LUGS v QUGS Friday 1 April 2022 Royal St George’s
It was especially good to see the QUGS back at Sandwich given the disappointment of three Covid induced match cancellations back in 2020. While only four years old, there is a strong sense among both young and older players that the match feels much more established than its years suggest. While all the golfers were introducing themselves for the first time back in 2018, 2022 was like a meeting of old friends.
The other significant difference was the weather. In April 2018, the terrace was awash with Pimm’s and sun cream. In 2022, we had hail and a bitter wind from the north.
Many of the younger players met on Thursday at Walton Heath. There, protected by the trees, the weather felt rather kinder than it was on the coast where some of the older hands met to ‘warm up’. If ever it needed demonstrating, age is certainly no guarantee of wisdom.
The volume dial was up at ten during the pre-match dinner at the George and Dragon. Every statement of bravado was met with an equally strong rebuff, with laughter and good humour dominating the evening. John Dennis and Dan McCrea, the two captains, announced pairings.
Friday’s golf was challenging. Even getting the ball to stay on the tee long enough to take a swipe was not straight forward. The wind swept strong across the first and Sean Dryden, playing his first round as a member at Sandwich, managed to knock his drive out of bounds. Hopefully not an omen for his relationship with his new club. But while the driving was difficult, putting on the windswept greens was especially problematic. Facing a three foot downwind, downhill putt on the sixteenth, Neil Falconer knew each of a win, half or loss were still quite possible.
The matches were well contested, all of them getting to the 16th or beyond, and we arrived at lunch three all. With calories being burned at an alarmingly high rate on the course, much fuel was taken on. It clearly worked for Alan Irwin and Michael Curran as they raced to a five hole lead by the turn. But the tide turned and the London duo of John Dennis and Michael Kershaw came through on the 18th. With the scores tied, all rested on the final match – heroically, Jack McClean and Ed Bill won on the 18th green.
A fine dinner under the watchful gaze of club founder Laidlaw Purves threw up a new competitive angle for the fixture. With the Dover sole served on the bone, surgeon Al Dick circled the table awarding marks for best de-boning. The cream rose to the top with Peter Dyson winning the consolation prize for the LUGS.
After speeches, the claret jug was handed to Dan McCrea, the QUGS captain. In truth though, we had all won.
| Morning | ||
| LUGS | QUGS | |
| Sam Campbell/Mike Kershaw | Jordan Graham/Al Dick | L3&2 |
| Neil Falconer/James Bull | Michael Graham/Alan Irwin | L2&1 |
| Matt Wilcox/Andrew Cole | Dan McCrea/Peter Murray | Q3&2 |
| Stuart Lloyd/Sean Dryden | Michael Curran/Paul Eastwood | Q3&2 |
| Nick Holt/John Dennis | Andy Dick/Jack McClean | L2&1 |
| George Yeandle/Peter Dyson | Ed Bill/Richard Nicholas | Q3&2 |
| Afternoon | ||
| Sam Campbell/Andrew Cole | Jordan Graham/Michael Graham | Q4&2 |
| John Dennis/Mike Kershaw | Michael Curran/Alan Irwin | L1up |
| Neil Falconer/Peter Dyson | Al Dick/Andy Dick | Q3&2 |
| James Bull/George Yeandle | Peter Murray/Richard Nicholas | L2&1 |
| Stuart Lloyd/Matt Wilcox | Dan McCrea/Paul Eastwood | Halved |
| Sean Dryden/Nick Holt | Jack McClean/Ed Bill | Q1up |
| QUGS beat LUGS 6.5-5.5 |
London University Golfing Society 