Men’s Major Pennants Final 2023 Report
Posted on: 29 March
Men’s Metropolitan Major Pennant 2023 Report – FINAL vs Cromer at Riverside Oaks
https://www.golfnsw.org.au/latest/2023/03/28/58961/metro-major-pennant-winners-decided-for-2023/
Stonecutters Ridge Golf Club defeated Cromer Golf Club 5-2, on Sunday 26th March 2023, to win the clubs first Men’s Major Pennant in Stonecutters/Ashlar 94 year history.
It capped a brilliant season for our team.
In my final report for 2023 I would like to share with members not only the day itself, but also the week leading up to the final yesterday.
Last Wednesday, with the course closed due to green renovations, the players sat down for our final training session of the season in the club function room. We were fortunate enough to have former Australian Test cricketer and Stonecutters member, Doug Bollinger, join us. Doug shared with the group his experiences in big finals including the 2010 IPL Final in which his team, the Chennai Super Kings, defeated Sachin Tendulkar’s Mumbai Indians. Doug’s insights into the importance of confidence (trusting your ability, preparation and team mates), team unity and enjoying the experience on big final days was informative and very well received.
On Saturday, the team made our way out to Riverside Oaks for our final practice round in, what could best be termed, miserable conditions. The players focused on refining their plans of attack for each hole and just enjoying each other’s company. After 13 holes, with very wet gear and steady rain continuing, we finished up and headed home for a relaxing night before Sunday’s final.
Sunday, started early for Phil Cue and Norah Boyle who, between them, organised to pick up the team bus for the day from Budget Blacktown. Our regular game day team meeting, attended by all players and caddies, started at 8.30am in the sports bar where we reshared our plan for the day – composure and confidence at all times, enjoy the experience and trusting in our preparation. The players then went down to the pro-shop where Col Bishop addressed them before loading up the bus and headed out to Riverside Oaks. From all reports it was an emotional talk that certainly left an impact on the playing group. Whilst the players were with Col, managers and caddies talked about our roles in supporting the players both in their decisions and when to be aggressive and when to be prudent. Match play is a pressure game, that swings from shot to shot, and helping our players ride and enjoy that rollercoaster of emotions was agreed upon as our main focus for the day, before we joined the players for the trip out to Cattai.
At 10.20am both teams were addressed by Golf NSW officials on local rules for the day, which included preferred lies through the green, and the first contest of the day .. the toss which was won by Stonecutters.
With the honour our experienced 7, Daniel ‘Chunky’ Williams took to the tee and got us underway. With Les Szkirpan, on the bag, the first hole had its challenges with Cromer’s Tony Bradley winning the first comfortably. Chunk hit back immediately winning two to square the match but Tony then hit back straight away winning 3. Wins on 4 and 5 saw Chunk hit the lead for the first time on the day. On 6 Tony prevailed squaring the match but a solid stretch from Daniel from 7 through 10 saw him draw away and lead 2 up heading into 11. Tony hit back again winning 11 to reduce the lead to one, but another solid stretch of holes from Chunk saw the 2 up lead restored on 14. Wins on 15 and 17 from Cromer saw the match back to square with just one to play. A solid par on 18 was enough to see Daniel prevail 1 up in a great fight at the 7 position.
Jacob Carpenter, with regular caddie Justin Field interstate, teamed up with Craig Baird on his bag at 6. Jacob was steady in the early stages alternating between square and 1 up until a dark cloud appeared on the 8th hole, after which a string of lost holes saw his opponent Leon Blacker take the contest 5/4 and get the first point on the board for Cromer.
At 5, Ryan Cadle with Allan Ison in support, steadied after losing the first hole to Liam Toole from Cromer, to draw square by the 6th hole. Liam bounced back on 8 to take the lead for Cromer with a great two shots into the par 5 securing his birdie. Cuddles rallied, hitting back immediately on the next hole hitting the par 5 in 2 himself to get the match back to square. From that point on the next 5 holes were magnificent for Ryan, including a majestic eagle on 12, as he powered home to win his match 5/4. What a season for Cuddles with a number of clutch victories that saw us home on more than one occasion.
Darcy Mackay at 4, was the only Stonecutters player to win the first hole all day. Keegan Naidoo on the bag worked his magic all day supporting Darcy, who had been fighting a bad cold for a few days prior to the contest. The match against the experienced Cromer captain, James Ponder, was close but apart from the match going back to square a couple of times on the front nine, Darcy led all day closing out his match 3/2 in a strong finals performance that belied his 15 years of life experience. Throughout the season Darcy was supported by his Mum, Dad and Grandparents every match and it was obvious the pride they felt at Darcy’s season and his resolute performance in the final.
