After the postponement of the usual curtain raiser to the season earlier in the year, 36 players descended on Libbaton GC to take part in the annual hard fought competitive match. The teams arrived to glorious sunshine and a well presented course which was a new experience for many of the gathering players.
Teams had been drawn by Captain Jeff and Vice Captain Bob prior to the event and pairings were arranged to balance the number of strokes given as much as possible. After sitting down to a good lunch, the combatants moved off to the first tee where battle commenced led by the pairs of the Captain and the Vice and their partners.
The course starts with a gentle par 4 with 2 ponds positioned in front of the tee box. The Captain waited in expectation for Vice Captain Bob to duff his first tee shot into the pond as is often the case. Unfortunately this never materialised and along with his partner, next year’s President Peter Dunstan, they set the tone by winning the first hole and subsequently the match.
At the halfway point, the outlook for the Captain looked bleak. However, his tailenders rallied with three wins and a half in the last four matches to give him an overall 5-4 win. Will we ever know whether this was part of his team selection strategy or just good fortune?
