Inter Unit Championship 2024

INTER UNIT

championship

10 - 12 June 2024 Catterick Golf Club

The Inter Unit returned to Catterick this year, with an increased field of 17 teams compared to 2023’s 14. It was heartening to see teams travelling from as far afield as Warminster, Folkestone, Marchwood, and Leuchars to compete in this, the longest-standing competition in the AGA calendar.

Day one saw all teams participate in a 36hole Stableford qualifier off handicap, with the top four teams progressing into the Matchplay Championship to compete for the Balfour Trophy. The next four teams entered the Plate to compete for the India Cup, while the remaining nine teams played a 27-hole team Stableford event for the UDR Trophy.

Sadly, this year’s weather could not emulate last year's, although we managed to complete day one with only a short burst of rain in the afternoon, despite the early forecast to the contrary.

As usual, the course was set up beautifully and provided a stern test for every player, whether they had a handicap of 5 or 28.

A number of players managed to shoot 30-plus points in round one, but only two played under their handicap: Cpl Amar Tamang 3 PWRR (A) with 37pts, and Cpl Lloyd Thomas ITC with an impressive 39pts. When all scores were in, HQ 1 UKXX sat in 3rd place with 98pts, 3 PWRR (A) in 2nd place with 100pts, but just ahead on 104pts was ITC. It was all to play for going into the afternoon.

After a great lunch, it was back out and while the rain was still holding off, it was certainly colder, and the afternoon scores were testament to the tougher conditions with no player breaking par and only two players shooting 36pts: WO2 Netra Rai 3 PWRR (A) and Sgt Mahesh Gurung 30 Sig Regt. As the afternoon wore on, the clouds gathered, and a downpour was almost inevitable resulting in pretty much everyone getting wet.

The best of the overall standings from day one were:

individual

Cpl Lloyd Thomas – ITC on 70pts Maj Jogen Limbu – 3 PWRR (B) on 67pts WO2 Netra Rai – 3 PWRR (A) on 67pts Team scores competition:

from

ITC 3 PWRR (A) 1 CS Bn REME 30 Sig Regt HQ 1UKXX HQ SASC Gurkha ARRC Sp Bn 1 Regt RLC 17 P&M Gurkha Band DSEME 2 FS Bn REME 156 Regt RLC 3 PWRR (B) 9 Regt RLC SCOTS DG 2 Royal Anglian

the

qualifying

186pts 185pts 178pts 178pts 175pts 171pts 171pts 171pts 169pts 167pts 162pts 161pts 159pts 158pts 152pts 149pts 144pts

The draw for the semi-finals in the two Matchplay competitions saw: Main Championship: ITC vs 30 Sig Regt 3 PWRR (A) vs 1 CS Bn REME Plate Competition: HQ 1UKXX vs 1 Regt RLC Gurkha ARRC Sp Bn vs HQ SASC After a night of heavy rain, day two dawned grey and overcast. The midges were rife, making the wait to tee off unpleasant. The nine teams not making it into the Matchplay had to trek up the hill to the 10th tee for the Stableford event, with the usual “I’m definitely playing better next year so that I can play off the 1st” sentiment in the air.

By the time everyone teed off, the rain clouds were just beginning to gather momentum but thankfully after much

praying by the officials, the rain didn’t come to much, and only a few players had to dig out their waterproofs.

In the Plate semi-finals, HQ 1 UKXX faced 1 Regt RLC, and Gurkha ARRC Sp Bn played HQ SASC. Despite giving 7 shots, Maj Scott Dunn of HQ SASC beat Sgt Madan Pradhan of Gurkha ARRC Sp Bn 3&2, adding a point to WO2 Frazer Hamilton’s win over Sgt Tapan Rai 3&2.

This left SSgt John Ferrie to halve with Sgt Bhim Gurung, and HQ SASC progressed comfortably to the final. The other semi-final was won by 1 Regt RLC after Lt Alex Young and Sgt Wayne Dewsbury won their matches 6&4 and 1Up, respectively.

