East Riding 18 - 18 Halifax & Huddersfield
Filey Golf Club
Sunday 21 May, 2023
Draws in any sporting contest often prompt the debate 'Was that a point lost or a point gained?'
Given the state of East Riding's first YIDU fixture of the year with only four matches left on the course, this was certainly a point gained, as the young tail wagged and won them all to see the spoils shared with a strong Halifax & Huddersfield Union side.
Familair foursomes frailties showed themselves once again as East Riding found themselves 8-4 down at lunchtime at Filey Golf Club - the home of Union President Mike Dawson. The Hornsea pairing of Steve Uzzell and Jonnie Fisher, the 2022 Yorkshire Foursomes Champions, were defeated on the 17th green by the impressive Adam Walker and James Edwards, before the new look ER pairing of Ryan Gray and Jacob Hodgson levelled things up with a convincing 5&4 victory in match two.
Sadly the next three pairs ran into some scintillating Halifax & Huddersfield golf and were all beaten convincingly, but the young guns of Tommy Risker and Tom Benson in the anchor match gave the home side some hope to take into lunchtime with a 4&3 win.
Team Captain Andy Lockwood asked his troops to get off to a fast start in the singles and build some momentum for the younger end of the 'battting order' to feed off.
Lead-off man Steve Uzzell duly delivered with his short game having to be especially sharp to keep his nose ahead of James Edwards. There stopped the early momentum, as first Aaron Brettell, then Jacob Hodgson and Ryan Gray drew blanks. H&H had quickly taken their team total to 14, just five points from the magic number of 19 needed to begin the season with a win.
Jonnie Fisher was all square after 13 holes in what was already looking like a must-win match, but a strong finish along the clifftop gave the Hornsea man a 2up victory.
Halifax & Huddersfield won matches 6 and 8 against Yorkshire Boys captain Jack Northgraves and Scarborough North Cliff debutant Alex Wiggins respectively to leave them on 18 points with the meat in the middle order sandwich being an ER point courtesy of the gutsy Andy Woodhead.
The four players left on the course had a combined age of less than 80, but with youth comes a nerveless confidence which was needed as 16 players, managers, union officials and supporters gathered to watch the final act on the spectacular finishing stretch under a cloudless Filey sky
First, Hessle's Luke Thornton took out Saddleworth's Adam Rowbotham 4&2 and debutant Tom Brown overcame a one hole deficit at the turn to battle back to victory on the 17th green.
14-18 and the visiting officials were begining to fear a repeat of the 2021 draw which effectively decided the YIDU title.
Another Tom (Benson) put aside an unmentionable at the 12th (which he still manged to miraculously par for the half) to hold off his opponent all the way to the home hole. A punched approach into the strengthening evening breeze to 15 feet allowed Tom the luxury of two putts to take East Riding to 16-18.
All eyes on Tommy Risker then, playing in his first match since his serious injury at the end of August 2022 after the Harrogate fixture at Hessle.
Despite having led by three holes at the turn, Tommy's lead was cut to just one after 14. Halves at the next three holes didn't suit either player and when both found the first cut right of the tough 18th, the chances of either making a birdie looked remote. After Halifax's Mark Birkett had come up just short of the green, Tommy safely found the back edge, but his approach putt pulled up six feet short. He calmly found the bottom of the cup to complete the Filey fightback.
18 all - what a match to open the season!
Next up is Bradford Union at Hornsea on Sunday 11 June.
