Halford Hewitt 2018

The 2018 Halford Hewitt tournament for Hurstpierpoint will surely be remembered as one of our finest and most successful events for many year. Firstly, the great success in finding and engaging much new talent and secondly in a convincing and thrilling first round win at Royal St Georges against St Bees, a school we have now secured our first win against in five matches since 1951!

Thanks to the very impressive booklet of statistics covering our achievements in the Halford Hewitt between 1930 and 2017 compiled by Mike Harrison, we can see just how hard it is to win a round. In our case prior to this year we had recorded just 15 wins in 103 matches!

Our overall touring party was a record of 24 in the end after Freddie Newmarch was sadly detained at work at the last minute.

Paul Turrell
Joe White
Dan Burstow
George Atkins
Chris Hobbs
Jeremy Waud (o)
Ed Welch
Russell Ogden
Tom Fairfax
Mark Baldock
Richard Kelly
Christrian Wimshurst
Will Carroll
Nick Budge
Rick Holgate (IP Sec)
Dudley Stratford (c)
Rob McCowen (a)
Graham Negus (Sec)
Jim Fawcett
Patrick Mc Gahan
Derick Fulcher (b)
John Fraser
Keith Jenkin
Ian Pilcher

The results from our two matches were as follows;

First Round – v St Bees.

2018 Round 1 v St Bees W 3/2
1 Burstow & White L 19th
2 Turrell & Atkins W 2/1
3 Waud & Hobbs W 19th
4 Welch & Wimshurst L 2/1
5 Fairfax and Ogden W 1 up

The match against St Bees will be long remembered for the spirited competition from both teams and tight games through the whole field. Burstow and White played well and certainly had their chances before being edged out on the 19th by their top pair. Turrell and Atkins were strong and assured using their height advantage to good effect (and wind in Turrell’s sails!). Waud and Hobbs made a slow start and having got the match back to all square at the turn then had a run of bad holes leaving them 3 down with 4 to play – never give up is the lesson as the stuffy opposition weakened as they were reeled in and we won on the 19th. Captain Wimshurst and Welch had a tough match and also only lost on the 17th green.

The great excitement came in the last match featuring Fairfax and Ogden in a tight contest that ended in front of the amassed crowd on the 18th green. Ogden faced an impossibly delicate lob wedge from the side of the green and eventually sent it skilfully but lower and faster than expected straight into the hole with a firm rattle on the pin for a birdie three and a win for the pairing and the team – 3/2 to Hurstpierpoint!

The festivities on night two followed the fun and games from night one at the Frog and Scot Bistro, this time at our private room at 81 Beach Street where we enjoyed another fabulous meal and copious wines customarily provided by ‘Gentleman’ Jim Fawcett and Waudo. Both dinners were preceded by the traditional and extensive wine tastings at Bears Wells, our luxury B&B and campaign HQ.

Second Round – v Cheltenham.

2018 Round 2 v Cheltenham L 4/1
1 Burstow & White L 2/1
2 Turrell & Atkins W 7/6
3 Waud & Hobbs L 2/1
4 Welch & Wimshurst L 2/1
5 Fairfax and Carroll L 1 down

The eventual score belies the closeness of this game with a very strong and impressive result for Turrell and Atkins again and against quality opposition. Burstow and White drew the top pair from the opposition and were both ahead and behind during the encounter and were edged out on the 17th after a few puts went the wrong way for them. Waud and Hobbs got their match back to all square after 10 holes and then slipped away a little and ran out of holes losing 2/1 in a tough game that they were capable of winning. Welch and Wimshurst had some loose golf but clung on gamely for a close finish again losing by just 2/1.

Tom Fairfax had a new partner for this match in debutant and Hurst School Golf Master, Will Carroll. Our boys had been 2 up but were reeled in to all square standing on the 18th tee when Carroll launched a ripping drive out of sight down the middle and Fairfax obliged with a lob wedge to a similar place to the one he had put Ogden in the day before! We were offered a half but elected to play on for team personal results but sadly the opposition two putted in style to our three put from off the green – another great game that could have gone either way. In the final analysis we were as many holes up as down across the five matches which is perhaps a fairer measure of the tightness of this match.

Our supporters were magnificent, displaying boundless enthusiasm and encouragement from the gallery. The supporters and team reserves, Kelly and Baldock had plenty of golf as well enjoying a mixture of Sandwich, Princes, Littlestone and Rye over the four-day campaign.

Our President Rob McCowen donated the Hewitt Awards and this year he chose Paul Turrell and George Atkins for his award after they scored two wins in the event, the first 2/1 against St Bees and the second a crushing 7/6 against Cheltenham. In the St Bees match, the pair were 5 up at one stage before being reduced to a tight contest for a 2/1 victory. In the second match, they were not so generous to their opposition, opening with a string of six pars followed by an eagle at the 7th to give them an unassailable lead.

Hewitt Trophy Winners Atkins and Turrell

This was a great foursomes pair with Paul lending his 15 years of experience and strong track record in the Hewitt to the youth and power of George Atkins, a student at Plymouth Uni, playing in his third Hewitt.  – Previous winners of the Hewitt Award are;

  • 2012 – Waud  and  D.Burstow.
  • 2013 – Turrell  and  A.Taylor.
  • 2014 – Waud and D. Burstow.
  • 2015 – Kelly and E.Welch.
  • 2016 – Turrell and M.Baldock.
  • 2017 – Budge and F.Newmarch.
  • 2018 – Turrell and G.Atkins.

 

We now seem to have developed strength in depth at last with as many as thirteen single figure players to pick from this year which is really encouraging. Thanks to all the touring party for making the event so much fun and such as success – here is to next year!