Sunday 11 September: the plan was to meet at Sunningdale GC at 1pm for a spot of lunch, warm up in the normal Harrovian way (3 practice swings, 2 shots into the net and 1 putt) and stroll confidently to the tee, expecting birdies and eagles, but the world had other things in mind for our 4 Old Harrovian juniors. After an enormous collision on the M4 meant that the whole motorway was shut with a helicopter parked in the middle of the 4 lanes for over 2 hours, James Gallagher (Rendalls 2003) and Jan Brugelmann (The Park 2003) promptly rocked up at 2:30-2:45, leaving Will Gibbs (The Grove 2003) and Charlie Draper (The Grove 2008), scratching their heads as they had each never had so much time to practise in the last year.
After a couple of 60ft warm up putts on the practice green, we were ready to tackle the famous Old Course at Sunningdale. After a number of quick hooks, duffs and hacks out of heather (predominately from Gibbs), Brugelmann and Draper quickly took a 4UP lead after 7 holes, partly down to a fantastic 1-over front 9 by the 12-handicap Draper, a score also matched by the 2-handicap Brugelmann.
Yet as the hut drew closer, Gibbs could smell the sausages and this meant he suddenly had some motivation as the sun started to come down lengthening shadows on the heathland course. After an 11-over front 7, Gibbs started to find some consistency. We knew we were in trouble.
Gallagher, who hails from Woburn, knew there was still a match to play, so made the executive decision after 10 to not change teams and lead the un-Harrovian fight back.
After 11 holes, the pair were still 4 down but with a nett birdie on the S.I. 12th hole and a nett eagle on 14, followed by another nett birdie on 16 (all by the on-the-rise Gibbs), they were well into the match, going down 17 being only 1 down.
Queue Gibbs in the trees. However, after carrying his partner the first 7 holes, Gallagher was refreshed by his partner’s golf and promptly holed a 50-ft putt for nett eagle. We were going up 18 all square.
One simply cannot have an OH match without drama. With Draper and Gallagher on the 18th
Young Golfers at Sunningdale
in regulation (both with shots in hand), it came down to the flat stick. Brugelmann got up and down from 135 yards for par after a tussle with trees, Gibbs’ birdie putt fell by the wayside, which cleared the stage for someone to win it. However after a lacklustre first putt, Draper had 5 feet for nett birdie. Gallagher felt the heat and so did his putter face, bombing his first putt 12 feet past the hole.
With the sunlight fading rapidly, the moment was now for someone to step up. Both Gallagher and Draper knew that one putt would surely win it. But both putts shaved the edge, much to the despair of both golfers.
A fair game halved in the true Harrovian way – 3 putts. Just a shame we didn’t have more players!
