The Ladies' Second Team v Somerset - 29th April 2017
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L-R Emily Morey, Lorna Elliott, Amanda Burchell, Charlotte Husband, Laura Colman |
The Ladies' 2nd team played against Somerset at Exeter G&CC.
The 3 Foursomes pairings of Amanda Burchell with Laura Tregelles, Emily Morey with Charlotte Husband and Josie Phillips with Laura Colman got off to a great 3-0 start in the morning. The last 2 matches were very close and exciting games, both going to the 18th hole.
In the afternoon singles, Lorna Elliott joined the team as Josie, who had played magnificently in the morning, felt unwell. Outstanding wins by Emily Morey, Laura Colman and Lorna Elliott gave Devon an overall victory of 6 games to 3 over a young, talented Somerset side.
My thanks go to Sally Charnock for all her help and support, to Exeter G&CC for their hospitality and most of all to the victorious team - a great result.
Anne Norman
Lady Vice Captain
The Second Team
Autumn Training Days 2017
The second of the County Squad's autumn coaching days was held at Tiverton Golf Club on Sunday 12th November following the previous session held two weeks earlier. The two sessions were specifically structured to short game skills and Tiverton's excellent new short game facilities were a perfect venue. County coach Tiffany MacKenzie had set up a number of putting and chipping skill tests and drills which gave the girls plenty to practice over the winter months, some of which can be done from the comfort of the living room!
Jess Bradley, Devon's own Ladies European Tour player, kindly attended both sessions and held a question and answer session with the girls. The questions were wide ranging from how difficult was the jump from the amateur ranks to the professional game, course management and planning, practice and fitness schedules, pre and post shot routine, nutrition on and off the course, life at university in America, mental approach to stroke play and match play, life on tour and many more. We thank Jess for her time. A few faces fell when she told us that the food to take on the course was bananas, cereal bars and nuts and definitely not chocolate and Haribos!
After lunch the girls played a competitive 9 hole 3 person team event.
Many thanks to Tiverton Golf Club, Jess Bradley, Tiffany MacKenzie and Sally Charnock for two excellent sessions.
Devon Ladies' 2nd Team
2nd Team Match v Dorset - Bulbury Woods Golf Club - 16th July 2017
The final match of the season for the second team took place on 16th July at Bulbury Woods, Dorset. The course has narrow, tree lined fairways and some very tricky greens.
The 3 foursomes in the morning were pairings of Meg Rossouw (Yelverton) and Helena Standen (Saunton), Lorna Elliott (Dartmouth) and Emily Morey (East Devon) and Lexi Dart (Churston) and Charlotte Husband (Exeter), Charlotte making her debut appearance for the 2nd team.
The state of play at the 9th was nail bitingly close with 1 down, 2 up and an AS, but still a long way to go. With 2 clear wins and a hard fought third match ending on the 18th, 1 down, we were fired up going into the afternoon singles with a 2-1 points lead.
The afternoon singles saw Rebekah Nicholls (Dainton Park) making her debut for the 2nd team, giving Charlotte a rest and a turn in the buggy. Again the state of play at the 9th was extremely close with 3 matches AS and 3 matches 1up. The team was getting tired as the weather became extremely close with the threat of some rain, which luckily didn't arrive. However, the girls were not going to be beaten, and by the 15th hole we were 1 match down, 1 match AS and 4 matches up, it was looking good. Finally 3 matches ended on the 18th with 2 wins and 1 half. 1 match finished on the 16th 3-2 down. Lastly two matches finished on the 17th with wins of 3-1 and 2-1.
We ended the day with an extremely good win of 6½-2½.
The matches were played in excellent spirit with both sides enjoying the competitive element.
2nd Team Match v Cornwall - Yelverton Golf Club - 11th June 2017
County Vice Captain Chris Longden reports:
The main part of my responsibilities as County Vice Captain is to manage the County 2nd Team.
Our first Inter-County Divisional match was at home against Cornwall. The venue was Yelverton on Sunday, 11th June and the format was Foursomes Matchplay in the morning followed by Singles Matchplay in the afternoon.
