2019 Results and table

2019 YIDU Men's Team Results

Men's Team fails to end the Sheffield Jinx

East Riding were looking to end a seven year losing streak when they met a Sheffield team at Hessle on 1st September. Sheffield, unusually, have had a poor season and confidence was high, given the home advantage and Hessle's notoriously tricky greens.

The foursomes were closely contested with East Riding holding a small advantage through the 12th, being up in three and down in two but Sheffield had the stronger finish, forcing a half in the top match against Jack Maxey & Steve Lynch and winning the bottom three games. For East Riding, Leigh Gawley & Tom Broadley managed to hold on for a 1 hole win and Nick Raybould, partnering debutant 15 year old Jake Sowden, won by 2&1. This match had a significant turning point at the 12th, when, with Sheffield close in for a birdie opportunity, Sowden holed out from the greenside bunker and won the hole to be 2 up when it looked like the match would go all square.

Foursomes score: East Riding 5, Sheffield 7

In the afternoon singles, Maxey, who was playing his third 36 hole competition in four days, was not at his best in the top match and lost on the 16th.  Also, Gawley and Broadley, at matches 3 and 5, could not match their opponents' games and lost by some margin but Raybould at match 2 turned his game around to win on the last.

This left Sheffield needing three more wins for victory and they were ahead in three and all square in two of the remaining eight games, so there was still a chance for East Riding to pull off a stunning recovery. Sadly, that prospect quickly faded as Lynch, playing at number 4 and leading all the way, lost the 17th and then the 18th to go down by 1 hole.

Rich Webster and Andy Woodhead duly won their games by 3&2, the latter gaining revenge for his morning foursomes defeat, by beating his good friend and former East Riding player, Mark Woodall. Defeats for Sowden and Steve Pybus saw Sheffield over the line before Tom Duck and Dan Swales came home with full points, leaving Phil Scott to complete the match, sadly losing on the 16th.

Singles score: East Riding 10, Sheffield 14

Overall score: East Riding 15, Sheffield 21

The Order of Merit was won by Nick Raybould, who receives the Player of the Year award.

Men's Team suffer a third defeat

The penultimate fixture of the league season saw the men's team travel to the far side of the county, to face the Bradford Union at Bracken Ghyll, a short and hilly course to the west of Ilkley. A strong wind on the top of the moor made control of the ball flight a priority.

East Riding came into the match with a much changed side, as eight regular players were unavailable through other commitments and injury. Making their first appearance of the year were three former players, Steve Pybus, Jamie Gregory and Steve Bennett, plus two of the Under 18s squad, George Clark and Tommy Risker.

The top four foursome matches all went the distance, unfortunately, Bradford winning games 1 and 3 whilst Matt Raybould & Rich Webster at 2 and Tom Duck & Dan Swales at 4 halved. The fifth match, featuring Bennett and Phil Scott, got off to the worst possible start with a wrong ball penalty on the first hole and the match was soon over by the 12th hole. However, the two youngsters, Clark and Risker, showed off their credentials, by closing out the final foursome match by 3&2.

Foursomes Score: Bradford 8, East Riding 4

As the singles got under way, the mood was positive and six of the later games got an early lead. However, in the top four games, where East Riding was looking to win three of them to eliminate the lunchtime deficit, Bradford was in control throughout, with only Leigh Gawley taking his opponent to the final green, losing 1 down. The other three matches were lost 3&2.

The next two matches brought some relief to East Riding with Gregory winning by 5&3 and Pybus securing a half but the next four all fell to Bradford. In the final two games, Clark, having been 2 up with 5 to play, finally ran out of steam and ended with a half but the scoreline of the day belonged to Scott, who triumphed by 8&7, meaning he didn't play any of the last six holes during the day!

Singles score: Bradford 18, East Riding 6

Overall score: Bradford 26, East Riding 10

Nick Raybould, despite missing the match, retains his position at the top of the Order of Merit on 30 points, with Tom Duck, Leigh Gawley and Luke Robinson all on 25 points. Assuming Raybould plays in the final match, his challengers will need to score maximum points to stand any chance of overhauling him to the Player of the Year Title.

