2008 Halford Hewitt

Report from Richard Stocks

 For those of us attending the Annual General Meeting and the draw the highlight was the election of Geoff Clay as Vice-President – a great honour both for him and Tonbridge. With Jeremy Lowe being elected President, this led to a bizarre double act between them reminiscent of Tweedledum and Tweedledee. The other notable event of the evening was the draw, from which it looked as though there was a good chance that we would be out in the first round. We are usually slow starters, and usually not everyone makes the practice round, and playing Whitgift in the first round was fraught with danger.

Soon after that, Ed Richardson announced that he was not available due to his commitments to try and secure his international place, so Tim Jenkins was drafted in. After two more on/offs on Ed’s part he finally gained his international spot and was therefore able to play. By this time Tim Jenkins had turned down a trip to Augusta and it was too late to reinstate it, so it showed a lot of team spirit on his part to come down and watch us on Sunday.

The next decision that seemed strange on the face of it was to forgo a practice round at Deal in favour of a day of foursomes at Rye. In fact this turned out to be a masterstroke, and we were the envy of many teams. The practice day takes hours and is very unsatisfactory, whereas, on a beautiful golfing day, the team were joined by Nick Kemp and Mike Hall and played 2 rounds of foursome matches.

I joined them for dinner at Knowlton Court on Wednesday evening after their golf. The atmosphere was good and we had a delicious meal and the team were certainly ready for the fray on Thursday morning. Unsurprisingly, after 36 holes, everyone was in bed by 11.First round v Whitgift at Deal 1055 Thursday 9^th April

The weather turned out much more pleasant than expected, with very little wind, but the air temperature was still cold which kept the spectators on their toes. For the watchers on the balcony, we couldn’t have got off to a better start. After a half in four in the first match, James Horn hit his second shot at the first to three feet, for the first of two birdies both for them (3 at the second as well), and for the team. The second one for the team was luckier. A slightly less than perfect drive from Clay (the only one in the rough) was followed by a searing iron shot from Taggart to the back of the green from where Clay holed from 30 feet and started a war dance as he looked around for people to talk to about it. Luckily I was safely on the balcony watching the performance through binoculars. We won that first hole in three matches and halved the other two, three pars and two birdies as instructed by the Captain. This was a crucially important start against Whitgift, who, we later discovered, had been really up for the match, and had put a tremendous amount of thought and practice into the encounter.

At this point I moved to the 6^th green (using the car is a great help for ageing legs). The first pair were now one down which was disappointing, and Ingleby, surprisingly, didn’t go for the green with his drive at the downwind sixth. Hubbard unfortunately dunched his difficult pitch from the fairway and they went two down. The second pair were 2 up having started 33435. Jones and Richardson, and Clay and Taggart are both winning but we are down in the fifth match, so it is all very tight. When Clay arrives on the sixth fairway there are two lots waiting on the sixth tee because it is drivable. Nick Owen, the Secretary of the Hewitt has already considered the situation, and he has gone back to the tee to organise a call up procedure. This was clearly not enough for Clay, as he marched around the edge of the fairway instructing various rather non-plussed slow play buggy officials, and anyone else within earshot, that there must be a call up procedure. Richardson’s comment when he was asked to mark his ball, before putting a curly five footer on the sixth green, to let the next match drive, was something along the lines of what was it to do with Clay. All good fun.

