By Keith Field

St Mellion Golf Club Seniors’ Section latest ‘The Fossils’

A DIRE weather forecast for Thursday, June 12 caused the early cancellation of the Devon and Cornwall match against the Rest of the World, scheduled for that day.

The forecasters got it right so that the heavy rain that fell during the night and following morning proving the early decision was correct.

This did not mean that there was no Fossils’ golf played that week.

On Monday morning, captain Will Carslaw led his team of warriors in blue way down into Cornwall to meet the challenge from Falmouth Veterans, this being the first ever match between the two clubs, so everything to play for.

The weather was warm with both sunshine and cloud together with a strong breeze on the course’s higher levels.

The actual course was in fine fettle but the visitors found the greens a little unpredictable but perhaps that’s why seven out of the eight matches were close affairs.

But for Colin Marshall and Keith Field, it was a horror show as no matter what or how they played their hosts matched it, and usually with a shot, except where good fortune raised its head and always seem to assist the dovetailing home pair.

As both teams sat down for an excellent meal, the match result was announced as a draw, 4 all and with no halved ties. Peter Lee and Falmouth’s Paul Jones won ‘Nearest the Pin’ on the ‘new’ par 3-hole,18.

St Mellion match scores versus Falmouth: Will Carslaw (capt) and Brian Pound lost 3&2; Allan Evans and John Clements won 3&2; Mike R. Newton and Pete Mehigan lost 4&2; Ian Edwards and Guy Pennington lost 3&2; Kev Smith and Melvyn Carter won 1-up; Mike Page and Peter Lee won 1-up; Colin Marshall and Keith Field lost 7&6; John Raphael and Nigel Coulson-Stevens won 3&2.

After their exertions on Monday, the Fossils entered a team of eight to compete in the Harry Champion Seniors Championship at The Point at Polzeath on Wednesday, June 11.

Twenty-five teams from across Cornwall entered the event with qualifying spread over four days with four teams from each day progressing to the final.

The format for the event was pairs better ball Matchplay, with points awarded in line with the individual scale of victory for each match.

Each of the four pairs were matched with strong teams drawn from across the county’s clubs and it was clear that there were no easy pairings.

A stiff wind blew early on which added to the day’s challenge and whilst all of St Mellion’s pairs had close results, only Mike Page and Keith Field came home with a victory, 2&1 over a strong Perranporth team that recently dominated the field in a CSGA competition on their track.

David Furse and Colin Hatton fought back from being four down to record a great half.

However, Brian Pound and Allan Evans, together with Ian Edwards and Colin Marshall, both tasted the bitter pill of defeat.

After a tough day on the course, in glorious sunshine, St Mellion were pipped for a place in the final by a single point.

The general consensus that mastery of the greens decided the outcome and it also emphasised just how spoiled players are at St Mellion with its manicured greens.