York Union of Golf Clubs
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The glorious sun-bathed Fulford GC was the venue for the Men's third match of the season against IDU title favourites, Halifax & Huddersfield Union and the hot and stormy weather that laid ahead was an indication of how the day played out.
Although the first two matches of the season hadn't gone his way, Captain Andy Robson kept faith with his team but shuffled the pack somewhat in the foursomes pairings and singles order. Fulford Legend, Jamie Miller and clubmate George Robson teed off in the first match and were on the brink of winning match one until Huddersfield's James Skirrow holed a 40 foot putt on the last for a remarkable birdie and the match was halved.
Regular Oaks pair, Tom Pyman and Harry Lee came up against some more formidable putting and chip-ins against Adam Walker and Connah Judson and fell to a 3&1 defeat. Then new pairing of Nathan Wilkinson (Sandburn) and Jack Boyd (Malton & Norton) were emphatic winners against Josh Morton and Tom Green, 4&3.
Match 4 certainly had its ups and downs for Fulford pair Tom Kelly and Sam Norman who found themselves down by 3 holes and 5 to play, however, playing the 18th, they were 1 up, only to see H&H player Josh Bailes hole a birdie putt to half the match.
Match 5 saw another new pairing in Ciaran Matthews and Rob Hutton (Sandburn and Fulford) who ran away 3&1 winners against Lee Rowbotham and Damion Berry and to round off the morning it.was another comfortable game for Pike Hills Alistair Smith and Heworth's, Jimmy Batt, winning 3&2 against Matthew Holden and Adam Rowbotham thereby ending the morning score at 8-4 to York Union.
The heat was still beating down at this point, but heads were turning to the skies and weather apps as thunder storms were predicted. With all the matches on the course, spread from the 6th to the 16th, the heavens opened and thunder rumbled around for about 20 minutes. Thankfully for Robson's Team, they kept the heat on the H&H players with straightforward wins in matches 1 & 3 for Pyman and Wilkinson. Boyd in match 2 suffered a heavy defeat, then in matches 4, 5, 6 & 8 there was only 1 hole margins, but wins again for York by Lee, Robson, Kelly and Miller. Norman in match 7 also won 2&1 and with the result now determined, it was a matter of how big a score could York achieve.
Smith won 3&2, however, Batt lost 3&2, and with Hutton already victorious 3&2, it just left Matthews out on the course, with all the players enjoying a classic match against Saddleworth's Lee Rowbotham. With Matthews 1 down and 2 to play, after he birdies the 17th, he wanted Captains approval to offer halves with H&H. The spectators were enjoying the match to much for it to end, so play continued down 18. After a ridiculously long fading drive, Matthews was in the box seat after Rowbotham went from fairway bunker to fairway bunker. Always one to thrill the crowd, Matthews then dumped his 8 iron into the greenside bunker, only to see Rowbotham hit a superb iron from bunker to pi high, 10 foot away. With Matthews now splashed out, it was his putt first which he calmly rolled in. Rowbotham therefore needed to roll the putt in for a half, but saw it agonisingly miss and hand the win to Sandburn's Matthews. Final result was therefore 28-8 to York.
Both teams stayed on for a meal and a drink together and H&H were typically magnanimous in defeat and will no doubt bounce back in their next match. York go on to Northcliffe GC for the next match away against Bradford Union on Sunday 9th July.
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