CHESHIRE REIGN SUPREME WITH SECOND SENIORS TITLE
Cheshire, successfully defended their English Seniors County
Championship at Lincoln Golf Club in Torksey when they defeated
Devon 7.5 - 1.5.
That win meant Cheshire not only completed a clean sweep
of the other three counties but they also won every session
of play and lost just six of 27 games.
At the start of the third and final day, Cheshire needed
only a draw with Devon to retain the title they won in the
inaugural event at Minchinhampton a year ago. But they made
their intentions known early on when they won all three morning
foursomes, albeit one after a conceded match when Devon‘s
Terry Heard had to withdraw through injury. That left them
requiring only two of the six singles but in the end they
won four and halved another.
“I’m so proud of my guys,” said Cheshire
captain Roger Fielding. “We came here somewhat apprehensive,
especially when we knew we were facing Kent in the first match.
“We knew we had to be quick out of the blocks and we
did that which made all the difference. But we are a strong
team in depth and in the end it was the guys at the bottom
of the order that clinched it for us. I said it last year
but seniors golf is here to stay. The standard was good a
year ago but it was even better this time.”
Phil Slater was their top scorer with five wins and a half
in six matches while the redoubtable Roy Smethurst won all
his five outings. It was the sort of record none of the other
counties could match and underlined Cheshire’s overall
supremacy.
Having won all three morning foursomes, Kent still had hopes
of pipping Cheshire to the title but they were pulled up short
when new England international Chris Reynolds was on the wrong
end of a 5 and 3 beating from Glen McBryde. The Staffordshire
man was two under par when the match finished on the 15th
and the high standard of play was underlined on the tenth
when McBryde chipped in from 45 feet for a birdie-three and
Reynolds followed him in with a 30-foot putt.
However, Dick Seamer put Kent back on track with a 2 and
1 win over Ben Rhodes quickly followed by a 6 and 5 success
by Howard Moxon over John Loader while Chris Buckley overcame
Terry Henwood 4 and 3.
Trevor Bennett gave Staffs another point with a 3 and 2 defeat
of Ian Mason but Rick Moore secured Kent’s tally by
beating Nick Copestick, Staffs’ most successful player,
2 and 1.
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