THE Fossils travelled to Rock to face this year’s challenge from St Enodoc on Monday, March 31.

Included in the team was a very late replacement, John Clements, who thankfully was ready and willing to join the party.

The Fossils knew from reviewing the team sheets that they were facing a mighty challenge on fthe superb Church course, with the majority of their team receiving shots from their hosts.

It was essential that the early starters got away well and indeed ‘captain of the day’ Keith Field and partner Keith Abbott did exactly that on the first hole, a par five.

Abbott scored a birdie with a short putt, then Field chipped in from beyond the green for another birdie, but with a shot and in doing so established a lead that they never lost.

A birdie for David Collick on the next restored parity and then Abbott struck again with yet another birdie on the next to establish a lead that was never really challenged again so that the team romped home winners 5&4.

Abbott was just one over gross par and helps to explain the demolition of the team’s opponents.

Allan Evans in the second pair out was clearly in shock as he received a shot from his opponent but together with partner, Brian Pound came home safely, 2-up.

Third team out, Mike Page and Pete Mehigan didn’t fare so well and lost 2&1, but had the satisfaction of seeing Page and also his opponent, Neal Jolly, plant their balls onto the 15th green to secure winning ‘nearest the pin’.

Ian Edwards and Colin Marshall got the team back on track with another win, 2&1, but thereafter the results made dismal reading as win after win went the way of the hosts.

However, last year was the same and St Mellion turned it around on home soil, and with the return leg scheduled for later this month, everyone is looking forward with confidence.

After Monday’s glorious weather at St Enodoc the Fossils were not quite prepared for the conditions on Thursday, April 3, which saw a sharp cold wind.

When the draw for the three-man team event was published, it is fair to say that there were some furrowed brows as to how the cards were to be scored.

Pre-warned, captain Rob Parsonage explained that it was two scores to count but, any hole where all three players scored, the top two scores would be doubled.

Unfortunately, there were a number of dropouts and so Mel Carter was selected at random to be the Ghost for five pairings.

With the fairways hard and fast and the greens in good fettle, there were birdies a plenty, an eagle three on the par five second by Keith Field and in the circumstances, it was no great surprise just how many points were needed to find a place on the leaderboard.

Third place went to James Simpson, Brian Pound and Colin Hatton with a splendid 127, Second place a further four points better were Keith Abbott (with new clubs), Lawrence Rowley and Chris de Beaufort and in first place a further seven points ahead, that man Sophocles Ioannou again helped out by John Clements and Pete Mehigan with a staggering 138 points.