Dorset 1st Team v Cornwall
Venue - West Cornwall Golf Club
Sunday May 5th 2024
This was the first match of the season after the postponement of the match against Gloucestershire. Played at West Cornwall, we knew that this would be a challenge as our U18 team had very successfully won the Four Counties Championship there and feedback was that this was a course that required lots of local knowledge both in the long game and on the greens. Practice day on the Saturday with Martyn Thompson confirmed this but we ended the day with plans and strategy for the course.
The morning foursomes were played in strong easterly wind and we faced up well against a Cornwall team who had local players and local knowledge of the course. Good wins from Oscar Hein and Jenson Bull, Andy Simpson and Tom Peacock and a valuable half from Zac Mudford and Ollie Druitt meant we went into lunch with the match all square. Very promising.
In the afternoon the wind got even stronger and the course became a difficult test with some greens being extremely tricky combining a very fast surface and the strong breeze.
The team was led off by Joe Turner who achieved a good half in a quality match. Cornwall's local players and knowledge then contributed to a strong set of results for them. Against the trend, Nick Hopwood won his match and Andy Su gained a half point. At the tail of the Dorset order Tom Peacock won his match and Andy Simpson made a hard won half.
Through the day there were 4 half matches - evidence that there were chances for us to turn this round.
The overall result was 9 - 6 to Cornwall. The team is now looking forward to the next match at the Isle of Purbeck against Devon on May 19th.