At 7.30am I received a phone call from the mother of one of my team to say that her daughter was not well enough to play. I had already lost my reserve the day before from tendonitis. Help!!!!
A frantic phone call to the County Captain Angie Hickey, with a plea to bring her clubs, solved the morning Foursomes problem. However, I still needed a player for the Singles match in the afternoon. Luckily, Lesley Pascoe agreed to come and play in the afternoon. Grateful thanks go to the County Captain and the County Selector for stepping up to the plate and playing in the team.
Unfortunately we lost all 3 matches in the morning going 3-0 down. 2 of those matches lost 1 down on the 18th, they were hard fought but Cornwall had the edge over Devon with their putting.
It was all to play for in the afternoon, we needed to win 5 matches to beat Cornwall. The team was all fired up to try their best but we lost the first match 3-2, with Lexi Dart having a strong opponent.
Helena Standen and Laura Tregelles won their matches. Helena with an outstanding 6-5 and Laura winning on the 18th with 2 up.
The last 3 matches were still going strong with Meg Rossouw battling it out to the 18th and losing 1 down. Lesley Pascoe lost 2 down on the 18th and Lorna Elliott lost 3-2 on the 16th, after fighting back from 4 down, to a 20ft putt by the Cornwall player .
The final result was 7 matches to Cornwall and 2 to Devon.
Cornwall were excellent opponents on the day and tough to beat.
Tyler Trophy - Yelverton Golf Club - 21st May 2017
The annual Tyler Trophy match between the DCLGA 2nd Team and the Junior Girls was played at Yelverton on Sunday, 21st May 2017. The match was played in glorious sunshine with a testing wind. Both sides fielded a team of 7 players and Devon Junior Girls went on to win 4½ - 2½.
The Tyler Trophy was presented to the winning team by Sally Tyler and her mother who were present to support both teams as they played.
Practice Match at Woodbury Park
Eleven members of the county squad met at Woodbury Park on Sunday 23rd April for a foursomes match. The number of players participating was down due the demands of public exams, the clash of a national college golf event and injury. It was a valuable session as it enabled the management team to look at foursomes pairings for the forth coming season. The standard of golf was very high but everyones concentration was tested by what was going on close by on Woodbury Common. The billowing smoke from the fire was clearly seen and the sound of fire engines and helicopters were clearly heard. All players played 17 holes but we were greeted by the sight of fire service vehicles being reversed towards the lake on the 18th and hoses being unrolled. The lake was going to provide a water supply to fight what turned out to be the 100 acre fire on the common. The Hotel had been evacuated although the Clubhouse was still open. Match abandoned!
Coaching Event at Woodbury Park
On Saturday 11th March DCLGA County Squad members were invited by Devon Golf Ltd to attend a coaching event they had organised at Woodbury Park. The day consisted of two talks one by Andy Lamour, a physiotherapist, who has worked at England Golf and with a number of tour professionals and the other by John Bickerton, an ex European Tour player. Both talks were very interesting giving an insight into what it is like to be on tour and helpful tips to help players of all abilities. John then held a short game clinic. Unfortunately John had a shoulder injury so Gary Milne, the DG Ltd County Coach, stepped up and hit the shots John was describing.
The players were also able to go on the Srixon Tour Bus and have the lofts and lies of their clubs measured and new grips put on their clubs.
We would like to thank Devon Golf Ltd, Srixon and Woodbury Park for a great day.
County Squad Assessment Days
County Squad Assessment ays were held at Saunton Golf Club on the 5th and 12th February 2017. Tiffany MacKenzie, the County Coach, had arranged well structured and organised days. The morning session on each day comprised of a putting skills challenge, a short game skills challenge, Trackman Data Collection & long range pitching skills. After a quick lunch the players played 9 holes of stroke play golf. All these tasks were competitive with token prizes for each challenge. Valuable information was collected and will provide the basis for the coaching days to follow.
It was dry but rather chilly!
Second Team Colours Are Presented
Second Team Colours are presented when a player has represented Devon in competitive matches against other counties 8 times. In 2016 Second Team Colours were presented to Emily Morey (East Devon), Amanda Burchell (Bigbury) and Meg Rossouw (Yelverton). Congratulations to them all.
