What an awesome week it has been…winners of the matchplay, the England qualifier and the individual strokeplay – it was a dream come true!
My thanks must go to the South West Counties Golf Association, Somerset Golf Union and Burnham and Berrow Golf Club for hosting a perfect event, especially under the current climate.
Our special thanks go to catering manager Jack Palmer and his team for their outstanding food and service. It was second to none. A special mention to our very own County President, Tim Clink, who caddied every day for Jake Phillips. What a star he is!
As always, on behalf of the team, our thanks go to our merry band of supporters who continue to spur us on at every event.
As County Captain I am so very, very proud of my team. Their behavior is exemplary, their boundless enthusiasm is infectious and their quality of golf is the envy of many.
Here's what happened each day, if you would like to see all the results from the week please visit the South West Counties Golf Association website.
Day 1 - v Dorset
We were drawn against Dorset who were the only team to beat us at the 2019 South West Week and our start this year was not the one we, as defending matchplay champions, wanted, losing the first 5 matches and looking like losing the morning singles 6 – 2 which would have been an absolute disaster. However, young Josh Millington, playing his first-ever county 1st team game, stood on 16, 3 down with 3 to play. On hitting the green with his second shot, he was looking down at an impossible 45 feet putt. The young man didn’t seem phased at all and calmly sunk the putt to continue the match. He halved 17 to take the match down the final hole where both players hit the green in 2 and Josh canned his 25 feet putt for a birdie to halve the match and give the team a slim hope for the afternoon foursomes where we needed to win 3 and a half games. We actually took all 4 games.
Day 2 - v Cornwall
This continued where day 1 ended, with us winning the first 7 singles and halving the 8th. The team were now on fire! Interestingly, a young Cornish player asked me who Ed Butler was, and was he nervous playing in his first South West Week to which my response was would he, himself, have been as nervous playing his 12th South West Week…nothing more said!
Day 3 – Strokeplay (E G County Qualifier)
This is the day the players come for! The qualifier for the England Golf County Finals and, on paper, the other counties thought we were the strongest team there! We didn’t disappoint them. We won the team championship by an incredible 20 strokes and the seasoned Ed Butler, at the tender age of 41, stole the show by winning the individual strokeplay with 2 rounds of 67 – a total of 6 under par! Ed told me that he hadn’t played that well in 20 years!
Day 4 – v Wiltshire
It was a bit of a nervous start, through the early holes, as the team seemed to be emotionally recovering from the previous day’s success. They soon moved into top gear and the match was never in doubt.
Day 5 – v Somerset
The day didn’t start well as I woke up to a message from Andy Hale to say he had to go home. Both he and the team were absolutely gutted as it left a massive hole to fill. Step up Callum Mortimore, at short notice, who was permitted to join the team as he had already mixed with the bubble earlier in the week, as a caddy.
The old needle match against our local rivals is always a difficult match and this one was no different. I will say that Somerset’s position in the table did not reflect the quality of golf that I saw on the course that day. Both sides played magnificently for what I consider a fair halved match. Kieran Sutton, who had 7 birdies in his round, only managed to win 2 and 1 – I can’t imagine what the better ball score would have been between the two players.
Day 6 – v Devon
This was a ‘must win’ match so all to play for! The day started well with Jake Phillips and Nick Day taking the first two matches but it wasn’t long before my smile was wiped off my face as we lost the next 4 games but credit where credit is due, seasoned Ed Butler and our newest addition Josh Millington won their games meaning we ended the morning with a draw. The afternoon foursomes didn’t get off to the best start, with Nick Day and Callum Mortimore losing 5 and 4. The mountain to climb seemed to be getting higher! However, a few words of wisdom with the remaining players on the course seemed to do the trick, with some brilliant golf from Sam Sullivan and Kieran Sutton who halved their match, followed by Tom Workman and Josh Millington storming to a 5 and 4 win. This left Jake Phillips and Ed Butler on the course in what can only be described as a topsy turvy match which we seemed to be chasing for most of the day. That was until the 17th where the match was all square with Ed Butler hitting to 7 feet and Jake Phillips calmly rolled it in for a birdie to go 1 up playing the last. With Ed Butler safely on the green and Devon off the back, Jake nestled the ball to the hole and Devon shook hands. The match was ours!
I’m sure you would all like to join me in wishing the selected team every success at the England County Finals at Remedy Oak on the 24th – 26th September 2021.
Something to remember – ‘Nothing great is easy. And it hasn’t been easy, but it’s been great’
Gard Ward, County Captain