The superbly presented Powfoot Golf Club was the venue for the South Junior’s match against Durham Juniors on Friday 4 August. On a typical summer’s day by the seaside with sunny intervals and a strong westerly breeze both teams turned up with a depleted squad due to late call-offs; South had one player missing and Durham two.
Callum McMillan (Kirkcudbright) unfortunately had to sit out the foursomes but walked the course supporting his team mates and searching for balls after wayward shots. In the first match Jamie Marchbank (D&G) and David Sharp (D&C) were two down after 5 holes but got it back to one down after 9. They kept fighting and after 12 holes were back to all square before losing 15 to a birdie, but a par on 16 and they were back to all square. They won 17 but lost the last to finish all square.
Angus Bendall (Castle Douglas) and Nathan Watson (Kirkcudbright) got off to a good start and were two up after 5 only to lose the initiative and were pegged back to all square for the outward nine. They then showed their superiority and won the next five holes to win their game on the fourteenth green by 5 & 4. In the final game the new combination of Cameron Gray (Kirkcudbright) and Iain Rae (Dalbeattie) started slowly but steadily and won 6, 8 and 9 to be three up at the turn. They then won the 10th and 12th but lost 13and also finished the game on the fourteenth green with a 5 & 4 victory.
This gave the South a lead of 3½ games to 1½ at lunch. Nathan Watson very kindly offered to graciously accept his victory in the singles without playing a shot and also went out to support his team mates in the afternoon and do some ball spotting in the blustery conditions.
Callum McMillan led the South team off in the afternoon singles after his unscheduled rest in the morning and got off to a slow start being two down after 6. He then activated his renowned fighting spirit and was only one down after 13. The next four holes were halved before a fine up and down at the last won him the 18th and a well deserved halved match. David Sharp had a bad day at the office and no matter what emergency changes he made to his swing he could not find the solution. After a poor start, six down after 7, he started a spirited fightback and won 8 and 10 but ran out of holes and lost by 5 & 4.
A totally focussed Angus Bendall continued his recent fine form and after winning four in a row from the sixth was four up for the outward nine. A par on the 13th was enough to see off his opponent by 6 & 5. Iain Rae, whose shot making and course management has improved greatly this year, had five birdies in the first nine to be five up. A regulation par on 10 and another birdie on 13 gave him a 7 & 5 victory.
Jamie Marchbank is having a marvellous season and continued his fine form to be one up for the first nine. He was two down after 15, won 16 but lost 17 to unluckily lose by 2 & 1. Cameron Gray likes to give his opponent a winning start and then use his fighting qualities to claw back the deficit. He three putted the 6th and lost 8 to a birdie and was three down after 13. He won 14, 15 and 16 to be all square but his opponent hadn’t read the script and also got a birdie at 17. The last was halved in pars and the game finished all square.
The singles finished with a narrow win for South by 4½ games to 3½ and victory in the match by 7½ games to 4½.
Individual Scores
Morning Foursomes
David Sharp (D&C) and Jamie Marchbank (D&G) halved with Harry Elthington and Adam Charlton
Angus Bendall (Castle Douglas) and Nathan Watson (Kirkcudbright) beat Cameron Pipe and Stephen Turnbull by 5 & 4
Iain Rae (Dalbeattie) and Cameron Gray (Kirkcudbright) beat scott Lyons and Will Alexander by 5 & 4
The fourth game was declared a draw
Foursomes Result: South 3 games Durham 1 game
Afternoon Singles;
Callum McMillan (Kirkcudbright) halved with Adam Charlton
David Sharp lost to Harry Elthington by 5 & 4
Angus Bendall beat Stephen Turnbull by 6 & 5
Iain Rae beat Cameron Pipe by 7 & 5
Jamie Marchbank lost to Scott Lyons by 2 & 1
Cameron Gray halved with Will Alexander
Nathan Watson w.o.
The last game was declared a draw
Singles Result: South 4½ games Durham 3½
Match Result South 7½ games Durham 4½
The photograph shows the victorious South team: Nathan Watson, Callum McMillan, Angus Bendall, Iain Rae, Cameron Gray, Jamie Marchbank and David Sharp.