KANGAROO CUP Pairs Championship
Hayling Island 2017
HAYLING ISLAND - 25th APRIL 2017
It was the 6th year that the spring event was held at Hayling, with a smaller field of 16 players opening up the opportunity for a few of the regular pairs who have come so close in the past to take the title.
The morning play was over 18 holes with the usual format. Six times Champion Maciver and partner Espley felt it only fair to blob the first hole to give everyone a chance while defending champions Naylor & Jackson were straight out of the blocks with 3 points on the 1st adding 7 points on the 7th with two birdies to lead the field after 9 holes on 29 points with Peplow and Tilley one point behind on 28 points and Hedges & Taylor on 26 points.
Peplow and Tilley continue their good form with 12 points on the better ball format holes 10 to 13 (the best of the day) followed by a 6 pointer but faded on the closing 3 holes to finish clubhouse leaders at lunch on 59 points with Naylor & Jackson on 56 and Hedges & Taylor 52. With the afternoon round only over 9 holes it was looking like a three horse race.
Both Hedges & Taylor and Naylor & Jackson scored 11 points on the four better ball holes to Peplow & Tilley’s 9 points. The 6th & 7th holes have proved to be key in the end result in the past and today was no exception. The 6th Par 4 stroke index 1 saw Peplow and Tilley score no points on a total of 71, with Naylor and Jackson only scoring 1 point to Hedges & Taylor’s 4 points, both these teams now on 70 points. The 7th hole is a short Par 5 with a stroke index 8 which Hedges & Taylor both birdied with strokes for 8 points the best of the day on any hole and suddenly it was theirs to lose. Hedges & Taylor’s games deserted them only scoring 3 points on the last two holes as did Peplow and Tilley but cool calm Naylor banked his 4 points while Jackson was also feeling the pressure only scoring 1 point.
Past Hayling Champion Davenport partnering Lumley scored the afternoon best with 30 points to sneak into 2nd place on 79 points with the title going to Hedges & Taylor with a total of 82 points. Lumley won the AM closest to the pin with Espley the PM.
