News

Congratulations to Old Thorns Golf Club who yesterday (19/10) won the Fullers Hampshire County Sevens Inter Club KO for the first time.

Old Thorns beat Stoneham in a close fought final at Lee-on-the-Solent GC, which came down to the very last match where Matt Bonney came back from the dead to win his match on the 18th green. 

Old Thorns had earlier beaten Liphook GC and Stoneham had overcome Army GC in the morning's semi-final matches.

The victorious Old Thorns team pictured above with non-playing captain Michael Erlebach.

See Andrew Griffin's full report below.

Stoneham Golf Club Team

Army Golf Club Team

Andrew Griffin reports from Lee-on-the-Solent....

Old Thorns Golf Club celebrated one of the finest days in its 34-year history when the club were crowned Hampshire Sevens champions for the first time in their history at Lee-on-the-Solent GC, on Sunday.

Not only did they have to survive a local derby in the morning semi-finals where they ended Liphook's hopes of claiming the crown for the first time, but then found themselves in a final against the mighty Stoneham, the cub with more category one players and an honours board at county level that would stretch over the longest clubhouse bar.

But Old Thorns which was built in 1981 by Peter Alliss, the famous Ryder Cup player and legendary BBC golf commentator, have a penchant for matchplay golf among their relatively small membership, and with the advantage of being given 25 shots between the seven players, they mounted a sterling fightback over the closing holes and grabbed a dramatic victory at the death.

And it took a moment of real Ryder Cup like drama to decide the contest - which was entered by some 60 clubs from across Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and the Channel Islands, with Old Thorns' Matt Bonney hitting a 20-yard bunker shot to within 18 inches to close out a 4-3 victory.

With five of the singles matches completed, Stoneham were losing 3-2 but Old Thorns were crucially behind in both matches despite Paul Gill having raced to a 7&6 win in the top match and Tony Chicheportiche completing a comprehensive 5&4 victory in the fifth match.

Stoneham skipper Paul Whitlock and Old Thorns' Andy Dickinson both ran into trouble on the 15th off the tee.

Whitlock eventually claimed the hole with an eight to go three up and close out the match on the next hole.

They had been forced to let the last match through such was the pickle they both found themselves in and the Stoneham anchorman was fighting a rearguard action against Bonney who had been four down with six to play.

That lead was still one with two to play as they stood on the par three 17th  tee on the tight heathland course less than a mile from the sea and with the gusting wind from the Solent adding to the challenge of the mid-handicap players facing 36 holes in the day, his tee shot found the bunker on the left.

With Bonney safely at the back of green, the three-handicapper from the Southampton club saw his shot from the sand come out low and race across to the right hand fringe.

He was unable to get up and down while the East Hampshire man safely two-putted to take the match back to all square.

With the possibility of extra holes being needed to settle the Hampshire Isle of Wight and Channel Islands Golf Union's inter-club knockout, the two teams were split between the tee and the green some 420 yards ahead to cheer their team-mates home,

And both players found trouble on the final hole- Scullard was lucky not to go out-of-bounds after snap hooking his drive barely 75 yards, and worse followed as his ball came off the boundary fence and landed in a poor lie with a restricted back swing.

He only managed to move it 10 yards further forwards before Bonney clipped a tree with his second and landed in the end of a ditch.

From the hazard he found the big green side bunker guarding the right of the putting surface while Scullard came up short of the green with his fourth. 

His chip landed 10 feet from the flag but Bonney's bunker shot gripped and checked to inside 18 inches and the Stoneham man was left to concede the match and hand the trophy to Old Thorns' captain Michael Erlebach who grabbed Bonney as he walked off the green to give him a hug as big as when Sam Torrance and Paul McGinley celebrated Europe's victory at The Belfry in 2002.

And Erlebach revealed it was Old Thorn's own version of the Ryder Cup which helped inspire his men to victory.

Michael, who is also the club captain this year, said: “We play the US airforce men from Lakenheath in Norfolk every two years in our own version of the Ryder Cup, and we won the match last month, which was a great spur.

“We got to the semi-finals of the Sevens last year and Matt Bonney was only beaten by Royal Jersey’s Hampshire player Gavin O’Neill, who was nine-under after 16 holes playing off plus-three.

“We only have 170 male members and 20 of them are seniors so we have one of the smallest pools of players to choose from. That shows the tremendous camaraderie we have at Old Thorns, and six of the eight players we used last year were in the team for the finals.

“We have had some great battles and made great friends beating Rowlands Castle, Fleetlands (6-1), Chilworth (6-1) and Gosport and Stokes Bay (6-1) in the quarter-finals and a number of those clubs had players who then came to play in my captain's day at Old Thorns.

“My team have had a fantastic spirit for the past two years and I am delighted we have finally won this historic competition.” 

Next year will be the 50th County Sevens final when Stoneham will be keen to finally add their name to the trophy for the first time, having also been runners-up in 1984.

Surprisingly, they are not the only big name club never to have got their hands on the silverware - Brokenhurst Manor's name is also missing whereas Hockley have claimed the Sevens four times, the last in 2008. 

Southampton Municipal won it twice in the 1970s and Stoneham's win over Army Golf Club ended the Aldershot club's hopes of landing the title for a fifth time, equalling Rowlands Castle's record as the most successful club in the competition, which began in 1966.

Hampshire, IoW & CI Golf Union secretary David Wheeler said: “We want to try and get every affiliated Golf Club in Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and Channel Islands to enter the 2015 County Sevens to mark the 50th anniversary.

“It is already very popular and participating clubs all praise the event for fostering great competition and lasting friendships, which is what amateur golf is all about.”

Clubs who have not taken part who want to enter should call 01962 711532 or email hgu@hampshiregolf.co.uk 

As part of the sponsorship deal Fullers provide a firkin of beer for the home team in all six rounds of the competition, which is split into four groups, two containing teams from the islands to minimise travel.

Stoneham 3 Old Thorns 4 (handicaps in brackets)

Peter Bennett (4) lost to Paul Gill (11) 7&6; Andy Hickson (4) beat Scott Benton (11) 3&2; James Caws lost to Andy Dickinson (13) 3&2; Tony Pilcher (9) beat Peter Skidmore (6) 4&3; Kevin McCann (6) lost to Anthony Chicheportiche (8) 5&4; Paul Whitlock (11) beat Rob Craig (10) 3&2; Neil Scullard (3) lost to Matt Bonney (8) 1down;

Semi-finals

Stoneham 4½    Army 3½

Old Thorns 4½  Liphook 2

Third/Fourth place play-off

Army 3½           Liphook 3½