On the way to the hut now, the score after 8 is up in three and down in two, and not much change by the hut at the ninth. Richardson hit another wonderful iron to the ninth to 8 feet, only for his Whitgift opponent to hit it inside him. By this time Hubbard & Ingleby were coming down the 12^th where they reduced their deficit to 3 with a birdie, only to lose the next. They had a comparatively poor day and were the only pair to be over par when they lost 4/3. However, the match was starting to go our way with Lloyd and Partridge turning their match round through the loop to go from 1 down after 6 to win 5/4. They have a unique way of encouraging each other whereby Partridge would say to Lloyd as he is addressing the ball "Don’t do what you did last time and hook it into the heavy rough". Chacun a son gout. Richardson and Jones had a fine match. Their opponents were only one over par when they lost on the last green. Their opponents fought back from 3 down and got back to 1 at the 16^th, when the match looked over, by holing from 20 feet for their four, leaving Jones to miss from 6 feet for the half. By the time their match reached the eighteenth tee, with Tonbridge one up, the overall match was over. A half in four at the eighteenth enabled us to win a fine match by one hole, with the unfortunate Whitgift opponents only one over par. Spurling and Horn had won a fine match by 2/1against Stracey and Hedges (playing his 100^th match for Whitgift), probably their best pair, after a fine four at the into the wind sixteenth. James played really well by all accounts, although, as so often happens, all I saw, apart from the first, were his three poorer shots. Spurling also was on good form, and that boded well for future rounds. Clay and Taggart played solidly for their 4/3 win, so all in all it was a solid win against a side that had done a tremendous amount of preparation. The Hon Sec was heard to declare that it was the finest performance he had seen from our team in the Hewitt. Kemp’s captaincy was starting to show its strength, even though we did appear to have a dead man in our side on the list – our much loved CJC Lloyd instead of his son.

We had a lot of supporters today as might be expected for such a crucial match so early in the tournament. Among those present today were Anthony Hudson and Peter Morris, President and Secretary of the OT Society respectively, Martin and Moira Ellis, John Gibbs, David Walsh, Richard Lea, Richard Gracey, Adrian Cooper, and Colin Vokins, OTGS IPC and Captain respectively, David Kemp, David Reich, James Horn’s parents, and I’m sure many others.

A pleasant dinner back at Knowlton, where we invited Andrew Reynolds the RCP professional to join us.

JC Hubbard & BSE Ingleby 0 v SAH Hollins & NR Williams 4/3 1

JC Spurling & J Horn 2/1 1 v PJ Hedges & AP Stracey 0

CWA Jones & EJ Richardson 1up 1 v MDS Webster & RS Gibson 0

AG Clay & Dr GE Taggart 4/3 1 v AB Atkinson & M Dauton 0

CRE Lloyd & RJ Partridge 5/4 1 v MJ Hayes & CEM Jones 0Won 4-1

Second Round v Gresham’s

The second round was inevitably an anticlimax on Friday morning, and the team played rather in that fashion. Gresham’s are comparative rabbits, and we just had to take care that we didn’t slip up. It was an early start, as we were in that much sought after part of the draw, where we play two rounds on Friday, and only one on Saturday. I was out on the slow play buggy and the early matches finished in good time, but, by the time I drove the buggy back to the third tee there were three matches waiting. The problem with the wind in that direction is that the third and fifth are reachable in two with modern equipment, and the sixth is drivable. Eventually, we got a call up procedure going on the third and fifth, but it didn’t stop rounds taking 4½ hours.

The weather was pretty good, but it was probably at least a 2 club wind from the South West. The most notable event was watching from my buggy Ahmed Patel of Dulwich score an ace at the fourth. I then handed the buggy back and drove out to the Chequers to see how the team were getting on at the sixth. In the top match, Horn has apparently hit a great tee shot onto the sixth green, and once again I have missed it. They go 2 up. Behind him, Richardson lands on the green pin high, and finishes in thick rough beside the seventh tee resulting in a loss, to return to one up. Lloyd and Partridge are 2 up, as are Hubbard and Ingleby, although they look to have lost the 6th, whilst Clay and Taggart are one up after 5, and win the 6^th, after Gresham’s fail to get on the green in two. All is well.

On to the hut where the impression is of a certain lackadaisical approach by the players compared with yesterday. Horn and Spurling have gone one down, though they square the match with a superb second by Spurling at the twelfth. Jones and Richardson are all square, but also win the 12^th, after another good second by Jones. At the thirteenth, the top match goes one down again, after a 6, while the second match remains all square. At this stage the match has taken 3¼ hours for 13 holes - evidence of slow play generally, and the problems of the downwind reachable holes going out.

