On the final day of a heatwave, the Richmond Park team played Wycombe Heights B (last year’s Ballantyne Trophy winners) on Stockley Park golf course – a ‘neutral’ course, as this was the Regional Final. The result was a slow and hard-fought 2:1 win for Richmond Park.  The next round is the National Semi-Final, to decide who plays at NAPGC Finals Day.

Our first pair (Paul Green and Mel Dunn) were soon trailing against stiff opposition and the match closed out with a 5&4 win for Wycombe.  Our second pair (Adrian Wells and Julian James) were also soon trailing 3 down but gradually reeled their opponents in and finished 2 up.  Our third pairing (Richard Owen and Gerard Ouattara) got off to an explosive start with 4 birdies on the first 3 holes and were 4 up after 4 holes.  However, by the 10^th hole the match was all square and over the back 9 the score alternated between all square and 1up to Richmond Park.  Gerard’s par on the 17^th took us to 1up (and the ‘half’ secured), and Richard’s long 2 putt par on the final hole secured the win.