Leading his team out on a cold and windy Thursday, Stan Hudson was hoping for another victory. Cold and gloomy it may have been, particularly on the far reaches of the course, but there was at least one from each team playing in short sleeves and once having started they had to brave it out to the end,
Stan had chosen Brian Waters as his playing partner this week; not a bad choice considering how well he had scored on tour. Could he maintain this form? The answer - not really, as he claimed to have left his best golf, along with the sunshine, in North Wales. Stan provided the inspiration over the opening holes and his birdie on the fifth gave the pair a three-shot lead. However, Malcolm McCormack and Simon Davies hit back by winning the next three holes to even up the stakes. Regaining a two-hole lead, they promptly gave it away again and it was Simon's shot of the day that gave the visitors the lead. He chipped out of the bunker on the 13th to land the ball a few inches from the hole.
In this very competitive encounter, they pulled it back to all-square. Unfortunately, they lost the 17th and could only halve the 18th, ending up with a first defeat.
The phrase, 'tight match,' was a recurring theme echoing around the clubhouse as each group in turn enjoyed the competitive nature of the matches played. "It was a delight to watch him drive the ball - but it became horrible watching him putt out!" exclaimed Martin Neilan, referring to former Tenby club member, Bob Veale. As a six-handicap player, he demonstrated how to find the fairways and follow it up with an excellent short game. Martin claimed that it was a game of four birdies, with the South Pembs' pair winning three and Martin and Tony Morgan winning one.
The home pair found themselves two down after nine holes and, despite scoring 21 points on the back nine, Martin, along with Tony, could only stand back and admire. It probably didn't help knowing that Bob's partner, Mike Bradney, was a Health and Safety adviser.
Two down after two matches, surely John Hancock, in the company of Tony Morris, could stem the flow. Playing against Phil Watts and Keith Leverton, they halved the opening three holes and then won the next three. There were two things that affected John's game. The number of shots he conceded proved a difficult barrier, but more so was the fact that he lost a ball on the 11th. He claimed he knew exactly where it landed and could only assume that the following group must have played it or picked it up. How naughty! He was doubly upset since it was a special ball given him by a friend.
It took him a long time to recover and he and Tony, despite, or as a result of, some short putts just managed to halve the match on the last hole. An excellent game - a fair result.
Just ahead of them Owen Monaghan and Des Stone were struggling to maintain a healthy lead. Their opponents were Ray Puddifoot and Alex Wilson. Alex's opening drive failed to make the bank and both he and Ray struggled down the first fairway, allowing the home team to claim the hole, as well as the second. However, Alex more than made up for it in later holes as the match became very close and his class began to show.
The Tenby pair was unaware that they were in the company of an elite golfer. They discovered in later conversation that Alex, in his youth, represented England in a match against the rest of Europe and that he had played alongside Tony Jacklin. Had they been aware of that during the match, the Tenby pair would have faded into insignificance. Instead they opened up a four-hole lead, only to be pegged back to one.
Owen then upset Alex, on the eighth, with his putting prowess. Alex was on the green in two with a six to eight-foot putt for a birdie. Owen was on for three (net two) and sent his long putt up and over the ridge and into the hole for his par, net birdie. Alex was faced with a tricky putt for his birdie just to halve the hole - he did it!
Again they went four up, only to lose holes, giving the visitors a welcome chance. Ray's birdie two on the 17th meant that Owen and Des were one up going into the last. Could they hold on to the lead? It was a longish putt on the last hole that gave them the half they needed to claim the first point for Tenby.
Peter Williams and Derek Bath looked a lonely pair as they sat all alone to eat their meal. Their opposition declined the offer to join them, having more urgent business elsewhere. When asked about their match against Harold James and Dai Evans, they also used the phrase, 'Tight match', in fact they claimed it was a very tight match as they struggled for supremacy on their own course. It was all-square after 17 holes in a classic up and down encounter. They went two down and then levelled the match before going one up. That one hole advantage was lost on the 17th, making the 18th the all-important hole. Unfortunately, Peter failed to convert a long putt and conceded the match to the South Pembs. pair.
