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The Essex County Team’s first league match of the season was an away fixture against last year’s Northern League winners BB & O at the superb Frilford Heath Golf Club (Red Course), as tough an opener as one could hope for with our opponents again fielding an extremely strong side.
The morning foursomes proved this to be the case with the home side coming in to lunch 3 to 1 up after giving our lads a lesson in how to hole putts on the excellent greens. A demonstration in how to get around a course without hitting many fairways by the pair of Ali Plumb and Taylor Carter being the only bright spot in an otherwise miserable morning for the Essex side.
The afternoon singles started much as the morning left off. After 5 holes our hosts were ahead in 5 of the 8 matches and the result was starting to look like a stroll for BB & O. With County captain Jay Beisser out number one against Tim Shin and being 1 down after 5 holes he had managed to get back to all square at the turn. With news filtering around the course that BBO were in command of the match Jay proceeded to show true class by winning the 15th and 16th to take a 2 hole dormie lead which he then turned into the first point of the afternoon in favour of Essex.
News of this victory seemed to spur on the rest of the team and suddenly matches were slowly turning. Callum Pipe from being 2 down after 12 holes winning 3 holes on the spin to take a 1 hole lead down the last and turning this into another point for Essex. Game on ??
A steady Ali Plumb gained the 3rd unanswered point and things were looking interesting. Further wins from Michael Gilbert and Curtis Knipes with a BBO win against Arron Edwards-Hill left Essex with the 6 points needed to avoid defeat and only half a point required from the 2 games left out on the course for a very unlikely victory. Both of these matches were dormie 2 up for BBO and they went on to secure a nail-biting and well deserved 6 all draw.
Stirring stuff in a most enthralling encounter.
Thanks to Frilford Heath Golf Club for their hospitality on a marvellous golf course in superb condition.
Phil Hulse, County Team Manager