Second Team Match Against Cornwall
Emily Morey, Amanda Burchell, Meg Rossouw, Helena Standen, Lexi Dart & Sammy Found
- before we walked the course
The 2nd team played against Cornwall on Sunday 4th September at Perranporth. The team of six travelled down on Saturday morning for a practice round in the afternoon. After weeks of blue skies, sun and light winds it was all change. We were met at Perranporth by torrential rain and a gale. It was not a difficult decision to abandon the idea of a practice round, although none of the team had played the course, in favour of walking it. We were staying in Truro overnight with no facilities to dry kit and what we learnt would have been negligible as the forecast for Sunday was light cloud and light winds. One lesson was learnt, hotel hair driers are better for drying hair than golf shoes!
Sunday morning came very early as we had to be on the first tee for 8.15am. The weather was as forecast light cloud and light winds. The format for the match, scratch, was 3 Foursomes in the morning and 6 singles in the afternoon. Amanda Burchell (Bigbury) and Emily Morey (East Devon) led the team, followed by Helena Standen (Saunton) and Sammy Found (RND) and the new pairing of Lexi Dart (Churston) and Meg Roussouw (Yelverton) were the final pair. The morning finished
2-1 to Cornwall with the links experience of the Saunton & RND pairing bringing home Devon's first point. Now at least the team had played some of the course, all had played well and we were looking forward to the afternoon singles.
After lunch, caddies for the Cornwall players materialised from nowhere and this added to the team's resolve. Emily was first off in the afternoon playing the home player. It was a close match but local knowledge won out in the end with 3-1 to Cornwall. Carrying on their form from the morning, Helena and Sammy both won so now 3-3. Through 16, both Meg and Lexi were dormy 2 up. Amanda had a very close match which didn't go her way on the odd bounce - now 4-3 to Cornwall. Though they didn't know it, the match rested on the juniors' results. Both Meg and Lexi lost the 17th and were now dormy 1 up. Meg, having struggled with her driver in the morning, had solved the problem by using her 3 wood all afternoon. She drove down the centre of the 18th, chipped and two putted - hole halved match won. It was now 4-4 with the last match on the 18th tee. Both players almost drove the green, both players chipped and 2 putted - the hole halved and the match won. Result 5-4 to Devon.
It was a tremendous effort by the team to beat a strong Cornwall side on their own course with no practice round. All the players should take great pride in how they played and I would like to thank them all.
Angie Hickey
Vice Captain 2016
Second Team Match Against Dorset
Jess Francis, Stacey Ford, Amanda Burchell, Meg Rossouw,
Emily Morey, Laura Tregelles & Helena Standen
31st July was a glorious summer's day at Churston for the second team match versus Dorset. The sun was shining, the views were stunning and the course in great condition. The format of the match was 3 Foursomes before lunch and 6 singles matches in the afternoon. The morning didn't go quite to plan as we came in 3 down. The pairings of Amanda Burchell & Emily Morey and Jess Francis & Meg Rossouw struggled with the pace of the greens. The last pairing of Laura Tregelles & Helena Standen started slowly and, at one point, was 5 down but demonstrated excellent fighting qualities to eventually lose just 1 down. Last year the second team had been in a similar position against Cornwall at Tiverton and had come out on top in the end. Would history repeat itself? Unfortunately not. The afternoon session went 3.5 to 2.5 to Dorset. Emily and Amanda gave Devon their first points. Jess Francis was engaged in a tough tussle with Megan Thompson, the Dorset Junior Captain, and finally lost on the 18th. The two of them are likely to resume their rivalry at Junior Inter Counties next week. A battle which may also resume next week was Meg Rossouw verses Becky Hobell. The girls started their match with a half in birdies on the first and the match never had more than one hole in it all the way round and, fittingly, they halved on the 18th. Unfortunately it wasn't Stacey Ford or Laura Tregelles' day but they both made their Dorset opponents fight hard for their victories.
The match was played in the right spirit and we would like to thank Churston Golf Club for the courtesy of their course.
The Tyler Trophy
