It was a blisteringly hot day. Umbrellas were being used as parasols. The sensible shot was to play the ball into the shadows on the fairway. Keeping hydrated was the number one priority.
Greensomes can be a brutal format (alternate shots after selecting the optimal tee shot) as you have to trust your partner. But those who take part in the Collier Cup – Senior Mixed Pairs Greensomes – are experienced campaigners who are able to accept the vagaries of golf with equanimity and good humour. Usually.
Even with parched, fast-running fairways, a score of a few under par was expected to win. The early pairings suggested that this was a reasonable expectation with net scores in the high 60s and low 70s being returned. Those expectations were well and truly shattered when a couple of net 62s and a net 60 were returned. But to top it all, the winning score was an astounding net 54. Off a combined handicap of 33 (joint highest) the winning pair, Jan Harris and John Davidson, shot the third best gross score to win by six shots. Truly amazing.
The top four placings were:
1 Jan Harris & John Davidson 87 – 33 = 54
2 Carolyn Fox & Richard Fox 83 – 23 = 60
3 Anne Wakelam & John Wakelam 95 – 33 = 62
4 Sharon Easton-Pollock & Alasdair Pollock 90 – 28 = 62
Jan and John will receive the trophy at Presentation Evening later in the year.