ACGA SPANKS NUGA BY 8½ TO 1½
The ACGA opened the 2013 series of “friendly matches” with a most convincing 8.5 to 1.5 points win over NUGA on Saturday, March 26th at Chelsfield Downs GC in Hertfordshire.
The tie against NUGA, was who were defending the title they won in 2011, was expected to be a hard fought contest. In the end turned out to be walk in the park as the ACGA boys had the match sewn up after the Singles matches.
The format for the day was a series of 10 matches: 6 Singles, and 4 Doubles – matches were made from the list proposed by each captain without knowing each others order. All the teams arrived promptly, the ACGA group clad in white shirts and black trousers and NUGA dressed in red tops with NUGA logo sitting proudly on their left breast. Over the pre golf meal of sandwiches and coffee, the teams got busy getting to know each other with the usual exchange of pleasantries and some re-acquaintance of rivalries from previous battles. Despite of joviality and good banter there was a heavy undercurrent of anticipation mixed with tension as each group got started with their pre match routine.
Straight away there was a marked difference between the two teams. Most of the ACGA took to the practice range to get warmed up whilst all of the NUGA boys took to the putting green to hone their putting strokes. It wouldn’t be long before we know which pre match strategy had the better effect.
Before long the 11am start for the first match was upon on us and Gary & Randy stepped up to do battle: game faces on, chests puffed out front and eyes filled with deadly intent, staring down the first fairway. With Captain Jacqui Harbor and Vice Captain Keith Murray looking on whatever nerves they were feeling, they gave nothing away as they both unleashed massive drives to start the match in fine style. However, they were matched shot for shot by the NUGA opening pair of Syl Nyoni and Kenny Thompson who had great opening shots of their own.
And so we were off, in 4 hours or so later the fate of the shield would be known.
Here is how the day unfolded ….
GROUP 1 - Singles Match Gary Cameron (9) vs Sylvester Nyoni (15)
The match got off to an inauspicious start for Gary as Sylvester chipped in from the back of the green for 5 to get a half. Things got better for NUGA as on the Stroke Index 1, 2nd hole Gary went 1 down to a par, despite making par himself.
However, the reign ing Champion of Champion soon showed why he was selected to lead out the ACGA team by hitting back straight away, winning the par 3, 3rd with a par to level the match after. Gary quickly moved 1 up on the next hole and then opened up a comfortable lead by 4 holes after the 10th and things were looking good for the first ACGA point.
But the fight back begun and after the 16th Gary’s big lead had been cut to a single hole. However, the NUGA player forgot that Gary is our Mr. Cool, the one who can be relied on to keep his head when everyone else is loosing theirs. The opportunity to close the match out presented itself on the 17th green. Gary had a 15 foot putt for par and to close out the match, with nerves of steel the putt hit the back of the cup and it was all over but for the shaking of hands.
Gary said “I really enjoyed it. It was a good game played in great spirits. I played really good golf, I settled down after the 3rd and put the pressure on. But fair play to Sylvester, he came back well after the 10th and made it a much tighter match than I thought it would be. But I was always in control; there was no way I was going to lose today”
Result: Gary win 2&1 – ACGA (1 point, NUGA, nil)
Singles Match 2 – Randy Plowright (9) vs Kenny Thompson (7)
Plowie drew first blood by wining the first to par taking advantage of a massive drive leaving well inside 100 yard for his second. Kenny was having none of it and showed why he is giving Randy 2 shots by winning the second with a birdie on the most difficult hole. The match was still locked at all square after the 3rd and fourth, both to pars as the standard of golf in this match remained very high.
Kenny went in front for the first time on the par 5 5th hole and held onto it after the sixth. The short par 4 7th was Randy opportunity to use is length to good advantage and this is duly by making a birdie to tie up the match again. The lead doubled after the 8th when Kenny had no answer to Randy’s par. The NUGA stalwart showed his mettle by making birdie on the 9th to reduce the deficit to a solitary hole. Randy said at the turn I was playing like a Don and I remembered what Chris Thomas told me – when you have your man down you go for the throat”. He then proceeded to do just that by winning the 10th to birdie, the 11th and 12th to pars and in no time Kenny was looking like he needed snookers to get out of this one. He got a lifeline on the 13th when he escaped with a half after Randy has less than 90 yards left after his drive. Kenny hit back to birdie the 14th to reduced the deficit to 3 but he had no answer to Randy’s par on the 15th and soon they were shaking hands on a 4 &3 win to the Jamaican big hitter!
Result: Randy win 4&3 – ACGA (2 points, NUGA, nil)
Singles Match 3 – Steve Garner (7) vs Toju Ogbe (10)
Things didn’t start well for Steve in this match, he found himself 2 down after 2. However some gritty play see him, hitting back to win the next two holes to make the match level after 4. Thing remained locked all the way till the turn.At the 10th, Steve took the lead for the first time and kept it all the way until the 15th. Again, it look good for another ACGA win when Steve won the 16th, 1 up with 2 to play. Could he hold on?
