Smith eats words
WE CAME over full of confidence but were left wanting' were the words of losing Jersey captain Terry Smith who had boasted in the build-up to the inter-insular his team were good enough to stuff Guernsey out of sight.
WE CAME over full of confidence but were left wanting' were the words of losing Jersey captain Terry Smith who had boasted in the build-up to the inter-insular his team were good enough to stuff Guernsey out of sight. Steve Turvey's men let their golf do the talking and it was they who strolled to a memorable 13-7 victory at the L'Ancresse links this weekend.
Every Guernsey player had a say in the outcome, too, with David Rowlinson adding to the green-and-whites joy with a six iron hole-in-one at the 190-yard third during his singles match against Trevor Gray.
There was near perfect golfing conditions for Saturday's opening fourballs. Everything was set for some low scoring and the two 10-a-side teams did not disappoint.
First out for the green-and-whites were the two Davids - Warr and Rowlinson - who had the ominous task of taking on Jersey's Paul Le Chevalier and Gavin O'Neill.
It would be the visiting pairing who put the first points on the board with a 4 and 3 win.
But Mick Marley and Danny Blondel soon claimed the first Sarnian point.
Being eight under par betterball they beat the La Moye pairing of Richard Alker and Richard Ramskill 4 and 3.
David Nicolle and Andrew Eggo also looked comfortable as they defeated Trevor Gray and Christie McLaughlan 3 and 2.
Sadly, Nigel Le Noury and Steve Mahy's proud unbeaten fourball record came to a sad end with a 3 and 2 defeat at the hands of Myles Jones and Rob Messervy.
The usual ever-steady Le Noury and Mahy combination did not gel on the day.
Playing more sociable golf were Nigel Vaudin and Bobby Eggo and with their match against Richard Williamson and Matthew Parkman all-square on the last the opportunity was there for either side to take a point advantage into the second day.
All four players found the putting surface with their tee shots but courtesy of a excellent short iron by Eggo his ball rolled out to six feet away from the pin and being closest he would be last to putt.
With the two Jersey players and his partner doing no better than making a par, Eggo had the short but testing birdie putt to give Guernsey the edge going into Sunday's play.
Eggo relished the opportunity and duly rolled in his putt to give Guernsey victory in the fourballs and a first day 3-2 lead.
It was all change for Turvey's men come Sunday's morning foursomes. It was a bold decision which reaped reward, as again Guernsey took the majority of the five points on offer.
Andy Eggo continued to show excellent form as he and Rowlinson strolled to a 5 and 4 victory over Alker and Mersservy.
Nicolle and Vaudin registered the pick of the foursomes wins with an emphatic 6 and 5 success over Williamson and Parkman.
Meanwhile, Warr and Marley clawed back a three down deficit to finish all- square and likewise in the match behind, Bobby Eggo and Le Noury halved with O'Neil and the big-hitting Le Chevalier.
The only defeat suffered in the the morning by Turvey's team happened to Mahy and Blondel, nonetheless a 3-2 foursome result meant Guernsey would take a 6-4 lead into the singles.
So needing 4.5 points from a possible 10 was the task of the home side as they headed out in the singles.
Mahy collected a deserved 3 and 2 win of Ramskill at the top of the order and with Mahy's win came news that out of the remaining matches Guernsey were up in six and down in three.
Andy Eggo rode his luck early on in his match against McLaughlin and his contest ended on the 16th green.
Ahead Bobby Eggo and Nigel Vaudin were taking one-up leads up the 17th hole.
Le Chevalier luckily cleared all the trouble right with his drive to rescue a half against Eggo, but the Guernsey number one held on to win on the last.
Vaudin's win was made easier by Jones driving out of bounds at 17 and with that victory Turvey was very suddenly waiting for only half a point to secuire victory.
It was Nicolle who would provide the crucial point, beating Messervy 5 and 4.
With that Guernsey had capped off a memorable weekend for local golf.
Usually the remaining matches would peter out and be elementary to the result, but not this year as the island players and supporters alike had a point to prove and didn't they just do that.
Danny Blondel had the pick of the remaining results as he defeated Richard Alker 2 and 1 to send the La Moye course record holder home with nil points.
*JACK MITCHELL won the CI junior title.