After that, all goes well and we win by 4½-½ with the last match being called in, when the match is over. Supporters this morning included Bob Gonda, James Horn’s parents, Richard & Heather Clay, John Gibbs, Martin & Moira Ellis, Caroline Kemp, Richard Proctor, and Jo Gunnell.

JC Spurling & J Horn ½ v T Allison & BMP Stockham ½

CWA Jones & EJ Richardson 3/2 1 v HT Semple & W Stebbings 0

CRE Lloyd & RJ Partridge 6/5 1 v TGA Hedley & A Mann 0

JC Hubbard & BSE Ingleby 4/3 1 v JAD Mumby & RJ Stevens 0

AG Clay & Dr GE Taggart 4/3 1 v MR Barnard & AJ Marson 0Win by 4½-½

Third Round v Stowe

The slow play of the field in the morning meant that this match was delayed beyond its planned start of 3.30 pm. We had been in for some time but had to wait to give our opponents, Stowe, finishing the morning match after us, time to have something to eat and drink. But, the late start did mean that there was no-one directly ahead, and the golf was much brisker as a result. Stowe was another potentially difficult match, as they all would be from here on. I watched from the balcony, after an enjoyable lunch with the Clays and Ellises and Nick Kemp. Binoculars in one hand, and kummel in the other, I watched a dismal picture unfold. In the first match, Stowe’s drive is too far right and hits Richardson, who then hits his second shot into the burn, so that is 1 down. In the second match, James Horn follows Richardson into the burn, while Stowe bounce it, so we go one down there as well. However, we square that match at the second. Lloyd, in the third match, finally gets one over the ditch, and we win the hole, when Stowe lose a ball in the rough on the left. In the fourth match, Clay holes for a three at the last gasp, to win the hole, and Clay’s praying to Allah routine starts up again. Behind, after some problems and six putts, the hole is halved in 6.

Back to the car and on to the sixth, to see what is happening there. The first pair are all square or maybe one down, and Horn and Spurling are 2 down. Lloyd and Partridge are cruising along as usual at three up, although they lose the badly played 6^th. Clay, arms waving at spectators talking on the beach, voices very surprisingly carrying that far into the wind, putts from below the bank to 6 feet for a probable three, to go a probable four up. Hubbard and Ingleby lose the sixth to a three (nearly a two) to go back to two up.

So the match is nicely poised. At the ninth, Hubbard’s ball is on a road, and Ingleby says he is planning to half thin a 5 iron onto the green. Hubbard reminds him that he gets a drop but he does exactly as planned and the half thinned 5 iron travels a huge distance onto the green.

Over to the twelfth I see Spurling and Horn go one up after a huge drive by Horn. So, only Richardson and Jones are struggling at 2 down. Lloyd and Partridge are 5 up, but go back to 4, three putting 12^th after a weak first putt from Lloyd. Clay and Taggart win at the 12^th, and later, with Horn and Spurling all square, and the third and fifth pairs dormy three and dormy two it looked all over. However, Lloyd and Partridge threw most of their 5 up lead away. In the top match, Jones’ chip at seventeen from pin high left only travelled a few feet, and when Richardson hooked into the rough at the 18^th and Jones’ recovery went further left never to be seen again, that match was gone. Meanwhile, Horn and Spurling arrived on the 18^th tee all square and suddenly it looked nasty. Horn, for once, didn’t find the fairway, and was in the rough from where Spurling played a sensible recovery. Horn played a lovely pitch and Spurling holed from 8 feet for their match, and, at the same time, news came that Hubbard and Ingleby had won, so the overall match was secure, much to the spectators’ relief. Strangely, for the second time, James Horn played against a centurion, with Bob Durrant recording his 100 matches. The whole encounter had taken less than four hours for all five matches and we were able to squeeze in a pint at the Griffin’s Head before sitting down to dinner at 9, followed by the Masters on TV, with most of the team falling asleep and off to bed by 11.