The final league match is against the Sheffield Union at Hessle on 1st September.

Men's Team suffer a big defeat at Huddersfield GC

On 4th August, the Men's Team, weakened by the absence of senior players, Alan Wright, Rich Webster and Leigh Gawley, faced a Halifax & Huddersfield Union Team fielding nine current or past members of the host club and were roundly beaten.

A last minute substitution of 13year old Luke Thornton (Hessle) for the injured Gawley saw probably the largest ever age difference in a foursomes pairing, as he set out in the final morning match with Phil Scott, 43 years his senior. Unfortunately, they were up against a Huddersfield duo with hot putters and despite a rally early in the back nine, they lost by 4&3.

All the other foursome matches were also lost, three of them on the final green, leaving East Riding with little hope of taking anything from the match, other than their self-esteem.

Foursomes score: Halifax & Huddersfield 12, East Riding 0

In the top singles match, the Huddersfield Club Champion, Josh Morton, who had shot 66, 71 the previous day for the title, continued in the same vein by beating level par, Luke Robinson, by 3&2. Next up was Matt Raybould who, having missed a curly three footer on the 17th to go 1 down, produced an amazing 8 iron from 185 yards on the last to pin high and holed out for eagle and a hard-earned half.

Jack Maxey struggled to match his opponent's game and finally succumbed by 4&3 but then the next three games went East Riding's way to give some respectability to the scoreline. Andy Lockwood had a tight game to win by 3&1, whilst Nick Raybould powered his way to a 5&4 victory. But the biggest cheer was for Hornsea's Tom Broadley who, standing 1 down on the 17th tee, nestled a six iron close enough for a birdie 2 and followed it with an approach from 170 yards to three feet at the last for an eagle 3 and the match.

The last six games all went to the home team with the exception of Andy Woodhead's match, which finished all square.

Singles score: Halifax & Huddersfield 16, East Riding 8

Overall score: Halifax & Huddersfield 28, East Riding 8

With so few win points, the Order of Merit is little changed with Nick Raybould increasing his lead to 5 points over Luke Robinson with Leigh Gawley and Tom Duck still in contention.

Sunday 14th July 2019 will long be remembered in the annals of sporting history; at Lords, England won the ICC World Cup in dramatic fashion; at Wimbledon, Djokovic overcame Federer in an epic men's final; and at Hornsea, Alan Wright led the East Riding Men's Team to victory on his 200th appearance.

It was fitting that Alan should assume the captaincy for the match against Harrogate Union, almost 40 years to the day since he made his debut for the team. But, in contrast to his contribution of nil points in 1979, his foursomes half and singles win helped East Riding to an emphatic win this time.

Hornsea was in fine condition but a strong northerly wind made for difficult playing conditions and the players were sorely tested to hold the green downwind and to get the ball close to some tight pin positions.

Harrogate were first to gain the advantage, with four of their pairings recording a two hole or more advantage at the turn but the East Riding pairings of Luke Robinson & Matt Raybould and Nick Raybould & Andy Lockwood both turned 4 up and were to close out their games by 3&2 and 6&5 respectively. Captain Wright, partnered with Jack Maxey, managed to pull back their halfway deficit to gain a half but the remaining matches were lost to give Harrogate the lunchtime lead.

Foursomes score: East Riding 5, Harrogate 7

With the top half of the of the afternoon singles comprising four Hornsea members and two ex-members, East Riding aimed to get a commanding lead early on but if that failed, there were two more local players in the anchor roles, should the match go to the wire.

The first part of the strategy paid off - but only just, as the top five games all came to the final green. Fortunately, East Riding won three of them through Robinson and the Raybould brothers and Lockwood  halved his match. There were then wins for Captain Wright, Tom Duck and Rich Webster to leave East Riding needing one more point for victory.

