The Swindlers vs. The Ladies

2022

The inaugural Swindlers vs. The Ladies match took place during the afternoon of Thursday 23 June at Puttenham.

Ten players from each team participated in the 4BBB matchplay competition.

It was nice to see that both teams had taken this match seriously with Ladies in white and navy and the Swindlers Team all smartly dressed in their very bright luminous yellow shirts. It was fun trying to get a group photo before we started, with an abundance of flies gate-crashing the party, attracted by the bright colours of the men!! Colin had organised the teams so that wherever possible husbands were playing against wives – by all account, there has never been so much concentration on the golf course!!

Feedback from the ladies was really positive, sharing how much that they thoroughly enjoyed their matches with their male opponents, not only great company, but also great sports.

The fish and chip supper provided by the catering team was the perfect finish to the day. Presentations were carried out and the ladies were very appreciative that a new trophy has been purchased specially for this event! Even more pleased that the Ladies were the first recipients of the trophy winning by 3 ½ to 1 ½ . We are looking forward to the re-match next year!! (Debs Sparham)

Match 1.

Debs Sparham & Sue Price vs. Colin Price & Colin Reardon

The first group to tee off included Debs Sparham (Ladies Captain for 2022), Sue Price, Colin Price and Colin Reardon.

The men were three-up after five holes and cruising - then bang, bang, bang - all square after eight with Sue Price parring the 6 - 9!

The back nine swung each way with the ladies taking a one-shot lead into the 17th. Colin P. lost his first tee shot with the other three on or close to the green in two. Colin R. drained a 10-footer for par to win the hole - all square on the 18th tee!

Colin P. hit the green off the tee but Colin R. dragged his tee shot into the woods on the left and out of the hole. Debs hit a long putt to about 3 feet and Colin P. matched Deb's putt - also to 3 feet. Debs offered the half which was accepted ending a very close-fought and friendly match halved. (Colin Reardon)

Match 2.

Fiona Browning & Sue Vincent vs. Scott Browning & Trevor Vincent

My summary is "Fiona was bloody outstanding!" In fact I think we should go for her to transfer to us with Scott going the other way!
(Trevor Vincent)

I can then wear my lovely flowery blouses! (Scott Browning)

Match 3.

Val Horan & Carol Hudson vs. Tim Horan & Bryn Owen

Carol and Val kept hitting straight down the middle, Carol played a great anchor game throughout. Val had four double shots but really only used one of them. They went three up after six which we pegged back to even after Val kept banging the putts home to win or save the holes. Against the shots we went one up through sixteen the first time we had been up on the match to go down the seventeenth one up. Val banged in a 15 footer to win sending us down 18 all square...Carol left her tee shot left and short, we both missed right and long. Val hit the green putted to 8ft we both missed our par Carol halved with us. Val struck her putt which shaved the hole and tapped in for a 4 nett 3 to win. (New clubs ordered...and I didn't have to throw the game they certainly won it) Great fun! I certainly saw the competitive side of Val yesterday.
(Tim Horan)

Match 4.

Jan West & Gill Wallace vs. Nick Hayward & Iain Maxwell
Iain and I didn't play as well as we could. Jan had, with gimmes, 22 points going out and Jill had 20. We were 2 down at the turn managed somehow to get back to 1 down but could never get back level. Jill had 19 points coming back including chipping in for a 2 on the last and with all her shots they sealed it on the 17th. Between them they were pretty straight on the fairway all day. (Nick Hayward)

Match 5.

Pat Hilton & Geraldine Robertson vs. Roger Keen & Paul Sims

Both Roger and I knew we were up against it when Geraldine sunk a 20ft putt for a par on 1st to go 1 up! I then asked if we got tired, could we jump on the back of her trike , she said yes at a price, to which we both knew, whatever the price, we could not afford it!!

Both Pat and Geraldine proceeded to hit ball after ball with great accuracy and confidence, it took a great birdie on the 6th by Roger to stop the rot, otherwise we’d have been dead and buried by the halfway hut!

On the back 9 I woke up and came in on a few holes and then the Roger Keen show took over, both Pat and Geraldine kept battling away but in the end we (Roger) just hung on - to win the day!! It was great fun and we look forward to a rematch next year! (Paul Sims)

Final results:

Ladies	Swindlers	Result
Debs Sparham & Sue Price	Colin Reardon & Colin Price	Halved
Sue Vincent & Fiona Browning	Trevor Vincent & Scott Browning	Ladies win 4 &3
Val Horan & Carol Hudson	Tim Horan & Bryn Owen	Ladies win 1 up
Jan West & Gill Wallace	Nick Hayward & Iain Maxwell	Ladies win 3 & 1
Pat Hilton & Geraldine Robertson	Roger Keen & Paul Sims	Swindlers win 3 & 1
	Ladies Win	3.5 to 1.5

Congratulations to the Ladies on their fine win. Next year we'll put out the "A" team!