CWA Jones & EJ Richardson 0 v HCM Brooks & NDJ Gray 2up 1

JC Spurling & J Horn 1up 1 v RA Durrant & RC Samuel 0

CRE Lloyd & RJ Partridge 1up 1 v AM Edgerley & CJ Rotheroe 0

AG Clay & Dr GE Taggart 7/6 1 v PA Marshall & RS Morris 0

JC Hubbard & BSE Ingleby 2/1 1 v HRP Jarvis & M PalmerWon 4-1

Quarter-Final v Wellington

A leisurely start today at 1230 against Wellington. That enabled me to get in the car, after a quick breakfast, and play nine holes with 2 balls at Littlestone from the 10^th to the clubhouse, a nice pint, and a walk back along the sea wall. It was certainly a tough morning with a very strong south-westerly. Far too difficult for me. Gone are the days when I could return with a report of 2 over par. Straight back to Deal for a glass of wine and a sandwich, while Nick Kemp briefed me on the early play at the first. It seemed a reprise of yesterday almost, with Jones and Richardson taking 5 to lose the hole, after a visit to thick rough, and James Horn visiting the burn for the second time, though this time they got their five for a half.

Out at the sixth Richardson and Jones were all square, or possibly one up, and Spurling and Horn were two up. In the third match Lloyd hit the green off the sixth tee, but rolled over onto the seventh tee, from where Partridge hit it safely on the green. Wellington’s drive is on the beach, and the first recovery leaves it still on the beach, from where they hit it to 6 feet. Lloyd’s putt is distinctly weak and not quite inside Wellington, leaving Partridge a nasty 6 footer across the wind and the slope. He nonchalantly knocks it in and Wellington miss, so we are four up there.

Hubbard & Ingleby at four get a good four at the sixth, to reduce their deficit of three still further to only one down, whilst Clay and Taggart are one up. Over to the hut now, to find that Jones and Richardson are still one up and Spurling and Horn still two up. Lloyd and Partridge lose the ninth, and their four up lead has slipped to two. Hubbard and Ingleby get a half in five at the ninth, having driven into the bunker, and remain all square, and Clay & Taggart win the ninth to go one up. The overall position, with the difficult back nine likely to work in our favour, was satisfactory at +1, +2, +2, AS, +1. Soon, Horn & Spurling and Lloyd and Partridge pull away both to win by 5/4, and Hubbard & Ingleby by 4/3. Jones and Richardson had played steadily to win 2/1, leaving Clay and Taggart to be rescued by car from a heavy squall. For once their half point was gained from a position of being down at the time. The very pleasant young Wellington side had put up a good fight but the Tonbridge team were very sound after a good night’s rest.

Supporters today included Richard Gracey, Peter Bathurst, Martin Ellis, John Gibbs, Nick Kemp’s aunt (and Wellingtonian uncle), Jo Gunnell, Andy Brice, Doc Hugh Evans, Caroline Kemp, Richard & Heather Clay, and David Kemp.

A nice early finish meant a leisurely drink in the clubhouse with their delightful team and jovial non-playing captain Mike Power, followed by a trip to the hut to find that Malvern were probably winning their quarter final, although Haileybury were giving them a bit of a fright. Then, what has become the highlight of the day for the younger members (plus two elderly ones), a pint at the Griffin’s Head with Partridge, Lloyd, and Taggart, discussing the team and the pairings. All good stuff.

Back to Knowlton, where we invited Martin Ellis to dinner. The meals have not been nearly as good this year – rather too rich leaving too many of the side with indigestion or worse.