The tee shots on the long downhill par 3 17th settled this hole. Steve weighed up the situation and decided on a 7 iron for the 180 yards … and flew the green. Togu won that hole to make the match all square once again.
Now it was all down the last. Steve had the pressure of 6ft downhiller to make par and save the match. Steve said “It was a 6ft sloping snake-like putt” … and it found the bottom of the cup to share the spoils.
Result: Match Halved – ACGA (2.5 points, NUGA, 0.5 point)
Singles Match 4 - Tyrone Carter (0) vs Soji Ogtonade (4)
This was perhaps the most eagerly anticipated tie of the singles. The NUGA Captain said if he could have selected anyone of their player to take on Ty, this is the man they would choose. NUGA’s Soji is their lowest handicapper, so it was a case of their best vs our best – on your marks, get ready, fire!!!!
Soji was in the very unaccustomed position of having to receive 4 shots, “normally he is the one giving away lots of shots says the NUGA Captain so we are very confident”. However, NUGA’s bright hopes must have dimmed a little as Ty won the first hole to par after a great drive. Things looked up for NUGA on hole 2 as Ty uncharacteristically put his drive out of bounds on the left, this was enough to give NUGA the hole and to make the match all square.
It remained this way, nip and tuck as the two gladiators slugged it our around the front 9 exchanging blows for blows and halving everything, mostly to pars all the way to the turn. Soji then took a decisive 2 hole lead with wins on the 10th and 12th. Ty said “at this stage, I never panicked I knew I still had enough to win but I knew I had to play better.” And this he did with a birdies at the 13th and the 14th to go all square. He then had a bit of good fortune when his opponent had a penalty stroke for grounding his club in the hazard on the par 4 15th. This gave him the lead for the first time since the first hole. They halved the next hole and when holed a medium size put for par to win the the Par 3, 17th this was enough for a 2 and 1 win.
Result: Ty win 2&1 – ACGA (3.5 points, NUGA, 0.5 point)
Singles Match 5 – George Grant (18) vs Bams Abila (8)
The opening shots in this match gave a false impression of how the match would progress, Bamms finding the rough on the left with his drive and George on the fairway. On the green however Bamms single putt for a 5 was enough for a half as George 3 putted from 10 feet. As both players found the water on the second it was fair to say the standard of golf in this match was not great. Maybe nerves were getting to both players. Eventually on the 2nd green another 3 putts from George for 8 gave Bamms the hole with a double bogey.
The golf did not improve as both found the water again, on the short par 3, 3rd. However, the pattern of the round so far repeated, Bamms 2 putts to George’s 3 was enough for a NUGA 2 nil lead. Then George hit back to win the 4th with bogey only to 4 putt the par 5 5th for a double bogey to hand back a two shot lead to his opponent. George had a bit of luck on the next hole as his opponent miscalculated his shots and picked up when he had a 12 footer for a half.
The pair exchanged pars and bogeys on the next 2 holes to go into the par 3, 9th with only 1 hole separating them. Bamm’s delicate chip and curving 6 foot par putt was good enough for a win as George par attempt lipped by. 2 up to NUGA at the turn. George said “I knew I wasn’t playing great, but he wasn’t either, I said to myself make him play good golf to win”. Pars at the 10th saw no change. On the 11th it was Bamms turn to 3 putt to hand the hole to George who made a bogey. George also won the next hole to par to make the match all square and for the first time since in the match a NUGA win was appearing to be serious doubt. The 13th and 14th were both halved. But the 15th was the decisive hole.
With OoB on the left Bamms put his drive in the rough on the right, George found the fairway with a long drive. Bamms did well to locate his ball but it wasn’t long before he was looking for it in the rough again. Although George duffed his second shot to advance it only 40 yards up the fairway. Bamms after doing well again to find his ball, his 3rd was another poor effort, the thick rough ensuring he only advanced it 15 yards to the edge of the hazard. Eventually he made 7 and George’s 6 was good enough to see him take the lead for the first time in the match. 1 up with 3 to play. “This is where I started to feel good about the game and I could see the pressure of going behind was beginning to take its toll on Bamms and I starting to play better particularly my putting” said George. The 16th was another messy affair, but George’s 6 was enough to take it and go dormie 2 up and closed it off in style with bogey on the long par 3, 17th for a 3 and 1 win.
Result: George win 3&1 – ACGA (4.5 points, NUGA, 0.5 point)
Singles Match 6 – Raf Roberts (14) vs Magnus Mbanu (6)
Raf must have wondered what sort of day he had in store when watching his opponent put his 2nd shot to within 12 feet and getting inside that effort, he saw Magnus birdie put drop in only to see his horseshoe out and lose the hole. The 2nd hole was no better Magnus making a 20 footer despite going into the water to half the hole to par. Raf said “after those 2 holes I thought this geezer can putt!!!” Raf didn’t have to worry though his third consecutive par gave him his first win on the 4th and by the 9th he was comfortably ahead by 3 holes. And by the 13th he was 4 up. At this point I was playing great but I relaxed a little. I think knowing that he couldn’t win made him play better. Magnus won the next hole to cut the lead to 3 but on the 15 the hole was halved and Magnus had ran out of holes. Raf said “I played great today. I think I played 11 over for the round which is very decent given the pressure and the circumstances. But credit to my opponent he had a good game but I was just better on the day.”
