Cornwall Golf Union
West Cornwall Bag CTC in Close Match
West Cornwall claimed the 2024 bragging rights as they claimed the Cornwall Team Championship in a very close match with opponents St Enodoc. So tight was the margin that the 36 hole encounter involving foursomes and singles came down to the penultimate hole in the final game left on the course. At the Bude downhill 17th both West Cornwall's Jack Kevern and St Enodoc's George Tunbridge found the green with their seconds but it was Kevern who slotted a lengthy putt to guarantee his team the half point they need for overall victory.
The four morning foursomes were shared and St Enodoc 9th man Brandon Armitage got his team what looked like a very valuable three quarters of a point in his 2&1 win over Rob Lewis. And so St Enodoc led 2.75 - 2 at the lunch interval. In those foursomes Jordan Musitano and Luke Stevens raced to a 5&4 win over Charlie Runnalls and Tunbridge to get West Cornwall on the board. There were then two wins for St Enodoc as louis Archer and Lewis Bradley beat Kevern and Ethan Tempest 2&1 and Steve Chapman and Mark Justice held on to a 1 up win over Ross Lawrence and Seamus Stevens. West Cornwall levelled things a s Matt Richards and Lawrie Tremlett beat Mike Masters and Joe Combellack 3&1.
All of this meant St Enodoc required 4 points from the afternoon's 8 singles whilst West Cornwall needed 4.5 were they to achieve victory.
The Bude course was presented in excellent condition despite there having been heavy overnight rain and many compliments were heaped on Course Manager Jaimie Acton and his team for their sterling early morning which ensured excellent putting surfaces. An added bonus was an essentially dry day - just one short morning shower - and the sun making a welcome appearance for most of the afternoon play.
County stalwart Steve Chapman got St Enodoc into the driving seat with a 7&6 singles win over Seamus Stevens but with Richards winning by the same margin over Runnals there was little overall change. West Cornwall then gained an upper hand as Tremlett and Lawrence recorded 5&4 wins over Bradley and Combellack respectively before Louis Archer stabilised the St Enodoc ship with a 3&2 win over Tempest but this was simultaneously thwatred as Musitano beat Masters 3&2.
Now there were just two matches left on the course with West Cornwall hunting just a half point to win. St Enodoc though were not going to lie down demonstrated as Justice served up a 3&2 win over Luke Stevens. So just the one game on the course.
When Tunbridge at 1 down found the putting surface at the 16th with a great second as Kevern went long left ,it appeared as though the match would go all square. Not to be though. Kevern, able to take relief from temporary water, got his 3rd onto the green in front of, by now a large watching crowd of players and supporters, but was still some distance from the hole. Tunbridge came up short of the hole but looked odds on to make par especially when Kevern missed his 4th wide leaving himself a knee knocker away. Tunbrige then missed his putt which was conceded for a 5 before Kevern casually rolled in his to maintain the advantage. And so to the 17th where effectively the match was over. Tunbridge to his credit made a great 4 up the last to halve his game with Kevern.
CGU President Martin Edwards welcomed those present before Caroline Hume-Kendall, (Club Captain St Enodoc) thanked host club Bude and praised her team with whom she had enjoyed a great journey in this years competition. For West Cornwall an elated Dave Bowden congratulated St Enodoc for the manner in which they had taken the match to the wire. He too praised host club Bude for their hospitality and paid tribute to the green keeping staff who had presented an excellent course worthy of the final. Edwards presented tankards to both teams and the CTC Shield to West Cornwall Team Captain Luke Stevens.
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