The event comprised of a morning Stroke Play round for both the Individual and Team Stroke Play Championship, which is followed by Three Inter-County matches to determine the Inter County Match Play Championship. Weymouth was in very good condition and for both days we were blessed with some fine sunny periods if still a little cool at times.
The Dorset Boys continued with their form in the stroke play when they retained Team Shield beating the Devon boys into second place by some 15 strokes. Dorset’s Jacob Hunter became the individual champion with a fine level par 70 some two shots clear of the chasing pack. Mark Rankin Dorset went out in 43 then came home in 30 when he birdied every par four on the back nine to help Dorset win the team shield.
So to the afternoons matches, Dorset took on Cornwall with Somerset playing Devon the Dorset team set about the task of beating old rivals Cornwall, but this is always a tight affair and it proved to be the case this time Captain Adam Harris got us under way with a fine 5&4 win but we then lost the next two matches. Mark proved local knowledge is key when he won 6&4 and Oscar Perry made it 3 -2 with a 3&2 victory but then all was equal as Cornwall took the sixth single match with local player Billy Hathway losing by 2 holes. So it was down to the Parkstone pair of Tom Seville and Sam Atkins to bring home the win and this went all the way with them coming up the last one up and when they secured the last it was a two hole win and we won the match 4-3.
The other match saw Devon take full advantage of an off colour Somerset winning 7-0.
Day 2-Matchplay
The team were up against Somerset and it was again a hard morning for the team as 5 matches went to extra holes and sadly for Dorset we came out on the wrong side in the main. Adam Harris kept his unbeaten record winning on the nineteenth and the only other singles win was by Billy Hathway who won 8&6 Tom Seville lost on the twentieth, Mark Rankin on the nineteenth. Sam lost 5&4 and Oscar went down on the nineteenth. Jacob and Morgan fought hard in the foursomes winning the last hole to take it into extra time and then going for a further 6 holes before securing the point.
Devon won the old firm derby with Cornwall in a very tight match 4-3.
Dorset were up against Devon needing to win 6-1 to take the Match Play Championship. For a time it looked do-able but Devon dug in to take three matches only giving Dorset the win 4-3 and securing the Matchplay for Devon on goal difference with both tied on two points each.
Congratulations to the Dorset side and new Manager Mark Perry on a fine Championship we now look forward to going to West Cornwall in 2018.
Four Counties Matchplay Championship 2017 | |||||||
Pos'n | County | Played | Won | F | A | Points | |
1 | Devon | 3 | 2 | 14 | 7 | 2 | |
2 | Dorset | 3 | 2 | 11 | 10 | 2 | |
3 | Cornwall | 3 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 1 | |
4 | Somerset | 3 | 1 | 7 | 14 | 1 |