Result: Raf win 4&2 – ACGA (5.5 points, NUGA, 0.5 point)
ACGA WINS THE MATCH, WITH 4 TIES TO SPARE!!
Pairs Match 1 – Clyde Murray (13) & Mike Woodstock (17) vs Omasan Oritsesan (14) & Tony Sokan (18)
This match had a climatic ending on the 18th both Woody and Clyde missing with par attempts. Woody watching in agony as his 6 foot downhill effort went into the cup and as is by some weird voodoo jumped back out of the hole. Their opponent then celebrated a come from behind win as their effort from a similar distance found the bottom of the cup.
A downcast Clyde said “I can’t believe we lost that match, we should have been out of sight well before the 18th. That’s golf though. And just like that NUGA had their first point of the day.
Result: Clyde & Mike lost 1 down – ACGA (5.5 points, NUGA, 1.5 point)
Pairs Match 2– Donald McCleod (12) & Tunde Adeshokan (16) vs John Boledeku (15) & Tony Adams (18)
The pairing of Adeshokan and McLeod started the day with a solid par to go one up. A great recovery from the ACGA pair at the 2nd hole ensured the NUGA pairing were fully aware of the task ahead. With conversation between the group similar to that of an old married couple we approached the 3rd tee, a par 3 playing 133 into the wind. Using the astute knowledge of his partner D-Mac clubbed TA correctly enabling the ACGA pair to move 2 ahead after 3 holes. From there on in the ACGA pairing found their true flow. The dovetailing was similar to a joiners masterpiece. Would it be possible to tie this up before the turn?
It wasn’t to be but by the par 5 13th hole McLeod & Adeshokan had the fat lady clearing her throat as they held a four shot lead over thier opponents. Tunde said “ to be honest we were slightly disappointed ... surely the match should have been won by now?”. But the boys stayed calm, and focused on the present to were determined to lock it out on the next hole.
On the 13th some great drawing drives put everyone in position. We layed up content to hit the green in 3, if they were to win the hole they will need to birdie it. Give credit to the NUGA guys they hit the green in 2 with a cracking strike through trees, over a bunker, off a mound to a tight green. A damn good shot, but easy to make when you don't have much to lose though. ACGA were on in 3 and D-Mac secured our par.
Now it was down to NUGA to make par or better to stay in the match. First the eagle putt was missed! Then the birdie putt failed to go in but surely they would make par to win the hole. That putt missed too now they faced a bogey putt to get a half and stay alive in the match. Surely they couldnt four putt after being on the green in 2. But that is exactly what happened and the match was won 5&4, the biggest winning margin on the day. With the game won the conversation and jokes could begin.
After the match Tunde added “although the company of our NUGA opponents (once the match was over) was great their understanding of knowing when to make noise and not requires just a little growth”.
Result: Danny & Tunde win 5 & 4 – ACGA (6.5 points, NUGA, 1.5 point)
Pairs Match 3 – Jacqui Harbor & Keith Murray vs Frank Shorte (10) & Eddie Agbandje (13)
The match started with a hard fought halve on the first but the ACGA pair went 1 down when they could not match NUGA’s birdie on the hardest hole, the 2nd. But it was soon back to all square with a ACGA win on the 3rd. NUGA began to scent a win when they went 2 down after the 6th. A good par on the 9th reduced the deficit to just one at the turn. Things got better for ACGA after Keith birdied the 10th to make the match all square. This is how things remained until the 16th with the Captain coming in numerous times to ensure ACGA did not fall behind. However, the 16th proved to be the decisive hole as ACGA moved ahead with a par to win the hole. Another half on the 17th meant they only had to match NUGA’s best score on the last to confirm victory, a feat they matched easily. After the match Keith said “It was a tight match but after we went ahead on the 16th I knew we would not lose”.
Result: Jacqui & Keith won – ACGA (7.5 points, NUGA, 1.5 point)
Pairs Match 4 – Austin Simmons (12) & Mickey Griffin (20) vs Abioye Asimolowo (14) & Dejo Odeyiska (20)
This was a match of 2 halves. The front nine was very nip and tuck with only 1 hole halved. The rest going this way and then, that. At the turn the match was evenly poised and could have gone either way. This is when the ACGA boys stepped out their game and showing why the Vice Captain was right to place every faith in them as the “finishers”. After the turn it was a one way street, the ACGA pair got ahead and stayed there.
Quickly building a lead that became insurmountable at the 14th when they shook hands for a handsome 4 and 3 victory. Austin said “We turned it on after the turn thanks mainly to some outstanding play by Dancehall”.
Result: Austin & Mickey won 4&2 – ACGA (8.5 points, NUGA, 1.5 point)
Geroge Grant