In the morning round of the Stableford competition, only three players managed to break par: LCpl Adam Sewell of 2 R Anglian scored 38pts, and Cpl Ganga Sartungi and WO1 Sher Tangnami, both of Gurkha Band, scored 38 and 37pts, respectively. Gurkha Band threw down the gauntlet early, and nobody could catch them in the afternoon, leaving the top three for the Stableford as: Gurkha Band 9 Regt RLC 17 P&M

137pts 126pts 117pts

The first of the main semi-finals saw ITC take on 30 Sig Regt. Despite Sgt Mahesh Gurung winning his match 3&2, both Cpl David Thomas and Maj Raju Dura won their matches 4&3 and 5&3, respectively, to progress ITC to the final. The second of the main semi-finals saw last year’s semifinalists, 3 PWRR (A), taking on 1 CS Bn REME. Despite Sgt Sean Byrne winning his match 2Up, 3 PWRR (A) ran out the winner 2-1.

After 27 holes of Stableford, we had our Reserve Champions but before we get to that there are a couple of people worthy of note: Sgt Paul Hodge 2 Royal Anglian and SSgt Bipendra Rai Lingkha 9 Regt RLC who both scored a credible 18pts

over the final 9 holes, Cpls Rob McGuire Scots DG and Sonny Cragg, who having climbed the hill to the 10th for the 2nd time were well and truly questioning why they had agreed to play and finally, WO1 Sher Tangnami who scored an impressive 19pts in his final nine holes, to add to the 37pts he got in the first round, giving him 56pts in total.

With the Stableford done and dusted, all attention now turned to the matches on the course and first the Plate; 1 Regt RLC vs HQ SASC. Nothing could separate them after the three matches which ended 1½ each, so we moved to a rare playoff. HQ SASC tactically sent out Ferrie who won it for them.

To the main final then, and on paper there was nothing to separate ITC from 3 PWRR (A), having scored 186pts and 185pts respectively in qualifying. Of course, we don’t play golf on paper and 3 PWRR (A) won all three matches albeit all were very close.

Huge congratulations go to all the players who fought hard over the two days for their units. The AGA continues to make it a priority to grow this event and welcomes entries from all units able to field a team of three, male, female, or mixed.

As always, we convey our most sincere thanks to our sponsors, without whom we would be unable to run these events, so to Thales, our headline sponsor, Comms Spec (comms supplier) and Army Sport (grant support), thank you!

Finally, our most sincere thanks to Catterick Golf Club and its members and committee for allowing us to take great chunks of their tee times over the two days. The course was presented in great condition, and we were looked after superbly by the Club Secretary Shireen Rudge, James Wallace, and his staff in the pro shop, and last but by no means least by all the catering and bar staff.

CHAMPIONS

PLATE WINNERS

3 PWRR (A) L to R: WO2 Netra Rai, Sgt Raju Tamang, Cpl Amar Tamang

HQ SASC L to R: Maj Scott Dunn, SSgt John Ferrie, WO2 Frazer Hamilton RESULTS

RESERVE WINNERS Gurkha Band L to R: WO1 Sher Tangnami, Cpl Binayak Limbu, Cpl Ganga Sartungi

Winners

3 PWRR (A) WO2 Netra Rai Sgt Raju Tamang Cpl Amar Tamang

Runners-Up

ITC Maj Raju Dura WO2 Brian Sykes Cpl David Thomas

Plate Winners

HQ SASC Maj Scott Dunn WO2 Frazer Hamilton SSgt John Ferrie

Plate Runners-Up

1 Regt RLC Lt Alex Young Sgt Wayne Dewsbury Pte Liam O’Reilly

Reserve Winners

Gurkha Band WO1 Sher Tangnami Cpl Binayak Limbu Cpl Ganga Sartungi

Reserve Runners-Up 9 Regt RLC Capt Saujanya Subba SSgt Bipendra Rai Lingkha Sgt Dhanraj Limbu