Junior Pennants – Rd 1 V Pennant Hills
The Cumberland Junior Pennant team kicked off their 2024 season with a thrilling match against Pennant Hills at Roseville.
Despite the inevitable first-tee nerves, the team emerged victorious, winning 4 matches to 2.
Roseville is a relatively tight course with many blind tee shots and sharp doglegs, so course familiarity was at a premium and accurate driving an absolute must.
What began as a calm day became blustery later on, making for some difficult approach shots into the undulating green complexes. Nevertheless, some brilliant golf was on display.
All matches were tightly contested for most of the day, with three matches going all the way to the 18th. Among those going to 18 was Edwin, who staged a remarkable comeback, winning on the 18th after being 4 down with 5 to play.
Making this feat even more extraordinary was the fact that, due to handicap regulations, Edwin was forced to play off a handicap 10 shots less than he normally would.
Also playing through to the 18th was Harry, making a very classy sand-save from the difficult greenside bunker to close out his match in style.
Riley faced a seemingly insurmountable task when, at one stage, his opponent incredibly managed to make five birdies in a row, but he persevered, refusing to give in, ultimately winning his match 4&3.
Roger, the little man with the big heart, played his match with an amazing attitude. He refused to allow his opponent’s length to intimidate him, and he remained focused to the very end, smiling the entire way.
Shot of the day belonged to Angus on the 12th hole, the uphill 195m par 3, playing at about 210m into a strong breeze. Flushing a long iron, his ball landed in the middle of the green but unluckily took a hard bounce and finished on the upslope just off the back fringe. This left him with a very fast downhill shot back to the pin, and he did well to leave himself with a 12-foot putt for par, which he drained with ease to win the hole.
Gabriel played steady golf the entire day to secure an amazing 5&4 win in his first campaign in Junior Pennants. Both he and Edwin, who also performed exceptionally well, had only played in the Encourage Shield to date.
It was fantastic to see all matches played in good spirit, with players from both sides acknowledging their opponents’ outstanding shots.
I’d like to thank all of the supporters and spectators who came along, with special thanks to Matt Andrew for his guidance on my first rodeo as Team Manager.
All of the boys should be commended for the exemplary conduct they displayed throughout the day, representing Cumberland with pride.
Cumberland beat Pennant Hills 4-2.
Our next match will be played at Massey Park against Roseville this Sunday at 11:00 am.
I highly recommend that you come out to support the team if you’re able to, as your support and encouragement are invaluable.
Moreover, you’re guaranteed to witness some incredible golf!
