Friendlies
Friendlies
Rickmansworth – Home Leg
Result: 2½ – 3½ Loss
The first (home) leg of this year’s match against Rickmansworth Golf Club took place on an afternoon of sunshine and heavy showers. Kerry Sargeant and Graeme Syme had an easy win (6&5) but the other five matches were very closely fought affairs that, with different play on the 18th hole, could have seen us take a 4-2 lead, rather than a 1 point deficit, to the away leg. The Dysart Arms was the venue for the after match dinner.
Anyone who would like to play in the return match at ‘Tricky Ricky’ on August 18th , and help us retain the trophy we won last year, should get their name down when the sheet appears in a few weeks time.
Rickmansworth Friendly Match
The Club permitted a one point deficit in the first leg of the annual friendly match at home to Rickmansworth. More…
A few stout men are wanted for the second leg in August to retain the Cup. Contact the Club Vice Captain to register your interest.
Mitcham Ladies – Home Leg
Result: Win 3½ – ½
On a rare hot and sultry day this year, the home leg of the Mitcham Match was played on 9th June on the Duke’s course. The format was 4 ball better ball match play with 3/4 the difference of the lowest handicap in each 4 ball (there is probably a better way of saying this!).
The win to Richmond Park was convincing 3½ to ½.
The team consisted of –
Cheryl Woodhouse & Norma Lynch
Maureen Slade & Aileen McKenzie
Sonia Inniss & Angela Flynn
Sheena Harrington & Lia Donath
Richmond Park have held the trophy for the last three years and will only require a halved match to do so again on the return leg on 11th August.
Ruffian’s Ryder Cup
Result: 11½ to 3½ Loss
This year’s event took place at Ludlow Golf Club on Friday October 6th and Saturday October 7th. Ludlow was a team of 7 men and 3 ladies, captained by their club professional, Dan Francis. RPGC (8 men and 2 ladies) were represented by Ian and Julie Smith, Peter and Sheena Harrington, Kerry Sargeant, Paul Grand, Toby Hunt, Graeme Syme, Jurek Strelcyn and Richard Owen (2006 team captain). Following RPGC’s resounding win (12:3) last year, Ludlow were clearly looking to turn the tables. Extremely heavy rain the day before, and for the RPGC team travelling up on the Friday morning, made it all the more surprising to see the greens being watered as we arrived at midday. (How nice it would be if our course was underlain by free draining sand and gravel).
The first afternoon’s fourballs did not go RPGC’s way. It was not until the final match, when Jurek and Richard gained a ½, that we got our score on the board. The Ruffian’s dinner took place on the Friday night at a modern restaurant inside Ludlow Castle, and then moved on to the hotel bar where half the RGPC team were staying. The Ludlow crowd, led by their president Michael Hinks-Edwards, made us very welcome in Ludlow and a couple of them tried to drink us under the table on Friday evening.
It was always going to be an uphill task starting the second day in deficit by 4½ to ½. Despite good singles wins by Kerry, Ian and Toby, RPGC lost the match 11½ to 3½ and the cup had to be handed back to Ludlow as worthy winners. Home advantage seems to have taken its toll again and there were suggestions that we should try playing the event at a neutral course next year.
Rickmansworth Friendly Match
The second leg went down to the wire with the Captain and Vice Captain having the final word. More…
Rickmansworth – Away Leg
Result: Win 7-5 Overall
The return leg of the Rickmansworth match was played on a bright and breezy afternoon and turned out to be a very close affair – undecided until the final match came in. With a 4-2 lead from the home leg, Richmond Park needed to gain at least another 2½ points to win back the Challenge Cup, which has been played for between the two clubs every year for the past 40 years.
As anyone who has played there will know, the Rickmansworth golf course is not nicknamed “Tricky Ricky†for nothing. With the first 4 games in, our 4-2 lead had turned into all square at 5-5, and another 1½ points still needed. But comfortable wins in the final two games by Richard Owen & Gurpal Sekhon, and Jon Cooper & Jurek Strelcyn, saw the this year’s final match result: a win for Richmond Park 7-5.
Ladies Mitcham Friendly Match
The Ladies scored a win as visitors at Mitcham for an overall win and thereby retain the trophy in the annual friendly match. More…
Mitcham – Away Leg
Result: Win 3-1
Overall result: Win 5-3
The away leg of the Richmond Ladies v the Mitcham Ladies was held on Saturday 12th August 2006.
We commenced at 12.00 on a very windy and squally afternoon. The format was 4 ball better ball match play off 3/4 handicap
The team comprised –
Cheryl Woodhouse & Maureen Slade
Jan Oliver & Lorna White
Sheena Harrington & Doreen Dolby
Veronica Mitchell & Lia Donath
The result was a 3-1 win for Richmond and the trophy was retained by Richmond for the third year running.
Thank you Richmond home and away teams for making this victory possible – well played ladies.
Mitcham entertained us at their club house for dinner and witty conversation afterwards.
This competition has been played every year since 1962, with 4 draws, 22 wins for Mitcham and 18 wins for Richmond Park ladies and we are catching up.
Rickmansworth Friendly Match
Report due soon…
Rickmansworth – Home Leg
Result: Win 4-2
Report to appear here.