As it was Newman Vincent's last match as Seniors captain, and the day to his birthday (we won't divulge which one) fast approaching, he was presented with a card and a special poem after his speech at Trefloyne last Thursday. It was hoped that he could come in with a score to match his new age, win or lose, but he and his partner David Leeke could only manage a four and three result and we know he is older than that. He was delighted to regale those assembled with the fact that he had been led by the new club captain, David, who obviously revelled in his new-found responsibility, and that he had won while all around him had lost. Well not every pair, but enough to give the team prize to Trefloyne. Giving David all the glory, Newman stated that he had played 'out of his skin' to put them on the glory trail. David's defining moment was on the dogleg 15th when his drive and superb seven-iron had put him within 18 inches of the hole. A simple, no pressure, putt gave them the hole and the match - a double captains performance. What a duo! Although playing well, Trefloyne's, Trevor Lewis and Terry Harvey just could not live with Mister Marvel and had to concede gracefully. Meanwhile, out on the course there were nine other battles being engaged in a most amicable manner and just one or two lessons being given, and learned, on how to play this long course. There were a number of players who were wandering around with heads bowed and eyes down, searching in the first cut of grass to find a ball that could only be seen from directly above. There was great rivalry, and perhaps just a hint of barracking, in the game behind the two captains. Old adversaries, Brian Morgan and Barry Wood, were vying to gain the upper hand in a titanic struggle for supremacy. Not fully 'au fait' with the complexities of the rivalry, Bob Howes and John Shaw were somewhat perplexed by the situation and this must have affected their games. "Woody off 20?" was the cry as the home pair opened up a three-hole lead. Bob and Brian had to dig deep as the game progressed and managed to claw back to just one, but it was Woody who won the psychological battle, not for the first time. Bob had birdied the 17th to give them a chance and he just needed a putt for a par on the last to halve the match, but it was not to be and the match was lost by just one hole. There was also rivalry in the match following that one. John Crosby and Des Stone had faced each other as rivals on the football pitch and continued this onto the golf course in a very friendly manner. Des's playing partner, Ken Gouldsbrough, was suffering 'deja vu' as the visiting pair reached the ninth five holes up, hoping the outcome of his finals match in the Seniors Cup last week would not be repeated. The pair lost or halved seven of the next eight holes. John had a slow start, but gathered momentum over the latter stages, just like his partner, Graham Harrison, who took nine holes to straighten out his drive. John played like the expert goalkeeper he was, incurring no penalties and making some spectacular saves to win or halve a number of holes. Ken and Des had to draw second breath, they managed to halve the 16th and 17th and romp home with a win on the last - well limp rather then romp! Geoff Aston and Doug Havard found themselves up against an in-form 10-handicapper in Garfield Price, ably assisted by Terry Morgan. They claim they never really got out of the starting blocks and must have been influenced by the warm, hazy afternoon and the magnificent views of Tenby from the far end of the course. Whatever it was, this match was over by the 13th. Another pair to suffer at the hands of good golfers was that of Stan Hudson and J. D. R. Williams. This was a quality game in which the resilience of the Tenby pair was severely tested. Walter Witts returned a 78 gross, which would have given him 43 stableford points and, as good as the Tenby pair played, they could not keep up with him and his partner Terry Whiston. J. D. R. illustrated the calibre of the game when he described the action on the ninth. He was on the green in two and within five-foot of a birdie. Walter was also on for two, but 15 feet away and proceeded to hole out for his birdie. The astonished J. D. R. subsequently missed his putt and the hole was lost. They never recovered. It was suggested that Tony Morris and his partner, Jim Martin, gelled like oil and water and were well and truly 'paxo-ed' - the sage and onion could have been served with the meal! Their opponents, the two Peters, Scourfield and Ryan, were on great form and demonstrated how to chip up and put a ball dead on a parkland course. They struggled manfully on until they shook hands on the 16th and took solace in the fact that it was far better to be out in the warm late summer sunshine than to be at home doing chores. On that we all heartily agree. Martin Neilan was off to a great start, scoring a birdie three on the first, and thinking that perhaps it was going to be his day. Alack and alas you should never count your chickens before they are hatched. They did go two up, but had to succumb to the expertise of Mike Evans and Gary Hopkins, who again showed that they knew how to play their own course. They chipped away at the slender lead and came into their own on the back nine, parring the last two holes to claim victory. Colin Griffith and Roy Morgan shared a buggy as they competed against John Smith and Dennis Busby. They were playing the club captain and claimed that they could not compete with the number and accuracy of their long putts. Their game was also over by the 15th. One valuable point for Tenby came from two halved matches. Malcolm Arlott, out with Tony Ranoe, said that this was the best game he has played in all season. It was a tight match in which both players had complemented each other well as they tried to out-flank Bill Myers and Brian Norman. There was never more than one hole in it and pars at least were needed to win a hole. Such was the friendliness of this contest that Brian treated them all to a picnic halfway round as he brought out his mid-game snack. The Tenby duo were dormie one on the last and felt that this match deserved a draw as they failed to putt out for a winner. Tony was somewhat disappointed that runner beans were not served with the after-match meal. He has been looking forward to a good feed of beans all summer - what happened Tony? The final match in also ended in a draw. This was a game involving superb driving, superb chipping and superb putting - that is according to Clifton John, who was aided and abetted by Tony Morgan. What he didn't add was that this superb golf wasn't all from the same player or pair or on every hole. As a result, they were well matched against John James and Dennis Busby as they also enjoyed the warm rays of a beautiful afternoon. They were one down as they drove the 18th and needed a 10-foot putt to halve the match (I think it has grown from four to 10-foot in the telling). Whatever, Tony duly obliged and stole a little bit of the glory from the Trefloyne pair. The Senior season of matches is now over for another year and the winter programme will soon be starting. Before that we have the Tommy Hutton Bowl which takes place on Friday, September 30, the Vale of Glamorgan trip on October 9, 10 and 11 and the Seniors AGM (after a roll up) on October 18. Results: N. Vincent and D. Leeke beat T. Lewis and T. Harvey 4 and 3; B. Howse and B. Morgan lost to B. Wood and J. Shaw 1 down; D. Stone and K Gouldsbrough beat G. Harrison and J Crosby 2 up; S. Hudson and J. D. R. Williams lost to W. Witts and T. Whiston 4 and 3; G. Aston and D. Havard lost to T. Morgan and G. Price 6 and 5; M. Arlott and T. Ranoe halved with B. Myers and B. Norman; M. Neilan and H. Probert lost to M. Evans and G. Hopkins 2 down; T. Morris and J. Martin lost to P. Scourfield and P. Ryan 5 and 3; T. Morgan and C. John halved with J. James and B. Bradley; C. Griffith and R. Morgan lost to J. Smith and D. Busby 4 and 3.