Ryan Suckling at 3, with Mark Cadle on the bag, had a tough start losing 1 and 2 however, and not the first time in his pennant career, Ryan battled his way back into the contest fighting back to be square on 8. Solid golf saw Ryan draw two clear of his rival, Harry Robbs, by 11 but the Cromer number 3 fought back winning 12 to reduce Ryan’s lead to 1 up. Another win from Ryan on the par 3 14th saw the lead restored to 2up but by the 17th tee box Harry had reduced the lead to just 1 with two holes to play. For those who do not know the 17th on the Gangurru course it’s a 396m sharp long dogleg par 4 with overhanging trees off the front of the tee box and two dams, left and right, protecting the green. After Harry’s bullet like tee shot left him middle of the fairway with a medium to long iron approach Ryan settled on a 2 iron for his tee shot. I remarked to my cart partner that this tee shot did not really suit Ryan’s natural draw so his tee shot here was going to be like threading a needle though the overhanging trees. Sure enough a few moments later caddy and player were looking at probably 350m to go from the middle of the right trees. After much thought Ryan played his second shot through the trees to a relatively clear position in the rough behind the 12th green leaving about 160m to go to reach the green. Next away Harry then executed another bullet like shot into the heart of the green turning up the heat even more on our number 3. Having to start his ball over the right dam and draw it back to the green it was certainly challenging. However, Ryan executed it perfectly, hitting the green leaving a 5-6m putt for par. Harry putted down to a few feet then Ryan calmly stepped up and holed his par putt to halve the hole and head to 18 one up. The reaction from the strong Stonecutters contingent surrounding 17 was stirring. After speaking to quite a few of them after the match we have decided amongst us that Ryan’s par on 17 is close to best par we have ever seen.
At 2 Stonecutters captain Harry Wilde, with Matt Horton on the bag, also lost the first to go one down but followed up with wins on 2,3, 5 and 6 against his opponent Jedd Thomas to lead 3 up standing on the 7th tee. Another win saw Harry 4 up after 11 and well in control of his match. As you would expect though, Jedd was not about to concede and fought back well with wins on 13, 14 and 16 to reduce the lead to just 1 heading down 17. Another great tee shot from the Cromer team saw Jedd in the middle of the fairway and the pressure back on Harrison. Harry’s tee shot skirted the overhanging trees landing in the left rough leaving a tough approach shot that required a significant draw around the trees in front, starting at the water. With the longer shot, Harry was first to play and executed his shot to perfection finishing a meter short of the green and the pressure was now back on the young Cromer number 2 to respond.
At number 1 Kade Webber, with Brent Young on the bag and the Webber army in tow, lost the first hole loss to Cromers’s Corey Rae. Wins by Kade on 4 and 5 saw him wrestle the lead back and he maintained that until Corey drew level on 10. Kade’s eagle bomb on 12 wrested the lead back to one up much to the delight of the rather large consort of supporters surrounding the green. Corey then bounced back with wins on 12 and 14 to take the lead back and there it stayed until after their tee shots on 17.
At this stage Stonecutters had 3 wins in the bag to Cromer’s 1 with just the 1,2 and 3 matches still on course. On 18, in the number 3 match, Ryan and his opponent Harry had teed off with their respective drives leaving Harry in the fairway and Ryan in the left rough on the 392m par 4.
As they prepared to hit their approach shots things were happening on 17 in the number two match. After Harry’s great 2nd shot his opponent, under pressure, blocked his approach shot right and unfortunately for Cromer saw it find the dam right of the green. Following his penalty drop, Jedd then left his chip 3m short of the green for 4. Harry then executed a solid chip for his 3rd to just a few feet from the pin. Jedd, needing to hole his next chip to make bogey and force Harry to make his remaining putt to win the hole, saw his bold effort just miss on the right side leaving the hole, the game and the match in Stonecutters hands.
With the match decided both the number one and three games were immediately halved securing the match 5 games to 2.
The celebrations after the concession on 17 were exuberant, yet respectful, to the Cromer team who had seen their first ever men’s pennant flag consistently fade away after a promising start saw them lead with 5 games up, 1 half and 1 game down after the first hole.
Congratulations to the Cromer Club and their team for a final that was well contested and played in good spirit all day.
Golf NSW Medal and Pennant presentations followed, speeches were made and both teams shared in their excitement gaining promotion to Division 1 in 2024. Another first for both clubs.
To the 50 or so Stonecutters supporters who made the trip out to support the team, as they fought to break our men’s major pennant drought, our heartfelt thanks. When the flag is eventually mounted in the clubhouse remember that you played a massive part in bringing the boys home with your support on the day. There were also may ex-players, ex-managers, club members who love pennant golf and who, due to trips already booked, ill health or other commitments were unable to be there today to witness the winning of the flag. Your congrats and best wishes in the hours and days that followed the win by phone, text and video call were also greatly appreciated.
To Michelle, Savannah and Lia from our Women’s Metro pennant team who came out and supported us yesterday your presence was greatly appreciated also. We are so looking forward to the challenge and joining you in the top echelon of NSW Metropolitan representative golf.
Bring on 2024 !!