KANGAROO CUP Pairs Championship
Hayling Island 2019
HAYLING ISLAND - 30th APRIL 2019
The weather Gods were again kind for the 8th spring event held at Hayling which had perfect links golfing weather with lots of sunshine and a light breeze. A field of 20 players, with Lachlan Deuchar and Martin Pearson joining us after many years’ absence and one new pair of Chris Maddison & Chris Pritchard.
The first hole is usually a quick baptism to links golf as into a head wind, but this year it was down wind. Espley & Maciver made a strong start with 12 points after the 4 better ball holes but stumbled with 1 point when both scores came into play and the pressure of closest to the pin on the 5th - which was won by Jackson. Normal service was quickly resumed on the 6th with Maciver holing a birdie putt for a team 7 points to close with 35 points for the first 9 holes. Deuchar & Lumley scored the only other 7 pointer of the day on the 9th to turn with 34 points with new pair of Maddison & Pritchard on 33 points thanks to Maddison’s 3 birdies. Hedges’s shout of joy were heard by all when he holed his 2nd shot on the 9th after taking a penalty drop from the gorse for 4 points.
Having enjoyed the tail wind on the way out, the home stretch was back into the wind with most teams struggling. The exception was Hedges & Taylor who scored 30 points to lie equal 2nd at lunch with Maddison & Pritchard on 58, one point behind leaders Espley & Maciver 59.
Espley who feels under pressure at the mention of the word Kangaroo Cup has partnered Maciver (one of the most capped players of all time) for 15 events and not won a title. Espley stepped up to the challenge with a birdie on the first followed by nett birdie on the 2nd. Peplow & Phillips, playing with the morning leaders, upped their game with 32 points helped by Phillips’s tee shot on the Par 3 5th only inches from what would have been the 2nd hole in one at the Kangaroo Cup. Deuchar & Lumley scored 30 points benefitting from the good play of Berry & Pearson who scored 33 points, the best of the afternoon rounds. The chasing teams of Maddison/ Pritchard & Hedges/Dion who were paired together, spent too much time trying to replicate the hole out from the gorse drop.
Final scores saw Espley & Maciver take the title with 90 points giving Maciver his record breaking 7th Kangaroo Cup title. Deuchar & Lumley were Runners-up with 86 points on count-back from Maddison & Pritchard.
