Osborne and Field win Summer Knockout at St Mellion

ST MELLION’S seniors – better known as the Fossils’ have had a busy second half of the month, including the final of the Summer Knockout on Thursday, October 22.

The decider of the ever-popular event saw captain Paul Osborne and President Keith Field take on Andy Bryan and Brian Pound

Osborne and Field established an early lead, but could not get away from their tenacious opponents as only outstanding golf would secure a hole.

They were two up at the turn and three up after 10, but then they began to falter as some exceptional play by Bryan and Pound, especially on the greens, cut into the lead and heaped pressure on the leaders which led them going into the last with a slim one-hole advantage.

The odds of a trip down the 19th were high, but a mixed bag of drives tipped the scales very slightly in Osborne and Field’s favour. However, it was their second shots into the par four green were pivotal in getting them over the line.

Bryan and Pound stumbled in their approach to the green and eventually conceded the hole and the match with both the victors’ balls primed for putts for par.

Six matches in the Winter Greensomes have also been played with the results as follows: Phil Macey and James Kitchen beat Phil Cumming and Richard Watts 5&3; Paul Turner and Michael Armstrong beat John Clements and Alec Brannan 3&1; Albert Gunning and Chris Pountney beat David Furse and Colin Hatton 3&2; Mel Carter and Peter Lee beat Lawrence Rowley and Keith Abbott 3&2; Greg Clark and Andy Thomas beat Tony Hodson and David Morton 1-up and Dave Vincent and Mike D Newton beat Mike R Newton and Nigel Coulson-Stevens 2&1.

The third event of that week was played as a four-ball but with only two scores to count. Matt Braithwaite acted as Ghost and there were some extraordinary results.

Top spot went to Kevin Smith, the resurgent Mike Tamblin, the Ghost and new Fossil, just this week, Ed Phillips on a fabulous 89 by four points from Grahame Tippe, Colin MacDonald, Richard Firth and Stephen Muggeridge.

Results: 1 Kevin Smith, Mike Tamblin, Ed Phillips and Ghost – 89pts; 2 Grahame Tippe, Colin MacDonald, Richard Firth and Stephen Muggeridge – 85; 3 Tony Prout, Allan Joel, Edward Waugh and Malcolm Smith – 83; 4 Pete Mehigan, Colin Marshall, John Raphael and Tony Hurley – 82.

The week before that saw another trio of competitions.

Thursday, October 15, saw the annual competition that brings jeopardy to the competitors.

Technically playing to win the Willcocks Shield, it does carry a sting in its tail viz. The Dangler, awarded to the player with the least amount of points.

The winner with an impressive 41 points was new Fossil Mick Calvert, while Tony Hodson (38), David Furse (37) and Paul Turner (37) were the only others to pass 36.

At the other end of the leaderboard, two players, including a recent trophy winner, looked likely candidates for the accolade. However, Ian Parker saved their blushes.

Section Winners: GOLD – Tony Hodson, David Furse and Mathew Braithwaite; SILVER: Mick Calvert, Paul Turner and Stephen Muggeridge; BRONZE: Allan Joel, Nigel Coulson-Stevens and Mike Richardson.

Earlier in the week, St Mellion thrashed Elfordleigh 7-1 in the second leg of their annual two-legged affair, the highlight of the day being a 7&6 victory for Tony Hodson and Guy Pennington.