PEAT SALVER
This competition for the Peat Salver is between 8 man teams from Dumfriesshire, Kirkcudbrightshire and Wigtownshire and the final match between Dumfriesshire and Kirkcudbrightshire was played at Dumfries & Galloway Golf Club on Sunday 11 October. Both Counties had already beaten Wigtownshire so the winners would be the team to take home the trophy.
On a cool, dull, dry and windless day with the course in excellent condition despite recent winter maintenance work on the greens the two equally balanced teams set off to battle for supremacy.
In the top foursomes match in the morning Rowan Marchbank (D&G) and Ross Whyte (D&G) got off to a slow start against Angus Bendall (Castle Douglas) and Alex Long (New Galloway) losing two of the first 3 holes. They were three down after 6 and 9 and without winning a hole lost 4 and 3. Corey Brown (D&C) and Ross Barbour (D&G) also started slowly against the Kirkcudbright pairing of Nathan Watson and William Squires to be four down after 6 holes but recovered well to be all square after 11. Nathan and William then won two of the next three holes before winning 3 and 1.
In the next match, Finlay Copeland (D&G) and Mitchell Cowie (D&C) lost the first three holes against Iain Rae (Dalbeattie) and Scott Jamieson (New Galloway), recovered to be two down after 7 but lost another two to go three down again after 12. They then started a remarkable recovery to win three of the next 4 holes before losing the seventeenth and the game 2 and 1. Jamie Marchbank (D&G) and Lewis Cheetham (Lochmaben) in the Under 14 year old game against Callum McMillan (Kirkcudbright) and Jack Norman (Kirkcudbright) played very steadily and increased their lead from one up after 4, 2 up after 7, 3 up after 11 to finish on the fifteenth green with a 4 and 3 victory. At lunch Kirkcudbrightshire were delighted with their 3 games to 1 lead but not complacent to think Dumfriesshire would lie down and let them win the afternoon singles.
The top singles match in the afternoon saw the top two players in the South Junior Team have a marvellous game played in a true sporting and friendly spirit. Rowan Marchbank was one down after 4, 2 down after 7 and 3 down after 11 before fighting back only to run out of holes and lose 2 and 1. Ross Whyte showed his experience in seeing off Alex Long, playing his last representative match as a Junior. All square after 4 holes, Ross then took the next three holes to be three up after 7, and 5 up after 11 before they shook hands on the fourteenth green with a 5 and 4 victory.
Ross Barbour got off to a dreadful start against Nathan Watson losing three of the first four holes. He recovered to be two down after 7 but lost another and was three down after 11, fought back again to be two down after 14 before losing 3 and 2. Corey Brown and William Squires had a titanic struggle for supremacy. Corey took an early lead to be two up after 4 but slowly lost the initiative to be one up after 7, and all square after 11. William continued his fight back and they shook hands on the seventeenth green with William the victor by 2 and 1.
Kirkcudbrightshire now had a lead of 6 games to 2 and could not lose the match. They only needed one halved game and the trophy was theirs. But the young lions of Dumfriesshire had other ideas.
Finlay Copeland showed his determination and fighting spirit to overcome Iain Rae, who has never been known to give up. Finlay was one up after 4 and 7 but Iain fought back to be all square after 11. Finlay again took control to be one up after 14 and two up after 16 and win 2 and 1. Mitchell Cowie took an early lead against Scott Jamieson and refused to let go. He went two up after 4, one up after 7 and two up after 11; he ran out an easy winner by 4 and 3 as Scott tired towards the end.
Jamie Marchbank continued the fine play of the Dumfriesshire youngsters by beating an off form Callum McMillan. Jamie started steadily being one up after 4 and 7 before Callum had putting troubles and went two down after 11 and lost 5 and 4. In the last and deciding game Lewis Cheetham got off to a great start winning the first 4 holes against a nervous Jack Norman, playing in his first representative game. Jack steadied the ship to be 5 down after 7 and 7 down after 11 but eventually lost 7 and 5.
All the boys played very well and there were some very close games between two well matched teams. They enjoyed playing a serious competition at this time in the season and the team spirit and camaraderie between the two teams was very evident.
Dumfriesshire won the singles by 5 games to 3 and their marvellous fight back by the younger boys earned them a tied match at 6 games all. By virtue of winning more games in their two matches (15½ to 13) the Peat Salver was presented to a delighted Kirkcudbrightshire team for the first time in its 18 year history.
Individual Results
Morning Foursomes
Rowan Marchbank (D&G) & Ross Whyte (D&G) lost to Angus Bendall (Castle Douglas) & Alex Long (New Galloway) by 4 and 3
Ross Barbour (D&G) & Corey Brown (D&C) lost to Nathan Watson (Kirkcudbright) and William Squires (Kirkcudbright) by 3 and 1
Finlay Copeland (D&G) & Mitchell Cowie (D&C) lost to Iain Rae (Dalbeattie) & Scott Jamieson (New Galloway) by 2 and 1
Jamie Marchbank (D&G) & Lewis Cheetham (Lochmaben) beat Callum McMillan (Kirkcudbright) & Jack Norman (Kirkcudbright) by 4 and 3
Foursomes Result: Dumfriesshire 1 Kirkcudbrightshire 3
Afternoon Singles
Rowan Marchbank lost to Angus Bendall by 2 and 1
Ross Whyte beat Alex Long by 5 and 4
Ross Barbour lost to Nathan Watson by 3 and 2
Corey Brown lost to William Squires by 2 and 1
Finlay Copeland beat Iain Rae by 2 and 1
Mitchell Cowie beat Scott Jamieson by 4 and 3
Jamie Marchbank beat Callum McMillan by 5 and 4
Lewis Cheetham beat Jack Norman by 7 and 5
Singles Result: Dumfriesshire 5 Kirkcudbrightshire 3
Match Result: Dumfriesshire 6 Kirkcudbrightshire 6
The photograph shows the winning Kirkcudbrightshire team: Duncan Moore, South President, Jack Norman, William Squires, Callum McMillan, Nathan Watson, Alex Long with trophy, Scott Jamieson, Angus Bendall, Iain Rae, and Brian Haining, Kirkcudbrightshire Junior Convenor.