Matchplay Championship 23

MATCHPLAY

championship

9 - 12 July 2023 Saunton Golf Club

For the first time in several years the Championship was less than full on the final day for entry, a sign of the challenging times the Army is experiencing in the backdrop of the events around the world. We did have 100 players for the 100th Championship, which was fitting for such an occasion, but there was every chance there would be the odd drop out closer we got to day one.

So, with the inevitable dropouts on day one, as luck would have it the AGA Chair was itching to get out on the course, and it didn’t take much persuading for him to step into the breech when the opportunity arose. With a full field the Championship got underway in full sunshine and with a gentle breeze.

Unfortunately, this was not to last as within an hour or two of the first tee time the weather changed to horizonal driving rain of biblical proportions. The course became brutal for the next hour then as is always the case in this coastal area, the clouds blew over and the sun returned for the remainder of the day. The Sunday Qualifying competition got underway with a field of 69 players having to qualify and 3 byes. This would leave a full field of 64 to start day one on Monday.

The winners went into the main draw with the top 16 (in seeding order based on their scratch Stableford scores). The unfortunate losers went on to compete in a scratch Stableford competition on Mon 10 Jul in the hope of qualifying for the Reserve Championship event, the Keith Seddon Trophy. Only the top 16 scratch Stableford scores would get into that event.

The cut for automatic qualification into the main event was made at 3.0 whilst the highest handicap overall was 12.9. Some of the more established Army players were unfortunately not able to enter owing to work, operational commitments and courses.

Lt Col Bob Pace (former Army Captain), Maj Jack Musgrove (Amry Captain), WO2 Chris Bradley and Sgt Richie Over were away in Finland at the European Masters Games where they collected a combined 6 medals; two Gold, three silver, and one bronze.

The course was as ever, in excellent condition with testing rough awaiting those who strayed off the beaten track. The weather elevated the levels of difficulty to ‘brutal’ with many in the field questioning their sanity in signing up for three days of golf in such

conditions. This was a links course with teeth and there was likely only going to be one winner. Long irons were definitely the way forward, those who let the driver loose were more often than not hitting three of six off the tee.

With no shocks of note in the qualifiers, day one of the main event commenced with overcast sky and a stiff onshore breeze.

Second out leading from the front was the AGA Chair, Col Keiran Sheldon RA who, against the sweep from the committee, managed to win through to the second round. Notable scores saw Cpl Glen Watt RAC win 7&6, as did WO2 Kerry Roberts RA. Pte Carl Gelder AGC won 7&5. There was a number of 6&5 and 6&4 wins, with five needing 19th and 20th holes to find a winner.

The weather all morning appeared for some to be unplayable with many of the newly purchase TaylorMade TP5s settling deep into the rough for others to retrieve.

SSgt Chris Rosie RE won through on 31 scratch pts, with Capt Steve Johnson AMS coming in 2nd on 28 scratch pts, then Sgt Bhupal Gurung R Sigs and Cpl Ryan Moore REME on 27 scratch pts, followed by LCpl Cameron Weir RLC, WO1 Steve Canning REME, Cpl George Dickinson REME and Maj Charles O’Shea RA all posted 25 scratch pts.

The rest of the field followed slightly further back from 24 through to 14, which was testament to the conditions and toughness of the course.

With no change to the conditions in the afternoon all was set for a long day with the last flight setting off at 1637hrs, albeit the rain had abated for a couple of hours. The 2022 Army Champion, Spr Graeme Torrie RE, continued his charge with a convincing 8&7 win demonstrating how to play in true links conditions, whilst hardly dropping a shot.

Sheldon set the pace against a potential semi -finalist, Watt, but any thoughts he had of making it through to the later stages were short lived once Watt woke up and got a hold of the match. Credit should go to Sheldon though as he finally succumbed to lose 4&3.

Notable results saw Torrie win through with a comfortable win, a display of championship links play; other Army players easing through the afternoon were LCpl Tom Sanghera REME and Capt Danny Saunders AGC both

taking easy routes through with 5&4 victories.