It was a long wait for those on the clubhouse terrace (and others following proceedings on Twitter) before Lewis Nicholls appeared on the 18th fairway and secured the necessary point with a 1 hole win, as his opponent cut his approach onto the practice putting green and out of bounds. Tom Broadley and Leigh Gawley were soon seen walking in, having secured their wins with holes to spare.

Singles score: East Riding 19, Harrogate 5

Overall score: East Riding 24, Harrogate 12

With maximum points on the day, Nick Raybould moves to the top of the Order of Merit on 25, with Leigh Gawley and Luke Robinson on 24, Tom Duck 22 and Lewis Nicholls 20.

The next match is against Halifax & Huddersfield at Fixby (Huddersfield) on 4th August.

Heroic fightback falls just short as men's Team lose to Teesside

East Riding travelled to Catterick for their third match to find a quirky course with multiple dog-leg holes, changes in elevation, and small fast running sloping greens, where even a six foot lag putt was problematic. Add in the fact that none of the players had seen the course before and most pairings were untried due to a couple of absentees, meant that the morning foursomes would be no walk in the park.

And so it transpired as Teesside took a commanding lunchtime lead, with the only East Riding win coming from Hornsea pair, Leigh Gawley & Tom Broadley, 1 up, whilst Team Manager, Andy Woodhead, playing with Cottingham's Dan Swales, secured a half. The other Hornsea pair of Luke Robinson & Nick Raybould were unlucky not to gain points, as their opponents holed a 20 foot birdie putt across the final green to win 1 up, after Luke had all but holed out for birdie from a greenside bunker.

Foursomes score: Teesside 9, East Riding 3

With a mountain to climb, East Riding needed a fast start and they got it in spades, as match after match came in, adding points to their tally. Five wins and a half were recorded from the top seven matches as Luke Robinson, Nick Raybould  and Andy Lockwood all won 1 up, Leigh Gawley romped home 7&5, Tom Broadley won on the 17th and Tom Duck secured a half.

At that point, East Riding were leading by a couple of points but the fightback faltered and died, as Teesside won four of the remaining five games, with Dan Swales the only winner from the East Riding tail. Withernsea's Steve Dale, on debut, having lost narrowly in the foursomes, found himself two up at the turn in the bottom match but was unable to hold on, losing on the final green.

A closely contested match saw ten of the eighteen matches finish on the final green, with a further six concluding on the 17th.

Singles score: Teesside 11, East Riding 13

Overall score: Teesside 20, East Riding 16

Leigh Gawley, with another maximum, moves to the top of the Order of Merit table on 19 points, followed by Nick Raybould on 18, with Tom Duck and Luke Robinson a further point behind.

The next match is against Harrogate Union at Hornsea GC on 14th July when it is anticipated that Alan Wright will make his 200th appearance for the Men's Team. Why not come along and give Alan the reception he richly deserves.

Men's Team top the table after Round 2

The first home match of the season was held at Boothferry GC on 9th June and it probably felt like a home match for the visitors, York, as the Club was, until recently, affiliated to the York Union.

East Riding soon established a firm grip on the morning foursomes with the top five matches all reaching the turn two holes or more to the good. None of these games would progress beyond the 15th green, giving East Riding 10 points with wins from Luke Robinson & Matt Raybould (6&4), Jack Maxey & Alan Wright (5&4), Nick Raybould & Leigh Gawley (7&6) and Andy Woodhead & Phil Scott (4&3).

The final match, featuring Boothferry members, Steve Lynch & Jamie Bancroft, was a close-fought encounter with never more than two holes in it. However some deft chipping and inspired putting saw the York pair prevail on the final green.

Foursomes score: East Riding 10, York 2

In order to get back into the match, York needed a fast start in the afternoon singles and, despite East Riding taking the top match through Luke Robinson (4&3) it looked possible with York winning the second and fourth games and coming back strongly from 3 down to only 1 down with two to play in the third game. However, Jack Maxey held on to win that match on the final green and with that the York challenge collapsed, East Riding winning all but one of the remaining eight games.