Ken Breaker declared that he had not played in a match with so many halves. This was backed up by Allen Watts, who stated that there were only four holes that were won outright. Allen and Ken Gouldsbrough won three of them and Mike Leighs and Ken Breaker the other. It might have been different if Mike Leighs had started in better form; he reckoned that he did not wake up for the first four or five holes, leaving his partner to do most of the work. Having said that, they both reckoned that they played like a couple of fairies (I think that was the word!). Mike was somewhat peeved on the 12th. His was the only ball on the green, so a par three was likely. Allen chipped up from the valley below to leave the ball within an inch or two of the hole and claim a half. This match concluded on the 16th with a win for Tenby.
Twenty-eight handicapper, Angus Haywood, partnered by Chris Clarkson, was delighted with his two on the 17th, stating that he didn't realise how easy it was, "You just hit it and then you just putt it." It brought an end to the struggle against Newman Vincent and Robin Hagley. Robin thought that he had won the 13th with a birdie three, but Angus reminded him that he had a shot, so his four, net three, made it a half. Newman sank a long putt on the eighth to help the cause but, despite the closeness on this match, they still lost out in the end.
Four and a half to two and a half, Stan was getting worried. Who was left to bring home the bacon? The cavalry appeared over the hill (in a buggy, not on horseback) in the form of J. D. R. and Roy Morgan. It was not easy, they had struggled over the opening holes in another tough encounter against ex Tenby member, Kevin Dewhurst partnered by Keith Rees. However, four net pars on holes 6, 7, 8, and 9 provided a solid foundation for them to steal the result. J. D. R.'s birdie two on the 17th was satisfying, but superfluous.
The sleeveless Paul Bradley, urged on by Bart Youll, found himself two up after nine holes. Nigel Williams and Clive Pitten reduced that to all-square after 13, but were unable to break the Tenby defences as they struggled on to the final holes. Paul won the 14th and Bart rescued them with a long putt for a half on the 15th. Clive hit back by winning the 17h, while Bart was searching for his ball in the trees, reducing the Tenby lead to just one. According to Paul and Bart, they just managed to scrape a win on the last to keep Stan's dream alive.
Who was left? Why Geoff Aston and Nigel Rimell in a match that was dubbed the 'The paint splodge trophy.' Nigel had reported for duty with a splodge of white paint on the top of his head, as a result of some handiwork at home during the morning. Was it a gloss finish or a one coat covers all? We will never know. The important thing was that it did not spoil Nigel's prowess with the golf club as he and Geoff fought out a tremendous duel against Ken Chichester and Brian Williams. Throughout the afternoon there was never more than one or two in it as they struggled for supremacy. The South Pembs pair won the 16th with a long raking putt from Brian, but Geoff hit back by winning the 17th with a two. That was enough to give them the win they, and their captain, wanted.
Stan's heart rate reverted to normal and he complimented South Pembs. for making the afternoon one of competitive encounters in all 10 matches.
Results: S. Hudson and B. Waters lost to M. McCormack and S. Davies 1 down; M. Neilan and T. Morgan lost to M. Bradley and B. Veale 3 and 2; D. Stone and O. Monaghan beat R. Puddifoot and A. Wilson 1 up; J. Hancock and T. Morris halved with P. Watts and K. Leverton; P. Williams and D. Bath lost to H. James and D. Evans 1 down; J. Williams and R. Morgan beat K. Dewhurst and K. Rees 3 and 2; A. Watts and K. Gouldsbrough beat M. Leighs and K. Breaker 2 and 1; R. Hagley and N. Vincent lost to C. Clarkson and A. Haywood 2 and 1; P. Bradley and B. Youll beat N. Williams and C. Pitten 2 up; G. Aston and N. Rimell beat K. Chichester and B. Williams 2 and 1.