SSgt Adam Hayward RA and LCpl Johnny Stevenson Inf played out a head to head with Hayward winning 1Up. In the other side of the draw SSgt Gaz Gurung RE, last year’s semifinalist, eased through with a 7&6 win, Capt Tom Clarke REME and SSgt Somras Tamang R Sigs both had comfortable victories 5&4 and 4&2 respectively. Capt Neil Williams RA managed a 3&1 win, whilst Roberts scrapped through on the 18th 2Up after a strong performance from Cpl James Watson AGC. ‘The blowing of the cheeks as he sunk the final putt’ summed up the day. Cpl Steven Farnworth Inf succumbed to Maj Om Pun R Sigs 5&4. Finally, Capt Kenny Wilson RLC battled hard to the end winning 2Up taking the match to the 19th. The last in the field was Sgt Matthew Bruce-Smith AGC closing the day with a 4&3 victory. Play closed at 2040hrs with the light fading quickly and the rain continuing to fall; we just managed to avoid rolling into day two.

In the Plate competition, the Denton Salver trophy, held for the first-round losers from the main Championship, there were no clear favourites given the high standard of golfers in the competition. Sadly, WO2 Jason Moore AGC had to withdraw through injury, from a misspent youth playing too much football.

This left Lt Harry Owen REME with a walkover into round two. Notable scores from round one were: 8&6 win for Cpl Prem Bahadur Gurung R Sigs, 6&5 win for Capt Anthony Parkinson REME, and 6&4 win for WO1 Steffan Gibbs R Sigs. Lt Col Stuart Campbell AMS had won through, and he had high hopes of reaching the final. All was set for an intriguing day two and the hope of a more friendly weather system passing though Devon.

Day two morning session of the main event saw Watt out first again, this time against Saunders, in what was thought to be a tough match on paper turned out to be less so as Watt eased through with a 6&5 win.

Tuesday also brings the first handicap Stableford (Mickey Bryant Memorial Salver) for those who are knocked out of the Main and Plate Championships (Mon pm), those who did not qualify to play in the Keith Seddon Trophy (Mon am) and travelling reserves when we have them. Scores on the whole were pretty average with only CSjt

Yambahadur Gurung RCAM shooting 36 pts.

Capt Scott Dickinson Inf came in close second on 35 pts, followed by 3 players on 34pts. CSjt Yambahadur Gurung RCAM is the 2023 Mickey Bryant Memorial Trophy winner.

TUESDAY STABLEFORD WINNER CSjt Yambahadur Gurung RCAM Day two afternoon and we are now into the quarter-finals. In the main Championship saw some of the Army’s best and potential Inter Service Team members pitched against each other; Watt had a great tussle with Sanghera, but eventually succumbed 1Up. It will only be a matter of time before Watt steps up. Torrie, the 2023 Strokeplay Champion and defending Champion, closed out victory over Capt Sanjeev Rai R Sigs 2&1 on the 17th. N Williams beat last year’s finalist G Gurung 2&1; they scored 4 birdies between them in the four holes leading to the 17th where G Gurung missed the green left, leaving a horrible chip from the thick rough.

The bogey sealed victory for Williams. Finally, Bruce-Smith wore down Roberts to a 3&2 win to set up the four Army players in the semifinals.

In the Plate competition all quarter-finals were closely contested, eventually seeing Sgt Sanman Thapa Magar RE, Sgt Milan Rai R Sigs, Sgt Aajanish Anand REME and P Gurung all winning through to the semi-finals.

The last of the three quarter-finals, the Keith Seddon Trophy, saw Weir, WO1 Jay Pearson RE, Maj Ben Stephens Int Corps and Canning all reach the semi-finals, some had easier routes through than others, particularly Stephens following his 7&5 win.

Wednesday morning started with a torrential downpour that lasted 30 min, but once it finished the air cleared and the day changed to bright sunshine. Unfortunately for the players the wind remained as strong as had been experienced all week; at least they were climatised! The semi-finals of the Keith Seddon Trophy teed off at 0730hrs, followed by the Plate (Denton Salver) and then the Main Championship (Paget Trophy) all played on the East Course. The second of the handicap Stablefords (Bartley/Taylor Trophy) took place on the West Course.

The Stableford event as usual had a significant field of 85 which included any Corps team players who had not played in the individual events earlier in the week. After three days of highly competitive golf there was the inevitable dip in performance. With the weather condition remaining as windy as had been experienced throughout the week, scoring was evidently difficult with only one player scoring better than 36 pts; SSgt Narayan Thapa AGC on 37 pts, Capt Carl Wray REME on 35 pts, three players on 34 pts and five on 33 pts. SSgt Narayan Thapa AGC is the 2023 Bartley/Taylor Trophy winner.

