KANGAROO CUP Pairs Championship
Berkshire 2019
BERKSHIRE - 9th SEPTEMBER 2019
It was just a matter of time before our run of dry weather would come to an end. It was touch and go leading up to the event
if we should cancel but in the end the weather was better than forecast with only a few showers on the day. It was great welcoming back Andy Clifton the inaugural winner of the Kangaroo Cup back in 2004. The event was also supported by 3
other Berkshire members.
Starting on the Par 3 Blue first with the AM closest to the pin, Crech set a tough challenge for the following groups which Patel snuck inside to take the prize. Jopling, Bragg, Crech, Maddison and Espley all birdied the 3rd hole to bank 4 points with Bragg eagling the 6th for a further 4 points to close out the front 2 under par 34. Team Maddison & Pritchard banked 7 points on the 8th thanks to a 4 point birdie by Pritchard to turn with 33 points equalled by teams Hammond & Joping and Jackson & Naylor. Bragg continued his great play with birdies on the 10th and 11th but dropped a shot on the 17th to shoot a gross 68, with partner Lumley virtually demoted to being a caddy. Jopling & Hammond lead the way at lunch with 62 points followed by 3
teams on 60, with 3 more on 58.
Bragg continued where he had left off in the morning with a Birdie, Par, Birdie start with Lumley adding a birdie himself on the 2nd to have a team score of 12 points after the four better-ball holes equalled only by Forsythe & Simpson on the day.
Lancaster & Patel scored the best afternoon front 9 with 32 points, Bragg & Lumley had 31 points with leaders Hammond & Jopling fading with only 25 points allowing the chasing pack to close in. Teams Crech & Hedges and Jackson & Naylor both scoring 28 points. With 9 holes to go Bragg & Lumley were on 91, Lancaster & Patel on 90, Crech & Hedges 88 with morning leaders Hammond & Jopling on 87 followed by Jackson & Naylor 86.
Maddison & Pritchard rallied well with 3 birdies on the back 9 for 30 points equalling morning leaders Hammond & Jopling who had a better back 9 with 28 points for a total of 115. Crech & Hedges scored 1 point on 3 of the holes with Lancaster & Patel
also fading scoring 1 point twice resulting in both teams falling out of contention. Jackson & Naylor stumbled on the last hole
as did Bragg & Lumley having banked birdies on 16th & 17th. Bragg finished with a gross 74 one under for his 36 holes to
make it two Kangaroo Cup titles out of 2 events with 120 points. Naylor and Jackson took Runners Up on 116 points ahead
of Maddison & Pritchard and Hammond & Jopling both on 115 points. Jopling had the consolation of winning the afternoon
closest to the pin on the 18th.
