Sat 4th Jul
The OHGS team (over 55) for the Bernard Darwin fail on a countback to win the plate competition for a second year in a row.
The fact that they were playing in the plate indicated that for a third straight year they failed to get through the first round! The top pair Charles Donald and Steve Posford got off to a good start against the Old Wellingtonians, but made heavy work of finally securing the first point. They were three up with three to play but managed to scramble home with a half on the 18th to win one up. Our banker second pair John Sheffield and Jeffrey Bonas got off to a poor start but played some imperious golf around the turn and got back to all square. They were playing one of the all time greats of English golf David Frame, Although now 75, (he played in the Walker cup in 1961, the year big Jack played for the USA), Frame never missed a fairway and the old Wellingtonians prevailed in the end by 2/1. It was up to Thomas Olesen playing in his first Bernard Darwin and Andrew Aylwin to secure them the point to take through to the next round. Again a poor start saw them three down after three. However tenacious play saw them get the match back to even after 11 holes. However, the experienced pair of John Churchill and Ted Johnson saw them home by 2/1. In the afternoon plate, the OHGS were pipped by Malvern on a count back to come back empty handed. The final was won by Tonbridge for the fourth straight year who beat Charterhouse by 2 matches to 1. The deciding match being won on the 21st.
In the evening a dinner was held to celebrate 50 years of the Bernard Darwin Trophy. By a happy coincidence, it was also the 100th anniversary of Bernard Darwin”s captaincy at Woking Golf Club. The dinner was well attended with over 100 people present. John Uzielli gave a very good speech and proposed the toast to Bernard Darwin.
