Perhaps it’s something to do with that incomprehensible space-time continuum, but doesn’t time fly these days?
It seems like only a year ago when John Dennis, our captain, stood before the match dinner promising a ‘decade of dominance’ by the LUGS. Only 12 months later, that promise, along with his golf game, lies bent and broken on the shores of Pegwell Bay courtesy of the travelling SUGS. Therapy surely beckons…
Arriving in east Kent on Thursday, all were baffled by the absence of Andrew Jessop, SUGS’ long-time match manager. Had he been sacked? After a single defeat in ten years, this seemed harsh. That said, legend has it that when the SUGS hierarchy settles down around the Scone Stone in darkest December to plan the year ahead, faces painted and Saltires unfurled, no prisoners are taken.
But the answer to his absence was rather more prosaic and, indeed, strange; having not missed a fixture during a marvellously successful and very arduous career in the City, he was now too busy in his retirement to attend. Would SUGS settle and thrive without him?
Yes!
The trusty Sandy Reid, Luffness’ finest, striped drive after drive down the middle, silencing the usually chirpy combination of Porky Kershaw and Hugh Jackson. The captain’s game was comfortably won by Shetland’s David Simpson. With so little of the day gone, it already felt like being 3-0 down to Real Madrid in the Bernabeu.
Happily, both Calders were successful, with Nicola carrying Jimmy Bull to a fine win; and the wily play of Gorm and Nick proved good enough to see off the SUGS’ delightful rookies, Eliot and Anand.
One down at high noon, lunch was a very jolly affair. With the veterans scoring in the afternoon, might that give LUGS the edge, we wondered?
No!
So, normal services resumed after a fine win in Scotland last year. But, while the score is of some relevance, the fun of the day is more important still. With a fast, running course and the marvellous hospitality of Royal St George’s, it is hard not to enjoy the day. Speeches were given in memory of Alastair Wells, one of LUGS’s finest and Stewart Farmer delivered one of the best paced and amusing jokes since the famous Bricklayer’s Lament.
With little to cheer in the world at large, it is simply marvellous to spend a day with so many friends in such a fine place playing a game we all love.
Morning Foursomes
| LUGS | SUGS | |||
| 1 | Mike Kershaw & Hugh Jackson | Sandy Reid & Mark Kernaghan | 1 hole | |
| 2 | John Dennis & Joe Park | David Simpson & Jonny Calder | 3&2 | |
| 3 | Nick Holt & Gorm Nielsen | 5&4 | Eliot Innes & Anand Shah | |
| 4 | Alex Modgill & Sam Baker | Callum Connacher & Dave Greenshields | 4&3 | |
| 5 | Nicola Calder & Jimmy Bull | 2&1 | Simon Holt & Sandy Farmer | |
| 2 | 3 |
Afternoon Foursomes
| LUGS | SUGS | |||
| 1 | Nick Holt & Hugh Jackson | 4&3 | Eliot Innes & Jonny Calder | |
| 2 | John Dennis & Nicola Calder | Ewan Cameron & Dave Greenshields | 4&3 | |
| 3 | Gorm Nielsen & Joe Park | Dave Simpson & Simon Holt | 3&2 | |
| 4 | Sam Baker & Jimmy Bull | Callum Connacher & Anand Shah | 4&2 | |
| 5 | Alex Modgill & Mike Kershaw | Mark Kernaghan & Sandy Farmer | W | |
| 6 | George Yeandle & Neil Falconer | 4&3 | Stuart Farmer & Mike Morrison | |
| 7 | Jeremy Smith & Nick Kershaw | Fraser McCluskey & Sandy Reid | W | |
| 2 | 5 |
Overall Match Score
| LUGS | 4 | SUGS | 8 |
London University Golfing Society 