Day 284 - Captain & Pro Challenge

Captain, Head Pro and Sir Roger
on 18th of the New

One of the highlights of my year of Captaincy has been the opportunity to play together with our Head Professional, Mike, against other Burhill members.  Today was the latest in this sequence - and potentially the last that I shall be playing with Mike before he heads off to his new life in California next month (this depends whether or our next opponents can get their act together before he actually departs...).

As luck has it, we have ended up playing the vast majority of these fixtures on the New Course and that is where we ended up today.  After some bleak weather forecasts earlier in the week, we were treated to some winter sun and had good conditions throughout.  On this occasion we managed to calculate the handicap difference correctly, which meant that we would be giving our opponents, Roger and Simon, 5 shots.  It was going to be tough as they are an established foursomes pairing.

The match itself ebbed and flowed: we were up by 1 then down by 2 until a good par on 8 and a longish putt holed on 9 put us back even after the first half.  Unfortunately, we went down 2 again quickly and by the time we got to the 16th tee had only reduced the deficit to 1.  Of the tee shots on this hole, we shall not speak - "what goes on tour, stays on tour"...

A fine par on 17 (decent drive, driver off the deck to front right of green, 7 iron chip to 3 foot, holed!) meant that we had to win the last to halve the match. Things looked good when Mike stiffed his 7i to 8 ft and Roger left his teeshot well short and right... until Simon then chipped to 6" and the Captain failed to hole the birdie putt.  A shame, but great fun!

Drinks and lunch in the Clubhouse followed, giving Mike a chance to bid his farewells to members there.  Then home for some gardening clear-up duties (and the house too before Kathryn comes home tomorrow!) and the chance to see GBR take a 2-1 lead over Belgium in the Davis Cup Final.  Whoda thunk it?