The golfing action was preceded by a wonderful Thursday evening dinner where both teams came together in excellent spirits ahead of the match. The evening set the tone perfectly for the contest to come, with Kiki delivering the eagerly anticipated pairings for Friday’s action in fine style.
As Friday 13th March arrived the London Universities Golfing Society travel across the Channel to face the Paris University Golfing Society (PUGS) at the magnificent Golf de Saint-Germain, where the two sides battled not only each other, but also the elements in what could only be described as typically British wet weather.
Despite the Parisian setting, conditions were anything but continental. Persistent rain and heavy ground made for a stern test throughout the day, demanding grit, resilience, and no shortage of waterproofs from both teams.
The action was closely fought from the outset, with neither side able to establish a commanding lead during the morning session. By lunchtime, the scoreboard reflected just how finely balanced the contest was, with PUGS taking a slender lead, 3.5 to 2.5.
Refuelled and undeterred with some bread-less burgers, LUGS came out strongly in the afternoon lead by Kaihan Mobed and Andrew Cole and produced a spirited response. As the weather worsened and conditions became increasingly difficult, the afternoon matches were ultimately shortened due to the poor weather, but not before LUGS had done enough to swing the tie decisively in their favour.
When the final totals were confirmed, it was LUGS who emerged victorious, 6.5–5.5, capping off a superb comeback and securing a memorable away win. Captain Ian Raisbeck pulled up short of declaring his decade of dominance, simply hoping to repeat the feat as we welcome our friends to St George’s next year.
An fitting end to the occasion was an exceptional wine tasting, expertly presented by Romarin Billong, which proved to be a particular highlight of the post-match festivities and a reminder that this fixture is about far more than just the golf, it’s the friendships and memories we’ve made along the way.
A special thanks must go to those making their LUGS debut, mainly Cyril Le Doucen and his brother Raphael along with Simon Doggett who comfortably raised not only the quality of golf but the standard of beauty in the LUGS ranks.
| PUGS | LUGS | |||
| 1 | Kiki Cahen/Laurent Ortiz | Ian Raisbeck/Andrew Cole | ||
| 2 | Richar Waller/Romarin Billong | Daniel Grumberg/Cyril Le Doucen | ||
| 3 | Amaury Valentin/Lennart Brag | Raphael Le Doucen/Simon Doggett | ||
| 4 | Laurent Barbara/Jean-Rene Hegoburu | Jon Lavelle/Stewart Tucker | ||
| 5 | Martin Lemery/Stephane Marietti | Kaihan Mobed/Mike Edwards | ||
| 6 | Jean-Philippe Thieulin | Andrew Berryman | ||
| Morning Score | 3.5 | 2.5 | ||
| 1 | Laurent Ortiz/Jean-Rene Hegoburu | Mike Edwards/Cyril Le Doucen | ||
| 2 | Jean-Philippe Thieulin/Stephane Marietti | Raphael Le Doucen/Jon Lavelle | ||
| 3 | Amaury Valentin/Laurent Barbara | Andrew Cole/Kaihan Mobed | ||
| 4 | Martin Lemery/Richard Waller | Stewart Tucker/Ian Raisbeck | ||
| 5 | Kiki Cahen/Romarin Billong | Andrew Berryman/Simon Doggett | ||
| 6 | Lennart Brag | Daniel Grumberg | ||
| Afternoon Score | 2.0 | 4.0 | ||
Result: LUGS beat PUGS by 6.5-5.5
London University Golfing Society 