Nick Raybould, Leigh Gawley and Steve Lynch all ran riot on the back nine to close out their matches by 5&4, the same scoreline achieved by Jamie Bancroft who won his opening five holes. Lewis Nicholls, Tom Duck and Andy Woodhead all won on the 17th green, the latter rounding off a winning run of five consecutive holes with a chip-in.

Singles score: East Riding 18, York 6

Overall score : East Riding 28, York 8

The team was well supported during the day by the President, Chris Clarkson, the President Elect, John Chambers, the Men's Team Administrator, Howard Palmer, the Starter, Steve Robinson, the Secretary, John Illingworth and former Presidents, Steve Thornton, Stephen Wright and Edward Clark. Also present were Mrs Chambers and Mrs Wright, together with a posse of Boothferry members following their own.

Thanks to all the supporters and others involved, especially to Chris Mowforth and the Boothferry Club for hosting the event.

Tom Duck and Lewis Nicholls head the Player of the Year table with maximum points (14) with Nick Raybould on 13, followed by Leigh Gawley, Luke Robinson and Andy Woodhead on 12.

East Riding open their season with a win at Leeds

An East Riding team missing two of its regulars, Alan Wright and Andy Lockwood and the Yorkshire Boys' Captain, Jack Maxey, was nevertheless strong enough to overcome a Leeds Union team, when the two sides met at the Leeds Golf Club (Cobble Hall) on 19th May.

East Riding seemingly had the advantage throughout the morning foursomes but the lunchtime score of 7:5 was disappointing as it had looked as if the margin would be greater until two of the matches lost the final hole, converting a potential win into a half and a potential half into a loss.

The top match was an all Yorkshire County players affair with Matt Raybould and Luke Robinson taking on Tom Broxup and David Houlding. With the match evenly balanced throughout, the game was finally won by the East Riding pairing by 2&1.

In the second match, Rich Webster and Lewis Hunt, who won all six matches in which they were paired in 2018, finally came unstuck, conceding a 1 hole defeat to a pairing with a red-hot putter.

Dan Digby and Andy Woodhead, having reached the turn 2 up, were then hit by a barrage of five birdies in six holes to lose by 2&1, whilst Leigh Gawley, playing with fellow Hornsea member and debutant, Tom Broadley, maintained a small advantage throughout to win by 1 hole.

Lewis Nicholls and Under 18s Captain, Tom Duck, gained a relatively comfortable victory by 3&2 but Lewis Blanchard and Nick Raybould were denied a win by a monster putt across the final green to grab Leeds a half.

Foursomes score: Leeds 5, East Riding 7

The Yorkshire County players continued their battle in the top two afternoon singles, resulting in a loss for Matt Raybould by 3&2 and a half for Luke Robinson,which made their personal contest all square but more importantly, brought the overall points tally level. The third game fell to Leeds as Rich Webster once more came up against the player with the hot putter, thus giving the home side the overall lead in the match.

The fourth and fifth games were shared. Lewis Hunt, stung by his morning loss, was back to winning ways in the afternoon with a 2&1 victory but Dan Digby, despite playing some high quality golf, was undone by 1 hole.

Next to finish was the eighth game, with Tom Broadley, losing by 4&3, which put Leeds ahead by 14 points to 10 but Nick Raybould in the final match and Andy Woodhead in the sixth game restored the equilibrium with 5&3 and 2&1 wins respectively.

Tom Duck, playing against a former East Riding player, Michael Helyard, regained the away side's advantage, winning by 3&2 and Leigh Gawley took East Riding to 17 points with a hard-earned half.

It fell to Lewis Nicholls to secure the winning points when his opponent failed to make par on the final hole and conceded the match. The remaining game left out on the course, featuring Lewis Blanchard, was finally won by 2&1.

Singles score: Leeds 10, East Riding 14.

Overall score: Leeds 15, East Riding 21.