By Keith Field

ST MELLION GOLF CLUB SENIORS SECTION ‘THE FOSSILS’

AFTER the downpour on Monday, July 15, the next day brought bright sunshine, fluffy clouds with a coolish northerly wind and a visit from Thurlestone. 

No doubt that the visitors from South Devon came in a state of trepidation after their humbling at home but as they say, especially on the fairways, no day is the same. The Kernow course had been prepared beautifully but after the rain it was softer and a tad slower on the greens.

It was noticeable that progress from the first tee and the journey to the green for many players did not follow the planned strategy, but after all this is always a friendly and enjoyable tussle whatever the result and there is always the next hole! 

It is fair to record that more than one player placed those souls using the practice net in some jeopardy with their initial drives from the tee. However, following the issues with the first, Thurlestone’s nightmare was becoming a reality as St Mellion carried on from where they left off. 

The first three matches went in favour of the hosts but then in the fourth match the prepared script went out of the window. 

Thurlestone’s Mark Beal, playing off six, played a superb round with perhaps his only wayward shot from the tee on the third left him with an awkward shot over the hedge to find the green. His partner, Geoff Holt kept his powder dry for the front nine and then found his mojo. At no stage did the pair concede the lead to Keith Field and James Simpson who played well but were always playing catch up. 

Although they were four down at one stage, they recovered to two down when Beal applied the coup de grace at the 16th with a birdie two from the collar of the green. 

The impressive victory, in effect, doubled the home team score at Thurlestone but the remaining rubbers remained on script and so St Mellion won the day 5-1 and on aggregate by 10.5 to 1.5.

Nearest the pin on the 14th for St Mellion was Simon Waddington, just a metre and a half from the pin, and Jim Stewart for the visitors.

The weather held good for Thursday’s competition on July 17, a five club and a putter team event. 

Good scores abounded which again raises the question of why so many players carry a full set? 

At this juncture it must be recorded that one player seemed oblivious of the rules as he arrived at the start with a full set and raised a few eyebrows and a few comments. 

Who was this miscreant who had not read the rules, but none other than the author of the rules, captain Chris de Beaufort! 

After receiving assistance from his playing partners, he eventually discarded the appropriate clubs and set out to play probably his best round in weeks. He also had to act as a ghost for the ‘real’ ghost, Pete Mehigan, as his team had had a late withdrawal.

The results were as follows: 1 John Clements, Greg Clark and Paul Osbourne – 89; 2 Marc Nash, Stan Serwata and Peter Pascoe – 85; 3 Will Carslaw, Lawrence Rowley and Ghost – 82; 4 Allan Joel, Phil Macey and Phil Cumming – 82; 5 Pete Mehigan, David Furse and the Ghost’s Ghost – 82; 6 Chris de Beaufort, Sophocles and Brian Carnegie – 81.

A summer knockout was also played in which Mike Page and Rob Parsonage took the victory, 3&1, over Mike Richardson and Colin Marshall.