, all 229 yards of it, into the wind, with a 3 iron in his hand. He came up about ten yards short but chipped stone dead. I chipped to about six feet and my putt dropped with the last ounce of strength left on it. One more revolution and it wouldn't have got there. I hit the 2nd in regulation but then three putted to gift them the hole. A solid par from the youngster at the next put them two up. However, I made a birdie at the 4th to reduce the deficit and Derek won the next to get it back to all square.

Both Jim the Scouser from Caversham and I hit the front edge of the 6th. Derek carved it wide and faced a tricky chip from rough over the bunker and the James the wunderkid found sand. Both Jim and I three putted from 25 feet and James couldn't get up and down from the bunker. Derek set up to hit a high lob which was a high tariff shot but pulled it off and the ball landed eight feet away. He duly holed for the only par. Hitting the green in regulation is clearly overrated.

It was all square at the turn and we all made par at the 10th. Derek hit the green for Team Ascot at the 11th but three putted to let the opposition escape with a half. However he won the next and began a golden spell of golf for him and us as a pairing. He hit his drive into the trees on the corner of the dogleg on the 12th. The only way he could make progress was to play the shot left handed. It was the kind of shot my icon Seve would have played and it seemed fitting after the news of his death that Derek took the shot on and pulled it off with such aplomb. He then hit the green and made a nett par which was enough to steal the hole. Daylight robbery. He won the 13th with another improbable chip and putt from the wilderness way right of the green and then took the 14th with a shot and by the time we halved the par five 15th we were dormie three up. My partner managed to close the game out when James could only make a par four (impressive at it was) and his five (nett four) got the half we needed.

It was a cracking game played in the right spirit and although Royal Ascot ran out comfortable winners, the return at Caversham Heath in September promises to be no easy ride. On a personal level my golf was very patchy although a few times I had taken on the risky shot while Derek had taken the pragmatic line. Given that it was matchplay and the individual score really didn't matter, I probably shouldn't be overly critical. I came in when needed especially on the front nine. My driving was poor although my iron play was pretty good especially as the wind was making club selection very tricky. My putting was streaky but I only had 30 putts in total and there were two three putts in that number. I'll put some work in on my swing this week and see what happens going forward. However I'm happy to bask in my new playing record with Derek, played two, won two. I can't wait to do it again soon.