Eastern Counties Foursomes
The BB&O Team comprising of 10 Players travelled to Seacroft, Lincolnshire to represent the County in the Eastern Counties Foursomes against 8 other County Teams. They were determined to improve on the performance of the previous year, which was the first time the Team had entered the Competition. The team at Seacroft comprised of Tim Shin (Castle Royle), George Bell (Harewood Downs), Davis Langley (Castle Royle), Rory Browne (Feldon Valley), Rymer Smith (Buckinghamshire), Craig Buttivant (Gerrards Cross), Harrison Arnold (East Berkshire), Aaron Siddell (Castle Royle), Aaron Ashberry (Burford) and Adam Batty (Beaconsfield). The Format was 72 Holes comprising 4 Triangular Matches.
In the first Triangular Match, the Team were drawn against Essex & Leicestershire & Rutland, who were both strong favourites to win the Tournament. Unfortunately the Team got off to a slow start, only taking 1.5 points out of a possible 10, with 3 matches halved. The Team played well but found it difficult to hole putts on unusually slow Links Greens due to 65mm of rain falling in the previous 72 Hours.
Unlike the previous year the Team came out fighting in the afternoon against Cambridgeshire & Suffolk. With all the players settling to the task well, they accrued 7.5 points out of 10, with all the Players contributing to the total. Special mention for the pairings of Langley & Browne and Ashberry & Batty who scored two wins each.
The Team were the leading points scorers with 7.5 points in the afternoon session and the total of 9 points for the day left them in 5th place, but with everything to play for on Sunday.
The third Triangular match saw the Team take on Bedforshire & Norfolk. Like the first morning, they started slowly and again found the Greens difficult to putt on. They fought hard all morning but could only take 3.5 points out of 10, with Ashberry & Batty winning both games at the tail to ensure some respectability to their points tally.
The afternoon session saw the Team take on Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire. Under clear blue skies but a strong wind, they managed to take 6.5 points out of 10, with the pairings of Shin & Bell and Langley & Browne winning both their matches. With one win each for Smith & Buttivant and Ashberry & Batty, it was left to Arnold & Siddell to secure a dramatic half, getting up & down at the 17th & 18th to grind out a well deserved half.
The 6.5 points won meant the Team finished on 19 points in 5th behind Norfolk, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and Rutland and the eventual winners Essex, who won with 29 points.
A great weekend of Golf and an improvement on last year means the Team are moving in the right direction under the guidance of Captain Ashley Walton (Frilford Heath). If they can improve on their morning points tally next year, whilst maintaining their strike rate in the afternoon sessions, they will be in the mix to win the Tournament.
Special mention should be made of our President Alistair Booth (Frilford Heath) who travelled to Seacroft to support the team and also came second with 36 points in the Officials Competition held on Friday afternoon, before the start of the Foursomes. Well played Alistair for keeping the BB&O Colours flying.
