Royal Navy Golf Championships 2011 - Report

Published: 07/07/2011

ROYAL NAVY INDIVIDUAL AND INTER COMMAND GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS 2011

1.         The results of the 2011 Royal Navy Golf Championships played at Ladybank Golf Club, Fife, 27 June  - 1 July are forwarded.

2.         Ladybank is a renown Fifegolf course being a final qualifying venue for the Open Championship whenever it is played at St Andrews, 10 miles down the road. The venue  represented another first for the Navy Championships and the course, in excellent condition, represented a good test to the players while being a fair challenge with opportunities for good scores. With the exception of the first day, the event enjoyed excellent weather conditions with very little wind all week and temperatures just about perfect. Overall, scoring was again disappointing as was the total number of entries (44 men and 7 ladies). Men's numbers had been as high as 52 within 10 days of the championships starting, but various reasons caused numerous withdrawals which affected both the overall event and composition of Command teams. Ladies numbers were 1 down on the previous two years and very disappointedly, the Service's two best lady players were not available.

3.         The Ladybank club was one of the most hospitable venues that the event has been to. The greens staff presented the course in pristine condition and the clubhouse staff were most friendly and accommodating. The standard of catering was excellent and provided refreshingly good value for money with many of the players and officials taking evening meals at the club in addition to lunches.   

4.         The 2011 Individual Championship was in danger of being a one horse race after the third round cut. L/Cpl Ryan Cherry (RM Commando Recruitment Team) is a complete newcomer to Navy golf who turned up at the RM Corps Championships in May unknown to the RM organisation and duly won it. At Ladybank, against a par 71 and Standard Scratch Score of 72, his first three rounds were 72, 72, 73 giving him and 8 shot lead going into the final round. He was however usurped in round 1 by CPO MEA Lee McCathie (Caledonia DII) whose 71 represented the low round of the week. Going into the final round, a group of six players were within 12 shots of the lead the best of these being Lt Cdr Mark Selway (1710 NAS) at 8 shots back. It all appeared to be done and dusted but when the leader had dropped 6 shots on the front nine of the final eighteen, word began to spread and others saw their chance. However, Most of the chasing pack were not enjoying the best of form. LAET Jamie Lown (848 NAS) saw his sterling efforts come to grief at the ninth hole where an uncharacteristic 8 put paid to his chances. He was level par for the round to that point. The player who mounted the sternest charge was AB CIS Tom Yates (HMS Westminster) who started the round 10 shots adrift. Just one over par on the front nine and starting the back nine well, he was only 3 shots behind at the end of the sixteenth (which he bogeyed). With nerves getting a little frayed, Cherry, having recovered a little momentum, duly drove out of bounds and the seventeenth and had to settle for a double bogey. Yates (probably unknown to him at the time) now had a real chance depending on how he could manage the strong Ladybank finish. The final few holes had caused Yates a deal of trouble over the week and so it was to prove again. His two over par for the final three holes left him a very worthy and commendable runner up. Cherry gathered himself after the trials of the seventeenth to splash from the greenside bunker at eighteen, hole his par putt and become one of very few first time winners of the championships.

5.         The ladies event was played over two rounds on the final two days of the championships. With two top players missing, the event proved to be very open and round 1 saw Lt Lauren Hulston (MWC Merlin) establish a one shot lead over PO Nicky Wade (RM Poole). With both players shooting the precise same scores in round 2, the order remained the same with Hulston taking her second RN title. Positions were reversed in the ladies net event..

6.         In the men's team events, the strokeplay was a very closely fought affair, while the matchplay was a runaway. After three rounds of strokeplay with six scores to count in each round, Royal Marines and Naval Air Command were locked together on a grand total of 1419. In the true tradition of the sport, the title was decided on a countback with the Royals victorious by a superior aggregate score on the third of the three rounds. The Secretary's matchplay seedings (decided on original team selections!) were turned completely upside down. A mature Portsmouthteam (average age unprintable!) defied all the odds and showed the others a clean pair of heels. In trouncing Plymouth7 ½ - ½ in the penultimate round, they made themselves untouchable by the rest. Naval Air Command again took runner up position reflecting a marked improvement on recent years team performances.

7.         The event turned out to be a huge success on a fantastic golf course. The championships were played in the true traditions of Service sport and the club captain was very gracious in his praise at prizegiving. The outgoing RNGA President, Rear Admiral Bob Love attended for 2 days and while wishing him all good fortune in Australia, the Association welcomes back Rear Admiral Al Rymer, a past chairman, as the new President.. Representatives from RNGA sponsors Babcock, Deloitte and Selex attended the championship dinner and participated in the final day Greensomes. The championships dinner also afforded the opportunity to bid farewell from Navy golf to Commander Ian Yuill who represented the Service for 30 years plus and holds a record 29 Inter Service appearances. The occasion was marked by the attendance of one or two of Ian's Navy golf colleagues from times past.

8.         The Association looks forward to the 2012 event to be played at Frilford Heath Golf Club, Abingdon 25 - 29 June.