REYNOLDS RELIEVES ENGLAND'S NERVES WITH CRUCIAL WIN
 Ireland
looked on course to delivered anther blow to England senior’s
title hopes on the first day of the Seniors Home International
at Caldy. But the home side scraped a 5-4 victory thanks to
Chris Reynolds in the final game (picture © Tom Ward).
In the other match, Scotland made a solid start in defence
of the title with a 6½-2½ win over Wales.
England, who had not beaten the Irish in their four previous
meetings in the European Seniors as well as the Home Internationals,
looked to be on their way to a clear win when they dropped
just half a point in the foursomes.
But the singles proved to be a different kettle of fish and
at one stage Ireland were ahead in four matches and square
in another. The Irish bogey seemed to be striking again as
England produced some indifferent golf.
Alan Squires was not firing on all cylinders and when his
opponent, Seamus McParland birdied three holes in a row from
the fifth to go 5-up there was no way back for the chirpy
Lancastrian.
Doug Arnold was also in the doldrums, finding himself 4-down
after nine to Maurice Kelly. The battler from Sussex pulled
two holes back but eventually shook hands on the 17th after
being beaten 2 and 1.
English champion David Lane, coming off a win in the Canadian
Seniors, won the first two holes and was soon 3-up against
Val Smyth. The margin was reduced to one after eight but Lane
edged 2-up again before finding himself all square after 17.
Down the par-five last, Smyth looked to have the advantage
but Lane holed a tricky six-footer for a battling half.
Former champion Roy Smethurst raced 2-up after five holes
against Tony Goode but was pegged back and lost the lead twice
more. But the Englishman won the 13th, 14th and 15th, two
with birdies, to turn the match his way again and a 3 and
2 win.
With new cap Sam Smale going down 5 and 4 to Hugh Smyth,
the match was tied 4-4 with only Reynolds’ match against
Barry Redden on the course.
There was never more than a hole separating the pair but
the Kent man held the lead four times, the fourth crucially
after 16 and he came to the last still ahead. Redden’s
approach was closer but Reynolds left his lengthy putt close
enough to close out the contest by the narrowest of margins
which was enough to see England home.
Scotland gave no hint of the one-sided scoreline to come
when they edged the foursomes 2-1. But the tartan brigade
were in almost total charge of the singles, finally winning
6½-2½.
Stephen Ellis set the ball rolling with a 5 and 4 win in
the top match against Welsh champion Keith Stimpson. Ellis
won the first hole and never looked back, being 5-up through
ten before cruising home.
Gordon Brown and Donald McCart also had emphatic victories,
Brown beating Michael Rooke 4 and 2, while McCart turned a
one hole deficit after four holes against Phil Jones into
a 4 and 3 success after winning four holes in a row from the
fifth.
Jim Watt went round in level par 72 to beat Basil Griffiths
by one hole while John Fraser was involved in an epic tussle
with Glyn Rees that finished all square, Fraser going out
in two under par to be 2-up but Rees staged a fight back to
grab a share of the spoils.
The only consolation for Wales was a one hole victory for
John Whitcutt over John Johnston in a match where there was
never more than a hole separating the pair.
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