Greens growing to like a far-fetched fightback

For the second time in as many years the Sarnians lifted the sought-after silverware despite being whitewashed in the opening foursomes session.

However, to fight back from 5-0 down when you have home advantage, as they did at L’Ancresse 12 months ago in their remarkable 11-9 victory, is one thing, but to do it in Jersey’s backyard at a Grouville course where the Greens have a dreadful record is something else.

As holders, Guernsey needed to avoid defeat to retain the trophy and against all odds they acquired the necessary 10 points over the fourballs and singles sessions to bring it back with them at the end of what captain Steve Mahy called a ‘surreal’ weekend.

‘They were great,’ he said of his players, all of whom contributed to the points tally.

‘It did not go our way on Saturday, but in golf we all know that things which go against you one day can go for you the next.

‘Momentum is such a big thing. If you are up and you’re holing putts, it can carry you through your game and it can filter down through the rest of the team.’

The opening session followed what has become a familiar, and worrying, trait for the Sarnians as they emerged from the foursomes with nothing to show for their efforts. It was the third time in as many years that Jersey had whitewashed them in that discipline.

Mahy revealed that last year’s comeback provided vital experience as it meant Guernsey did not panic.

‘It happened last year, so we know we can do it, but you do not want to be 5-0 down after the first session.

‘We have got only one-and-a-half points in foursomes in the last four years, which is terrible.

‘In days gone by, traditionally that was our best format. There seems to be no rhyme or reason for it.

‘But because it happened last year and we went on to win, we said we could do it again.’

The fightback began after lunch in the fourballs that Guernsey won 3-2, but even then Mahy admitted he was slightly disappointed.

‘We came away from Saturday afternoon quite flat because even though we won the session, we were actually dormie 1 up in the two matches that finished as halves, so we were actually on for 4-1 rather than 3-2,’ he said.

‘The 18th at Grouville is such a quirky hole that I told the players “if you are up in your match, try and win it before the 18th because anything can happen there”. It is a strange hole to have as a finishing hole – but exciting, I suppose – and it went against us in the fourballs.

‘Initially I walked off and I was in a right mood, then I suddenly realised “hang on, I’ve got 10 guys here that I need to pick up”.

‘So we got together and I pointed out to them, “Jersey have only won one match this afternoon and we have taken it to them”. Jamie [Blondel] was also quite vocal at that point, basically saying, “we’re in this”.’

Trailing by four points overnight and knowing that they had to restrict Jersey to three points or less to hold onto the trophy, there was a change in plan for Sunday morning.

‘I had an order in mind for the singles before we went to Jersey which involved keeping two of our top players back, but at 7-3 down on Saturday night, I spoke with my assistants Robbie [Shakland] and Roland [Mills] and we said “we’ve got to front load it”.’

While the experience and deliberate-nature of Richard Ramskill accounted for Lewis Marley in the first match out and the in-form teenager Jacob Townsend beat Jamie Blondel, there were convincing wins for Danny Blondel and Tom Le Huray while Rory McKenna completed his weekend with a hard-fought success over Charlie Kiberd, which helped earn him the Roy Mahy Award as Guernsey’s player of the match.

‘I’ve not seen Rory play a great deal before, but he was exceptional, his golf was so good – he just committed to the shot, which is what I wanted. I did not see any weaknesses in his game at all,’ said Mahy jnr.

‘In the singles he was playing Charlie Kiberd, who I think is a great golfer, and he holed clutch putts on 15 and 16 for halves to stay ahead and 17 was playing hard but he hit two great shots onto the green to seal the match and get us on the board.

‘Out of the first five, we won three, so we were up quite quickly and then there’s scoreboard pressure. Those messages come back down through the order and from early on we were up in four of the other matches.

‘I said to the guys who had already finished, “let’s follow the other games and get around them” because with the Jersey guys trailing, I wanted them to be over their shots and seeing Green support on those holes to add to the pressure.

‘Thankfully, it worked.’

Danny Bisson got that ball rolling with a terrific win over Matthew Parkman and although Dale Rutledge was edged out in a nip-and-tuck tussle with Hugo Jacques, the three at the back came up trumps.

Jack Mitchell, who had played well for no reward on Saturday, delivered his point against Alex Guelpa while anchorman Stuart Wallbridge produced when it mattered most against Simon Allchin.

‘A nod to Stuart,’ Mahy said.

‘He did not have a great day on Saturday, he struggled a bit, and we put him 10 in the singles which I know from my own experience is not ideal – you’re sort of the lone man down there sometimes – but we needed him and in a tight match he turned it his way on 15 and 16, made a great up-and-down to go dormie 2 up and then finished in style on 17.’

That meant that all eyes turned to the last match on the course and it was as if everything was suddenly going to script for Guernsey as it came down to Dave Jeffery, the man who stepped down as captain due to his selection in the team, to earn the crucial 10th point.

It looked as if he was cruising at one point on the back nine as he was 4 up against Andy Clarke, but the Jerseyman kept plugging away and managed to take their match to the last just to heighten the tension.

‘Dave was dormie 1 up, but we needed the full point –a half was not good enough for us – and the hole doesn’t really suit his right-to-left shot shape,’ Mahy said.

‘For his second shot he was coming in over the bunkers on the left of the green. He had been in one of those bunkers during the Pallot Bowl last month and taken four to get out.

‘But he managed to get on the green and Andy ended up in a spot of trouble, so in the end Dave had three putts for it and knocked his first up to 3ft, which prompted the handshakes.’