26 July 2024
Report courtesy of Rob Manton
One of the many challenges for Managers/Selectors/Captains when dealing with high performing, elite athletes is ensuring they are able to deliver peak performance at the most decisive moments. Occasionally one is required to deliver less than palatable selection decisions to players who are keen to play and, in their own minds, ready to perform. Of course the player is often the worst judge of their own form and, for their own benefit and for the good of the team, need to be managed for a week or two. Additionally, at the more experienced level, one has more chance of picking the correct Powerball numbers in the next jackpot lottery than predicting the form of selected players.
Accordingly, a number of RAGC’s Senior Inter Club team from Rounds 1 and 2 were ‘managed’ for Round 3 with only Greg Chappell retaining his place based as much on his form at the coin toss as his play on the course. He was joined by Andrew Potter (fresh from a two week overseas golf sojourn that augured well for a peak performance), Tim Pozza Jnr, Terry Thornton, Leigh Carpenter, and Randall Faull (well known for his superb assistant managership of our all conquering Bonnar Cup team), to take on Kooyonga Golf Club at the course just north of Adelaide Airport.
Certain that his coin toss calling form would hold (‘tails never fails’), GC called tails… and lost!! (He will be managed next match!!).
Our lead off hitter was Leigh Carpenter who began the day solidly to be square through the first three holes before losing two of the next four, a delta he maintained through to the 15th hole. Now, the 15th hole is a lengthy par 3 and Leigh’s tee shot, though solidly struck (for him), missed to the left of the green and rolled down the hill into a sandy lie that proved a little too challenging. Now dormie, Leigh was unable to extend his match beyond the 16th and lost 3 and 2.
GC, reeling from his first coin toss loss in a millennium, was determined to make amends. 1 up through 3 holes Greg rode a hot putter to a strong win. Indeed his putting was so good he was tempted to use it from the tee on the short par 3, 14th hole. Deciding that laying up with a 6 iron was the more sensible play Greg then deployed the putter from 40 meter short of the green for an up and down par to seal his match 5 and 4 – he’ll still be managed next week!!
Terry Thornton, released from his No Laying Up podcast duties (if you haven’t watched it you should here, and if you have, watch it again), and fresh off a stellar 19 point effort at NSW GC, was our man at number 4. Terry began well to be 1 up through 6 before his swing deliquesced, (there is only one other reader who will know what that means – look it up people), losing the next 3 holes to turn at 2 down. From there it was a steady progression towards the inevitable and TT lost 5 and 4.
Playing at Number 3, our Bonnar Cup Assistant Manager began strongly holding an early 1 up lead through 7 holes. At this point it is worth mentioning that the last Inter Club match Randall played was at the same course a year ago. On that occasion he had diligently undertaken some short game practice at RAGC the afternoon prior taking a few clubs with him (in his wife’s car). Arriving in his own car the next morning Randall realised he had left some of his clubs in the other car!! He soon realised that Seve Ballesteros he is not and extracting himself from a bunker adjacent the 3rd green with a 7 iron was a little beyond him. No such forgetfulness this year as Randall was fully armed for the battle ahead. One down through 9 Randall continually pressured his opponent but couldn’t gain a break through and remained 1 down through 14 before losing the long 15th due to an uncooperative putter (Jake!!!). 2 down with 3 to go but certainly not out of the match.
Tim Pozza Jnr came out firing at number 2 to be 2 up through 7 and 4 up through 9. Not wanting to completely humiliate his opponent, Tim took his foot off the gas before getting bored with the whole affair and dealing the decisive blow at the 14th hole winning 5 and 4.
Still recovering from jet lag and racking up more frequent flyer points than an airline CEO, Andrew Potter, who splits his time between RAGC and RMGC, was in for his first match this year at number 1. Off to a not unexpected slow start, (though I was hoping it would only be the start that would be slow), AP was 2 down through 3 but managed to stay in touch (I use the term loosely) to be 3 down through 9 before falling to 4 down through 14. Still having faith that our number 1 qualifier in the 2024 RAGC Aged Championship Seniors division could pull a rabbit out of the hat, AP hit a stellar tee shot onto the green at the long par 3, 15th. Sadly, if there were any rabbits in the hat, they had all fled and AP lost 4 and 3.
So, for those keeping score, we were now down 3-2 with only our BC Assistant Manager still alive. 2 down with 3 to go Randall rallied to win 16 to be 1 down with 2 holes remaining – a halved match was still a possibility. Splitting the fairway on the par 4, 17th hole, and only 40M behind his opponent, Randall successfully avoided the water in front of the green by pulling his 2nd shot 40 meters left – not ideal, but dry. Randall’s chip shot came up 20 meters short – a wise play to avoid running past the hole on the slick green. From there, his uncooperative putter remained true to form (JAKE!!!) and he was unable to get up and down losing the hole and the match 2 and 1.
It is said that failure strengthens resolve – that being the case the RAGC Senior Inter Club team is well and truly ‘resolved’!! Next match vs The Grange @ Glenelg GC
