TENBY GC win Wales Golf Ping Mixed Final Tenby team made the early journey to Pontypool Golf Club for their semi final match against Newport GC, teeing off at 8.30am, writes Brian Jones.

Leading the way were Sarah Phillips and Dave Morris, who were astonished to be told they would be giving their opponents 12 shots.

Dave had worked out that, in fact, he and Sarah should be receiving one shot.

After a rules official was contacted, Wales Golf realised Sarah had been given the wrong handicap by mistake!

With the teams informed and the correct handicaps in place, the Tenby pair raced into an early 4-up lead.

Newport’s Tracy and Tyrone Williams fought back through the middle of the round, cutting the deficit to just one hole, but Sarah and Dave rallied strongly to complete a 5&4 victory.

Angela and Jon Large’s match followed a similar pattern.

They were up early on before being pegged back, but wins on the 16th and 17th brought the match back to all square.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t quite keep that great run going and lost the 18th to a par.

It was now all down to the final pairing of Diane Gough and Ian Duke.

The pair had recently enjoyed a decisive win in Tenby’s Mixed 125 Competition and they kept that good form going.

Ian’s approach play, combined with Diane’s putting, meant they were ahead for most of the match, before Ian ended things in dramatic style by chipping in for birdie on the 16th.

That win sent Tenby through to the afternoon final, where they would face Pontnewydd GC.

The signs were slightly ominous, with Pontnewydd having coasted into the final following a 3-0 victory over Clays GC, Wrexham.

There was another factor too, Pontnewydd GC is situated just three miles from Pontypoo. Would local knowledge count?

Tenby made three changes for the final, with Roger Schooling joining Angela Large in match two, while Linda Tordoff and Brian Jones replaced Diane and Ian in match three.

It was a chance to give those who had played their part in previous rounds the opportunity to experience Tenby’s first-ever PING final.

Unfortunately, Linda and Brian came up against a Pontnewydd pairing in terrific form.

Dai Brown and Janet were on fire and quickly moved 3 up.

Linda and Brian struggled to get to grips with the pace of the greens, while their opponents seemed to be holing everything in sight, eventually winning 5&4.

Sarah and Dave were once again leading the way for Tenby, although this time the match was much tighter, with never more than two holes separating the pairs.

The crucial moment came at the 16th, where wayward shots left both men facing long putts for bogey.

Pontnewydd were first to go, with Sean Whitecomb rolling in a superb 30-footer.

That left Dave with a 15-foot putt for the half and, to everyone’s relief, he duly holed it.

Tenby therefore took a two-hole lead to the 17th tee, where a half was enough to secure the match.

All the real drama, however, was still to come in the final match out on the course.

Angela and Roger had been trailing for much of their match and, by his own admission, Roger thought the game was lost.

But it’s never over until it’s over, and Tenby’s fighting spirit came to the fore.

Coming down the 16th still 2 down, Tenby found themselves in the greenside bunker in two, while their opponents were short of the green, also in two.

From an awkward lie, Angela produced an exquisite bunker shot to around 10 feet.

Mary Woollard then fluffed her chip, Roger rolled in his putt and Mary missed from three feet, allowing Tenby to win the hole.

On they went to the short par-three 17th, where Angela found the front of the green.

Pontnewydd’s David Morgan then chunked his wedge into the greenside pond and Tenby comfortably won the hole with a three.

The 18th was halved, with both teams having putts that could have won the match.

You could cut the tension with a knife as the contest headed into sudden death.

The first, a double-dogleg par five, looked to be going the way of the local team, but David missed a match-winning putt from four feet.

On they went to the second. Roger was first to play on the difficult par three and hit a magnificent shot to just five feet from the pin.

The pressure proved too much for the Pontnewydd pair and, after four shots, they conceded the hole and the match.