KANGAROO CUP Pairs Championship
Berkshire 2017
BERKSHIRE - 18th SEPTEMBER 2017
After missing his tee time at last year’s Berkshire event (see report) Billy Field messaged me the night before from his campsite at the entrance to the club confirming he wouldn’t be late. I am pleased to report he wasn’t but unlike the old days, where sleeping with golfing friends on Les Boys trips didn’t affect his performance, now he is married it’s just not quite the same. The administrative burden appeared again when Ed Kelly missing his tee time by 30 minutes and had to be chauffeured out to the 3rd tee to join his partner Mark Healy who had held up to the pressure of single play banking 4 points on the first two holes who then collapsed scoring nil points on the next two holes. Steve Phillips had as many points after 2 holes as usual except this time he was 1000 miles away relaxing in the Spanish sunshine.
After 9 holes Jackson & Naylor were leading the field on 31 points Naylor level par, with Healy & Kelly one point behind. Teams Berryman/Field & Hedges/Taylor all parred the tough 7th Par 3 banking 6 points. After the morning 18 holes Healy & Kelly lead with 60 points, followed by Jackson & Naylor on 58 points after 74 by Naylor. The Berkshire pairing of Allum & Taberer were on 55 points as were Berry & Pimbley.
The Berkshire teams of Healy & Kelly and Allum & Taberer were first off in the afternoon with Allum & Taberer closing in on the leaders scoring the only 7 pointer of the day on the Par5 6th to go out with 30 points against Healy/Kelly’s 27. Defending Champions Hedges & Taylor scored 61 points in the afternoon but their morning round of 51 points had put them too far behind to clinch back-to-back titles and finished tied 3rd on 112. Allum & Taberer had closed within 1 point with 4 holes to play when Healy birdied the 15th with partner Kelly a steady par to Allum & Taberer’s bogeys, a 3 point swing with Healy closing out with another birdie on Par 4 18th. Half the teams scored 55 points in the afternoon round which included Jackson & Naylor who finished 2nd on 113 points behind winners Healy & Kelly with 115 points.
