SENIORS' CHANNEL LEAGUE v GLAMORGAN - EAST DEVON GOLF CLUB

The DevonGolf Seniors' team faced a huge challenge against Glamorgan at East Devon Golf Club in their penultimate Seniors' Channel League match. The visitors arrived with 2 of their 3 players selected for the Welsh Seniors' Home Internationals team, plus 4 other players who have represented Wales in recent years. Devon saw the return of Peter Bicknell (Torquay), Jez Binch (Warren) and the host club's Course Manager Paul Newcombe.

This was always going to be a tough, close match but no one was quite ready for the day that developed. The visitors led off the morning session with their two internationals Nigel Evans (Merthyr) and Gwyn Jones (Radyr) and they accounted for Bicknell and Chris Audin (Warren) 2-1. Newcombe and Thurlestone's Dave Eva then got one back for Devon, beating Jeff Thomas (Royal Porthcawl) and Adrian Bragg (Radyr) also 2-1. Tim Aggett and club mate Binch were 1-up with 3 to play on Nick Grimmitt and Brian Rigby (both Glamorganshire), although 1-down playing the last they somehow contrived to halve the game.

The Welsh then pulled ahead with another 2-1 win, this time for the Neath combo of Steve Williams and Paul Hughes. Playing in his 100th Seniors' Channel League match Tiverton's Tony Allsopp, in partnership with Tim Jones (Warren), would not to be denied as they defeated Ian Booth (Pyle and Kenfig) and Mark Burridge (Neath) 3-1.

It was all square at lunch, 2½ each.

Glamorgan sent their internationals out first again in the afternoon, Aggett getting a half with Evans after the Welshman had a poor start whilst Gwyn Jones was always in control against Audin, putting Glamorgan ahead. 

Devon fought back as Bicknell beat Thomas 2-1, Binch thumped Booth 5-4 and Newcombe cruised past Burridge 4-3. Although that gave the home side a 2-match advantage, news from the course wasn't good; Hughes had beaten Clark 3-2, Osborne was down and Jones was getting hammered.

First to appear was Osborne who had a really difficult 8-footer on 17 to get level with Bragg but it just dropped low side. Both hit sound tee shots to the 18th, Osborne's sliding into the rough. Both hit the middle of the green. Osborne putted first and just missed his birdie then, inexplicably, and with 2 for the match Adrian thumped his putt 5-feet past. He was up to the moment, though, and coolly holed the return. The overall match was level with 3 still playing.

Tim Jones had lost 6 of the first 7 holes to some inspired play from Steve Williams and had still been 6 down after 11. When he came in sight of the rest of the team playing 17 he'd been dormy down for a while but had refused to give in. Both players were on the long par 4 in 2, but both above the hole. Steve went 5 feet past and then missed his return, Jones left his slightly short but then holed an evil downhiller for his par - 1 down. 

At 18 Jones went miles left and at one point was actually Out of Bounds before the ball rolled back down a slope and just in play. Williams thumped his tee shot down the right but into the fairway bunker. Jones came out of the rough to the back of the green, Williams hit a great shot from under the bunker lip to the left edge but a long way away from the hole. His first putt was 8 feet short. Jones almost holed his birdie attempt but it refused to drop. He then had to watch as Jones tried to coax that second putt into the hole - he couldn't do it and a truly remarkable half was obtained by a very emotional Jones.

Allsopp, meanwhile, was taking everything in his stride and although his match with Brian Rigby had been close up the front 9, the Tiverton man had taken a measure of control just after the turn. Neither man could make a par on the really tough 17th, but when Brian missed for his 4 from around 10 feet above the hole Allsopp had the point and Devon led again.

But Eva was in trouble. A lost ball on 16 had given Nick Grimmitt a dormy 2 lead, and neither was on the 17th in 2 shots. Eva produced a brilliant pitch from fully 35 yards to around 3 feet, a putt he duly holed to go down the last just 1 behind. Both hit solid tee shots, Grimmitt just through the fairway, Eva was tight to the bunker but on grass. Grimmitt went to the back of the green for 2, Eva was around pin high. Grimmitt putted down and, although not threatening the hole, had his par conceded. Eva needed the birdie to halve the match and win the game for Devon. The 20-footer refused to fall, leaving the afternoon session also tied at 5 apiece, the match at 7½ all.     

The result was a fair reflection of a brilliant days' golf, but better for this still undefeated Glamorgan than for Devon; a point driven home just 24 hours later when Dorset won the last 3 singles of their match with Wiltshire to maintain their unbeaten record and put Devon out of the title race. It's fitting that Dorset's last game of the season is against Glamorgan, the only other undefeated side, to be played at Broadstone Golf Club on 5th September.

If thet match at Broadstone Golf Club was tied or Dorset win, Devon can still be runners-up in the League through superior points for and against, providing they can defeat bottom county Somerset in the final match at Mendip Spring Golf Club on 21st September.

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