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER Cpl Glen Watt RAC

WEDNESDAY STABLEFORD WINNER SSgt Narayan Thapa AGC In the semi-final of the Keith Seddon Trophy Weir beat Pearson 2&1, and Canning beat Stephens 3&1.

The Plate Championship got underway with M Rai beating Thapa Magar 3&2. In the other semi-final match Anand A took on P Gurung, but this was a match too far Anand and P Gurung took a comfortable win 6&4.

The main semi-final saw last year’s Champion Torrie up against Sanghera. Both players had been having very successful seasons to this point with Torrie seeking a double of Strokeplay and Matchplay trophies in the same year, having won the Strokeplay earlier in the year. Both players were playing some outstanding golf hitting the ball a country mile with a high degree of precision, but Sanghera was not to be overshadowed and fought hard against a formidable opponent.

After taking the initiative throughout the middle of the match he started to put pressure on Torrie taking what turned out to be an unassailable lead. He held firm coming down the stretch, eventually taking the match with a very credible 4&3 win.

The second of the main semi-finals saw Neil Williams up against fellow Army Player Matt Bruce-Smith. However, Matt, the reigning Dorset County Champion, was just too good on the day and ran out with an easy win of 5&4, to set up a final between two new finalists.

RESERVE WINNER LCpl Cameron Weir RLC The final of the Keith Seddon Trophy pitted Weir against Canning. Both players played some good golf, with Weir eventually running out the winner 3&2. LCpl Cameron Weir RLC is the 2023 Keith Seddon Trophy winner.

Reaching a final is never easy and you have to beat all opposition to win the prize.

However, the route to the final appeared to be relatively comfortable. Gurung P with only one close run match in the quarter final stage all others were comfortable victories.

Equally, M Rai had won all his matches to the final by 3&2 or better so the final was set to be a close-run affair. That was of course until both players hit their first tee shot, from where the pressure can be released of it can be overcome. On this occasion it appeared that Prem Gurung was able to code the better and stormed to a 6&5 victory over M Rai, who I am sure to return next year with vengeance. For this year though there was just one deserved winner. Cpl Prem Bahadur Gurung R Sigs is the 2023 Denton Salver winner.

The Paget Trophy final was set with two new finalists, who had been amongst the top 10 players at the Strokeplay in May. Sanghera playing off +3 and Bruce-Smith, a recent Dorset County Champion, playing off +2. On paper this was to be an evenly matched contest. The match was a close affair with each player going 1Up before losing the next

hole, this followed a steady pattern throughout with neither able to take the initiative. With the scores level on the 8th Bruce-Smith was blocked following his drive.

The only option was a right-angle recovery shot akin to Bubba Watson in the Masters against Tom Watson. He managed to reach the edge of the green and then up and down to save par. The match ran through to the 18th all square. Sanghera hit his traditional huge drive to the middle of the fairway, whilst Bruce-Smith hit the fairway bunker.

The second shots saw Sanghera hit to the back of the green beyond the mounds, whilst Bruce-Smith could only play safe to within 90yds. His approach to the green left him with a 20-foot putt for par. Sanghera on the other hand could chip or put. With the spectators all offering their opinion to ‘putt’ amongst themselves, Sanghera opted to chip and did so in spectacular fashion leaving just a 4-foot putt for par. Bruce-Smith’s return putt was close but narrowly missed the hole by an inch closing with a bogey, leaving Sanghera the par putt for the win, which he duly nailed. LCpl Tom Sanghera REME is the 2023 Paget Trophy winner.

The standard of play throughout the competition in such harsh conditions was outstanding and overall levels of sportsmanship were of the highest order with some excellent individual performances throughout the week. Congratulations go to the winners and all the players!

PLATE WINNER Cpl Prem Bahadur Gurung R Sigs

ARMY CHAMPION LCpl Tom Sanghera REME

KEY RESULTS Army Champion

LCpl Tom Sanghera REME

Runner-Up

Sgt Matthew Bruce-Smith AGC (SPS)

Plate Winner

Cpl Prem Bahadur Gurung R Signals

Reserve Winner

LCpl Cameron Weir RLC

Tuesday Stableford Winner

CSjt Yambahadur Gurung RCAM

Wednesday Stableford Winner

SSgt Narayan Thapa AGC

Most Improved Mens Player

Cpl Glen Watt RAC