EJ Richardson & CWA Jones 2/1 1 v J Gowar & JA Holland 0

JC Spurling & J Horn 5/4 1 v CE Richardson & CRA Rowse 0

CRE Lloyd & RJ Partridge 5/4 1 v CB Manson & JAD Wyke 0

JC Hubbard & BSE Ingleby 4/3 1 v JJ Douglas & EM Barry-Walsh 0

AG Clay & Dr GE Taggart ½ v JI Harper & TDG Warrilow ½Won 4½-½

Semi-Final v Eton

So, off to Deal for the last time, after an early breakfast, and everything packed into the cars. It was a lovely morning with very little wind, but a forecast of squalls to come in due course. I watched the opening holes from the balcony, as I usually do, but I missed the first two pairs, though I did see Horn unusually miss a two foot putt for a win. In the third pair, Eton lose their ball in the thick rough on the left, while Partridge is on the fairway. Eton find their ball, and, predictably go into the ditch, so we go one up there. "Old Mother Hubbard" is below the balcony chatting to all his Etonian friends from Sunningdale. Richardson & Jones have a perfect half in four. In the fifth match, Eton are on the front edge of the green in two, and putt to 5 feet, and hole for their four. Hubbard putts to four feet, and Ingleby’s putt lips out. 1 down and another three putt. There are too many of them for my liking. Out to the sixth, and it is clear that there is not enough wind for us. With the sun out the weather is almost balmy. Clay & Taggart are leading the field (is that a good idea slow play wise?) and exchange birdies at 5 and 6 to remain all square. Spurling and Horn three putt the fifth to go 2 down, but get a half at the sixth. Lloyd & Partridge get a birdie at five, to reduce their deficit to one. It is all looking a bit dodgy, as I hear that the last two matches are both one down as well. Richardson & Jones get a reprieve at the fifth, where Eton three putt, and we stay one down, but Richardson’s magnificent drive (three wood?) at the sixth lands on the green and holds, so that squares the fourth match. Hubbard hits his regular shank with his third shot at the fifth, but we remain all square.

On to the ninth, where the scores, as the matches come through, are distinctly worrying. Clay & Taggart are all square. Spurling (who has stomach problems) and Horn are three down. Lloyd & Partridge, usually bankers, are one down. Richardson and Jones are all square, but a great iron shot by Richardson at the ninth to 10 feet, converted by Jones, puts them one up. Behind, Hubbard misses his putt for a three, and the fifth match remains all square. So, down in two matches, up in one, and all square in the other two means that there is work to do.

Over to the 12^th, to see Spurling hit a fine second to the green, which should provide a win, but they have given Krefting and his partner too much space and they eventually go down 3/2. At the thirteenth, Taggart swings too quickly with his second and hits it a long way left, while Eton miss on the right. The overall position is still poor at -1, -2, -1, +1, AS. Here at thirteen, Clay hits a wonderful long putt from off the green to four feet. Eton, for once, miss, and Taggart holes, to square the match. Good news too at 14, which we win, when Eton fail to get out of the right hand bunker. But, this is cancelled by Horn hitting his tee shot at fourteen into the right hand bunker.

Suddenly, the news is better behind. Partridge and Lloyd get a 3 at the twelfth to follow their birdie at 11, to go 2 up. Richardson & Jones are steaming ahead at four up, and Hubbard & Ingleby are one up after twelve. The twelfth as so often has become a pivotal hole, with Jones stiffing it out of the rough, and Lloyd and Partridge getting their three. Ahead, at the sixteenth, Eton carve their second into the right hand rough, but they get their third shot on the green. Taggart plays a lovely pitch to 10 feet, but, just like the twelfth, Clay comes up on the putt, and misses for the win. At the seventeenth, Taggart’s second is way right of the green, while Eton are on the green, and our one up lead looks wobbly. Clay makes a difficult pitch look ridiculously easy, and hits it to 9 feet. Unbelievably, Eton putt 8 feet short. Taggart holes what is surely the winning putt, but Eton bravely follow him in to save the match. At the eighteenth, Taggart obeys instructions and keeps his drive right – too far right and in the rough. Eton hit a huge drive down the fairway. Both second shots finish short and right of the green. Taggart putts to 15 feet; Eton much better to ten feet. Clay’s good putt slides by the edge, and the Eton putt goes right in the middle again.

So, on to the nineteenth, where Taggart carves his second right of the green; Eton on the green. Clay putts from well off the green to 10 feet, from where Taggart holes the bravest of putts to keep the match alive. Looking back to Hubbard and Ingleby at the 17^th there is a lot of activity. Eton seem to be playing a lot of shots from short of the green, while Hubbard is walking around swishing his putter. Eventually, Hubbard putts from what transpires to be just over the green, but doesn’t look happy. We have two matches in the bag, and have lost one. Surely we can win one of these last two. Mercifully, Eton drive into the bunker on the right of the twentieth, and Clay is able to hole the short (3 feet he says) putt for a winning four, enabling Hubbard and Ingleby to walk in with a half.

