St Enodoc Win Wills and Trethorne Capture Bowl
Sunday 1st March 2015
Frank Wills Trophy CAW Cornish Bowl Finals 2014-15
The finals of both the 2014-15 CGU Frank Wills Trophy and the CAW Cornish Bowl took place at Perranporth GC today (Sunday 1st March 2015) and resulted in respective wins for St Enodoc and Trethorne.
St Enodoc (pictured above with CGU President David Inch and Club Captain Tony Rounsevell) are the winners of the Frank Wills after they defeated St Austell 3-2 in a 36 hole final on what was a difficult playing day over the James Braid designed clifftop links course with winds gusting up to a maximum of 54mph. The day started dry and sunny but with everyone aware rain was in the forecast for the post lunch period everyone had their fingers crossed and certainly in the Wills match a quick pace of play ensued. However the rain stayed away with blue skies and sunshine providing a welcome comfort in what were still difficult and biting winds.
In Match 1 stalwarts John Pease and Kevin Brenton for St Enodoc found themselves 2 down after 15 holes to the St Austell pairing of PJ Lund and Matt Knowles. But a win on the 18th sent them into lunch just the one hole down.
However in Match 2 St Enodoc’s Paul Dingle and Mike Masters were 3 up at the lunch interval over Phil Kent and Dave Johnson and with their third pairing of Dave Flew and Russell Combellack also up to the tune of 5 holes over Tim Peers and John Walker St Enodoc held a small advantage.
CGU Vice President Glyn Rowett and his St Austell partner Simon Smith were all square with the St Enodoc pairing of Richard Hawken and Richard Lawrence after the first 18 holes but St Enodoc’s overall advantage was extended when their fifth pairing of Sam Jarvis and Keith Hawke reached the halfway point 2 up over Jay Isbell and Mark Burt. This left the lunchtime score 3.5 - 1.5 in St Enodoc’s favour.
The afternoon session started in the dry and this remained the case but for a 20 minute squall which left players and spectators alike looking forlornly for shelter. The match was concluded in much lighter winds and with a reappearance of blue skies and sunshine.
In the first match Brenton and Pease were all square after the second 15 holes but then lost the next two holes to go one down. The St Austell pairing of Lund and Knowles took the one hole lead to the 18th tee and when the pairs halved 18 the first point on the board had gone to St Austell.
Matches 2 and 3 proved pivotal for St Enodoc as Dingle with Masters and Combellack with Flew registered 6&5 and 4&2 victories respectively over Kent & Johnson and Peers & Walker.
When the fourth St Enodoc pairing of Hawken and Lawrence who had been 3 down after 10 of the afternoon holes turned their match around against Rowett and Smith to win, the Trophy was heading to the North Cornwall coast for the third time in the club’s history, with previous wins in 1998 and 2013.
The last match on the course provided some consolation for St Austell as Isbell and Burt turned their lunchtime deficit around and beat Jarvis and Hawke 2 up.
The final match score was St Enodoc 3 - 2 St Austell.
Perranporth GC Captain Steve Sperring welcomed those taking part on what was a busy day at the club with both the Salver and Cornish Bowl finals taking place. CGU President David Inch presented the prizes and thanked Perranporth for their hospitality and ongoing support of the Union. He singled out Manager David Mugford for his help in staging the event and Billy Mitchell and his greenstaff for the condition in which the course had been presented. He paid tribute to both sides saying completing 36 holes on a difficult day established both teams as winners. St Enodoc Team Captain Bob Cruse was presented with the Frank Wills Trophy.
The Cornish Bowl winners for the third time in 10 years (prev 2006 and 2012) are Trethorne (pictured above) as they defeated a gallant China Fleet team in what was the battle of East Cornwall. The deciding match went to the 18th after both clubs had recorded two individual match wins.
First blood went to China Fleet as number one pairing Ray Ball and Chris Sharp defeated Kevin Woolley and Chris Copley by 4&2.
The second Fleet pairing of Brian Kelly and John Owen beat Ivor Edmunds and Les Jewell to the tune of 2&1.
Trethorne were however not down and out as their third pair Simon Price and Jason Howes won 2&1 over Tom Jane and Lee Jackets.
The fifth pair for Trethorne, Ian Burn and Andrew Froude, registered a win over the Callaghan brothers John and Dave by a 4&3 margin.
This meant it was all down to the last match alive on the course between Fleet’s Andy Hatch and James Stroud and the Trethorne pair of Jon Grainger and Gary Shirley. Fleet had gone 1 up on the 15th and following a half in fives on 16 still had the advantage. With conditions worsening as the wind increased the Fleet were forced to concede the 17th after two wayward tee shots. When China Fleet flew the green at 18 with their second with Trethorne just short in two, things were still very much alive. However China Fleet were unable to get up and down and were forced to concede the hole the Cornish Bowl was heading east up the A30 and not on the A38.
The final match score was Trethorne 3 - 2 China Fleet.
CGU President David Inch presented the prizes to both teams.
On behalf of China Fleet their Captain Peter Church thanked his team for their support over the competition period and paid tribute to the Trethorne team. Trethorne Captain Chris Eyles received the Cornish Bowl from the CGU President. Eyles said he was delighted with his team’s win and thanked Perranporth for hosting the final.
The losing St Austell and China Fleet teams are pictured below as is Chris Eyles, Trethorne Captain with David Inch, CGU President and St Enodoc's Team Captain Bob Cruse with Club Captain Tony Rounsevell and David Inch.