Pairs Matchplay Knockout Final 2022

 

Brian Stocks & Helen Whitehand
v
Oliver Seagrave & Lee Thompson

Wednesday, 28th September 2022

Match Report by Richard Hone

The match started at 9:30am on a slightly chilly, but dry, day with a light breeze.

Brian, Helen, Oliver & Lee were all in good spirits. Brian & Oliver seem the most relaxed and confident, probably because they are both seasoned matchplay players.

Brian & Oliver (Hcps 7) were receiving no shots. Helen (Hcp 19) 11 shots and Lee (Hcp 16) 8 shots.

1^st Hole: Helen, the only player with a shot, hits her tee shot straight at the flag but it goes past and just off the back of the green. However she then chips on to close to the hole and it’s good enough for a 3 Nett 2 to win the hole. B&H 1 Up

2^nd Hole: No one gets shots. Oliver is on the green but a long way from the hole. Brian is on the green and 10ft away. Helen’s tee shot is way short but she chips onto the green leaving a 5ft putt. Oliver takes two putts, scoring 3. Helen putts out for a 3 securing the half giving Brian a chance for his birdie to win the hole … just misses. Hole halved.

3^rd  Hole: Oliver hits an excellent tee shot to the green, just misses his birdie putt and has to settle for a 3. Helen’s tee shot is short, but gets a shot on this hole. Her chip lands just short of the green and she two putts for a 4 Nett 3. Hole halved.

4^th Hole: Brian & Oliver both hit tee shots to the back of the green. Lee sends his ball way to the right close to the 3^rd green. Helen finds the left bunker and then finds her ball in a footprint. It takes two attempts to just get out and then chips close to the hole. Meanwhile Lee, playing from near the 3^rd green plays a superb shot to 5ft from the hole and then putts out for a 3. Brian also gets a 3. Hole halved.

5^th Hole: Brian uncharacteristically duffs his tee shot short and right. Perhaps in sympathy, Lee hits his tee shot to the right, into the rough. Oliver’s hits a great tee shot which travels past the hole and it takes two putts to finish off. Helen (with a shot) is 12ft away putting for a win, but just misses. Hole halved.

6^th Hole: Oliver over shoots the green and his ball has finished on top of a grass mat, which he cannot remove because if he moves his ball it is a penalty. Helen is the only player on the green, but is also at the back a long way from the hole. Oliver leaves his chip shot 10ft short and takes two putts to finish with a 4. Helen 3 putts for a 4 Nett 3 and wins the hole. B&H 2 Up.

 

7^th Hole: Brian, Oliver and Lee all score Nett 4. Helen chips her 2^nd shot onto the green 12ft away from the hole and her putt is just 6 inches short, but it’s 4 Nett 3 and another win. B&H 3 Up.

8^th Hole: Lee takes the scenic route and is on the green in 3 Nett 2 and 8ft away from the hole. Brian, Helen & Oliver all get steady Nett Pars.Hole halved

9^th Hole: Brian’s tee shot goes to the right, Lee’s to the left. Helen and Oliver hit excellent straight tee shots and both ended up just through the green 15ft away from the hole. Lee’s swing is impeded by a bush for his second shot so all he can manage is to knock it out a few yards and then his chip onto the green is short. Brian’s chip goes a fair way past the hole and he takes two putts to finish for 4. Helen and Oliver both manage to two putt for Par. Hole halved.

10^th Hole: Oliver sends his tee shot to the right but when it lands it kindly kicks (members bounce) to the left and his ball is just off the green 10ft away from the hole. Brian gets a steady Par. Oliver gets his Putt in for a Birdie and wins the hole. B&H 2 Up

11^th Hole Steady Pars from both Oliver and Brian. Hole halved.

12^th Hole Lee hits a good tee shot but it’s just left of the green. Oliver goes through the back, Brian & Helen both go to the right. Helen chips onto the green and it goes 8ft past the hole. Lee mishits his chip and is just off the green, 12ft away from the hole … but then Putts out for a Nett Birdie. Helen needs to get her putt to half the hole, but it just misses. B&H 1 Up

13^th Hole: Lee & Oliver both go way left and Brian & Helen both go way right. Brian mishits his chip about half way, Helen does better but is still off the green. Oliver chips too far, through the green. Lee is on the green but 25ft from the hole. Brian, Helen & Oliver manage Nett 4 each. Lee leaves his putt 6ft short but manages to get that in for a 4 Nett 3 to win the hole. Match All Square

14^th Hole: Brian & Oliver both get a steady Par. Match All Square

15^th Hole: I remind Brian that he got a Hole-In-One on this hole in the semi-final. Brian’s tee shot is 4ft from the hole! Lee hits a cracking tee shot but it goes 20 yards through the green, he then realises he took the wrong club. Oliver is just off to the right of the green. Helen hits short and left and the ball rolls into the rough. Brian gets his Birdie to take the hole. B&H 1 Up

16^th Hole: Brian puts his tee shot just on the front of the green. Helen and Lee, both with a shot, are just short of the green. Oliver is in the bunker on the right but plays a great shot out which just passes the hole 3ft away and he then gets his Par. Brian also gets Par. Hole halved, B&H 1 Up

17^th Hole: Another good tee shot from Brian and he is just off the green 10ft away from the hole. Helen hits her tee shot well but it goes left and finishes in the left bunker. Oliver hits right of the green 25ft away. Lee catches the ball well but it draws left and goes over the left bunker finishing in long grass with a tricky chip left to do. Oliver only manages a 4, Brian gets a 3. Lee chips onto the green leaving a 20ft Putt, takes two Putts for a 4 Nett 3. Hole halved, B&H 1 Up

18^th hole: Brian leaves his tee shot well short of the green, whilst Helen goes way through the green. Lee over hits and ends up nearly in the car park. Meanwhile Oliver is on the green just 8ft from the hole. Brian’s chip shot goes through the green and he is 25ft away. Lee manages to get on the green 15ft from the hole. Helen duffs her second shot and then chips onto the green 4ft away from the hole. Brian takes two shots to finish on 4. Oliver just misses his Birdie putt by 1 inch, but it’s still a 3 and wins the hole.

The match is All Square after 18 holes so it’s on to “sudden death” starting back on the first hole.

19^th Hole: Lee hits left and he is 40ft from the hole. Oliver hits a straight shot but leaves it just short of the green 30ft away from the hole. Brian thins his tee shot but the ball still manages to find its way to the green about 15ft to the right of the hole. Helen’s tee shot rolls closely past the pin and finishes just off the back of the green 10ft from the hole. Lee chips onto the green 6ft from the hole. Oliver’s long putt finishes 5ft left of the hole. Brian putts 3ft short and then lips out for a 4. Helen Putts from just off the green and ends up 3ft to the right of the hole. Lee Putts out for 3. Helen now has a very nervous 3ft Putt to win the match and the Championship … and she holds her nerve and Putts out for a 3 Nett 2.

Brian Stocks & Helen Whitehand win the Pairs Matchplay Knockout 2022

Runners Up: Oliver Seagrave & Lee Thompson

Congratulations to all players. You don’t get many matches as closely contested as that.