LOCAL golf made a huge statement over the weekend, as the Channel Islands defeated Hampshire County 8.5 – 3.5 at Guernsey’s L’Ancresse Golf Club.
Jersey’s Matthew Parkman, Sam Quail, Josh Ozard and Charlie Kiberd combined with their Sarnian counterparts Lewis Marley, Tom Le Huray, Rory McKenna and Jack Mitchell to take on the county side.
“We’re very proud of our golfers. They have done very well to get this result and we’re very thankful to them, as the players make the game what it is,” said Juanita Adlington, president of Jersey Golf.
“This is a big win for our local golfers, but it’s not surprising as we have so many good players here, the strength and depth is excellent.
“It’s great to show Hampshire how good we truly are. It really is a good time for Jersey and Channel Islands’ golf.”
Matchplay
Competition started on Saturday, where the Channel Islands and Hampshire’s finest squared off in the four-ball format. Facing off in pairs, each contestant played their own ball on every hole, with the lower of the two players’ scores counting as the team’s result.
Quail and Mitchell put the Islanders in good stead to kick off the weekend, edging out Hampshire’s duo with a 3&2 result to tally up the first point on the board.
McKenna and Kiberd weren’t keen on dropping the ball, carrying the momentum into their clash and continuing winning ways to chalk up another point for the Channel Islands, with a 1up result.
After such a strong start, hopes were high for them to continue. However, Ozard and Marley narrowly fell short, losing by one hole to drop the first point of the day, despite their valiant display.
As Hampshire played their way back into contention, Le Huray and Parkman were committed to ending the day on a high, refusing to let their county rivals level the playing field.
That showed on the course, as the Channel Island pairing put on a show, scoring an emphatic 2&1 to bring home the final point of the day and lead 3-1 over Hampshire.
Such a strong performance put them in a good position heading into Sunday’s clashes, where singles play lay ahead of the golfers.
Four-time Island champion Matthew Parkman was on from, helping drive the team forward.
If that wasn’t going to be tricky enough, strong winds and rain presented another layer of challenge, so there was no room for error in the decisive session.
Guernsey’s Marley was first up, revelling in the course and performing well to rise above Hampshire’s James Atkins, leading by three to score a 3&2.
Next up was Caesarean Ozard, who went up against Jamie Markwick with hopes to keep building on the lead. Unfortunately, the latter proved too big a challenge on the day, reducing the deficit for Hampshire with a 5&4 victory.
Hampshire continued to play their way back into the contest, as a 1up win for Albie Beeston over Tom Le Huray meant only one point separated the sides, at 4-3.
Debutant Kiberd went into his clash with immense pressure, as a loss would have meant the teams would be all square. But, Kiberd refused to succumb, triumphing with a 2&1 result to take back control for the Channel Islands.
The Channel Islands’ play carried on very much in the same vein, as Sarnian McKenna topped the rival county’s Max Blake 4&3 to extend the lead.
Following back-to-back victories for the Channel Islands, what ensued was an absolute battle, as Quail went toe-to-toe with Luke Hodgetts. After 18 holes, nothing could separate the two, as it finished all square and both split the point, each adding 0.5 points to their team’s tally.
With that, victory was assured, but that didn’t stop Mitchell and Parkman from finishing the weekend strongly, both winning their respective match-ups 2&1 and 6&5 respectively to give the Channel Islands an emphatic 8.5 – 3.5 victory.
Sam Quail made his debut in the fixture, following a strong year which saw him win the Island Men’s Championship. Picture: ROB CURRIE
“This is a big win for us, with this we’ve proved that the Channel Islands aren’t a team to be slept on and shown our level,” said Quail.
“To represent the Channel Islands and make my debut in this fixture is a very proud moment for me. With this being my first time, I wanted to make a statement, and that’s what the team did.
“As an Island, it’s not easy to showcase our ability to the UK, so getting a win like this is great for us.”
Battling against the harsh conditions and facing top talent, Quail detailed what he believed to be the key to their success, saying: “From the get-go, it was very clear that the team had a great mix of personalities and abilities, everyone clicked.
“On the Friday, we all went out for dinner and enjoyed ourselves, which really put us in good stead for the weekend. When you have a group that makes the effort to meet up and socialise outside the game, then that sets up great camaraderie and everyone bonded well.
“We all know each other from playing locally anyway, which helps, and the way we all communicated and encouraged each other definitely gave us an edge.”
Adlington echoed those sentiments, adding: “They really are a tight bunch, and Jersey Golf are very keen to foster that when creating squads. As you’ve seen in events like the Ryder Cup, they really do fight for their team.”
With this being his first appearance in the fixture, Quail had plenty to take away from the experience, adding: “Playing against top players in the UK really is a bit of a wake-up call, when up against that level of competition you naturally raise your game, and you find out a lot about yourself in the process.
“After playing one of the county’s best, my main takeaway is all about focusing up and locking in on the game. From this, I intend to keep going, as I know there’s another level for me to reach, to keep competing against quality opposition.”
Charlie Kiberd also made his debut against Hampshire, with great success.
What now for Jersey golf?
This momentous result shows just how high a level local golf is at, as Adlington described now as a “great time” to be involved. “Locally, the game is growing, this year we’ve seen higher entries for our tournaments and more players get involved. With this, there’s been more competition for our squads, which is always good to get the best out of the players.
“Our future looks bright, the junior development has been flourishing for a while and that’s now showing with many young talents making their way into the senior squads to show the Island’s high potential.
“We have a good mix of experience and youth among our players, which is great as the up-and-comers do look up to and learn from the experienced players, and they’re always happy to help and advise.
Although Jersey’s golfing future looks bright, everyone is keen to go further and invest more into competition abroad, pushing the level even higher.
“Jersey’s golf scene is in a great place, but it can always be better, and the next step is to push for more contests like this one, against other counties across the UK,” Quail continued.
“Playing against more areas will get the word out and show everyone our ability, which would set up more opportunities. Also, it’s important in sport to face a variety of opposition, allowing more room for development.”
Jersey Golf’s president added: “We’re lucky to have a lot of quality competitions on the Island, but it’s so important to go over and play other counties, as it’s crucial to raising the bar.
“We have great potential here, so it’s all about looking into providing more opportunities to face UK opposition and assisting with that wherever we can.”
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