This had been our toughest match, and all five matches had been down at some stage. We now had the benefit of being the first semi-final, allowing us a reasonable time for lunch despite the somewhat extended match, while Malvern comfortably beat Harrow to set up yet another Tonbridge v Malvern final.

Supporters today included our Captain Colin Vokins, John Gibbs, Hon Sec Monty of course, John Gibbs, Tim Jenkins, Caroline Kemp, Martin & Moira Ellis, Richard Gracey, Anthony Hudson, James Horn’s parents, Mandy Kemp with Tabitha and Benedict, Jo Gunnell, Geoffrey Gibbon, Paul Williams, Richard & Heather Clay, Bernard Thompson, whose son Will OT was caddying for Clay, John Irwin, Roger Spurling, David and Faith Reich, Peter and Marjorie Morris, and John Paddy.

AG Clay & Dr GE Taggart 20^th 1 v JM McMillan & J Seabrook 0

JC Spurling & J Horn 0 v JRH Krefting & A Leslie 3/2 1

CRE Lloyd & RJ Partridge 3/2 1 v EAJ Greenhalgh & SD Best 0

EJ Richardson & CWA Jones 5/4 1 v CAW Taylor & WM McPhail 0

JC Hubbard & BSE Ingleby ½ v HH Dixon & DCA Ferreira ½Won 3½-1½

Final v Malvern

The final against Malvern starts at 2.30. At 2.35, Johnny Hubbard, who has been practising on the range, discovers that he has locked all his clubs, apart from the driver he was using, plus his car keys and mobile in the boot of his Mercedes. After a lot of fussing about, and a broken window that achieved nothing apart from setting the alarm off, a local member came to his recue, and lent him some clubs, and another member lent a putter. With all that going on, I was deprived of my normal viewing platform on the balcony with a glass of port. But, we seemed to get off to a good start, especially on the greens, where we had been weak in the morning.

Out to the fifth, to find that Geoff Clay and George Taggart are one up, and go two up after 6. Behind, Johnny Spurling hits his second shot dead at the 6^th,and they go two up. Meanwhile the third and fifth pairs are all square, and Johnny Hubbard and Brian Ingleby are 3 up, despite the borrowed clubs. Eventually they get to five up, and with the first two pairs looking comfortable winners, it looks all over by the hut.

Then the Malvern fight back starts. They win two holes back and come to the sixteenth three down. When Hubbard putts dead from 35 feet, it really does look all over, but Malvern bravely hole from 18 feet for a win. At the 17^th, Hubbard again putts dead from 25 feet short of the green, and Malvern this time hole from 10 feet. Meanwhile, from dormy one, Richardson and Jones lose the 18^th, so they are all square, as is the fifth match. Finally, at the 18^th, Johnny Hubbard holes from 6 feet with his borrowed putter, whilst Richardson & Jones are halfway down the 19^th. What the record books show as a comprehensive win 4-1, was anything but, with the finishing line coming just in time.

Prizegiving and speeches and champagne, and then, with lots of helpful suggestions, Johnny Hubbard and I try to sort out his car. The infallible solution is for his son to get his spare key from his flat and click the button down the mobile phone line whilst Johnny holds his mobile to the lock. Not this time, so I have to drive him home, and then, because we are both playing bridge the next day, back again to Deal the next morning with the spare key. I definitely won the prize for the longest drive.

AG Clay & Dr GE Taggart 3/2 1 v AA Barrett-Greene & CCJ Schmitz 0

JC Spurling & J Horn 4/3 1 v AM Coleman & JNS Lowe 0

EJ Richardson & CWA Jones ½ v IK Timberlake & WW Beeson ½

JC Hubbard & BSE Ingleby 1up 1 v SD Blanchet & THE Duerr 0

CRE Lloyd & RJ Partridge ½ v HRD Aldridge & ECS James ½Won 4-1