Cornwall Golf Union
Cornwall edge past Devon in hard-fought Launceston encounter
On a blustery June day, Cornwall welcomed their old rivals Devon to the green pastures of Launceston for what would prove to be a thrilling and tightly contested match.
The morning foursomes were tense affairs. Jones & Kneebone led the charge, only to be narrowly pipped on the last by a Devon birdie. Johnson & Keyser dug in to halve their game, while Norris & Blaber posted a vital 2&1 victory. Stone & Emery played well but couldn’t overcome tricky club selections in the windy conditions, going down 2&1. However, the rearguard pairing of Veale & Knowles battled superbly to come through 2&1 and leave the morning points all square at 2½–2½.
In the afternoon singles, Cornwall drafted in England International Ian Ashenden. After nine holes, the matches were finely poised — Cornwall up in 4 matches, all square in 4, and down in 2. Momentum shifted towards Devon as they surged ahead in the top four matches through the 14th. The tail, however, was strong and held firm.
Ashenden, having lost 17 to a birdie, holed a nerve-racking 6-footer on the last to clinch a vital half. Another crucial half followed from Keyser, swinging momentum back to the Men in Gold. Stone, Blaber, Veale, and Kneebone all wagged the tail superbly with convincing wins to secure an extremely tight and well-earned victory.
Cornwall progress undefeated and top of the league as they look ahead to their next fixture at West Cornwall in two weeks’ time. Cornwall play Gloucestershire at West Cornwall on 7th July.
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