The Halford Hewitt

Date: 29 March - 1 April 2012

Venue: Royal Cinque Ports and Royal St. George's

Trial match v Epsom at Walton Heath, Saturday 28 January

Trial day - Royal Cinque Ports, Saturday 3 March

Practice days: 27 & 28 March 2012

Captain: Stuart Gillett



Report on 2011

The anticipation leading up to the Hewitt was greatly enhanced with the fact that Robbie Busher and Jos Pralle had left the School in 2010.  Both were proven low handicap golfers and the introduction of new blood was well received. However, this excitement soon led to disappointment when it emerged that eligibility for the Hewitt determined that all competitors needed to be 18 years of age at the start of the tournament.  Unfortunately this meant Jos was 25 days too young.  He did however come down and play the practice rounds and gave a clear indication that he is certainly a very good golfer.
 
A number of new pairings were in place for this year with the following being selected for the first round against Cheltenham:  Stuart Gillett & Toby Couzens; Ed Kelly & Nigel Whalley; Rhys Francis & Robbie Busher; Clive Martin & Nick Hyde; Nick Aubin & James Chappell.

All the first round games proved to be tight affairs and at the turn we were behind in three of the five matches and there was a definite cause for concern amongst the hardy supporters.  However, a solid back nine resulted in all the matches coming out with victories which gave a flattering 5-0 victory and, more importantly, a timely boost of confidence.

Having learned from last years’ efforts, the team used Thursday afternoon to hone their short game skills as opposed to drinking skills to prepare for Malvern. Friday morning dawned with the prospect of another hot and sunny day on the links and we set out with the confidence that we could take on and beat Malvern.  The first and third pairs exchanged positions in the batting order and this meant Francis and Busher faced Lowe and Blanchet in a high quality match that finished with a one up win.  Robbie Busher’s first Hewitt resulted in a 100% record and victory against one of the all-time Hewitt legends.  Busher has the drive and determination to become a key figure in the Sherborne team for many years and with Pralle’s participation next year; this greatly enhances the quality of the team.  The second pair struggled against the experience of Timberlake and Beeson and despite some good holes went down 3 and 2.  The third pair knew their match would matter and four up and downs around the turn kept them in touch and they drew level with a good birdie on the 16th and went ahead at the 17th.  A poor drive from Gillett at 18 meant another trip into extra holes.  Malvern holed an excellent ten footer for four and Gillett holed from four feet to take the match to the 20th. A frantic wave of hands from the 18th green meant the match was over but both pairs were unaware who was victorious. The fourth pair had been ahead as late as the 15th but a miraculous four from Malvern on the 18th meant a 1 down loss.  The fifth pair had also been ahead early in their match but a couple of poor shots down the stretch meant a loss by 2 & 1.  It was with scant consolation that the Hewitt website reported the continued progress of Malvern to the final and the team all felt a sense of what might have been.

The sense of disappointment on losing in the Hewitt is immeasurable, the prospect of waiting another 12 months to put right what went wrong is frustrating but in time the fantastic team spirit and camaraderie shine through and the fact that such a great time is had by all provides a fitting memory as each year passes.

Exciting times lie ahead for the OSGS with two high quality golfers in Pralle and Busher joining the ranks.  This greatly strengthens the team and more importantly puts pressure on the other members of the squad and means that selection will become tougher, which can only be a good thing.

A special mention must go to the supporters who turn up year in year out to support the team and it is greatly appreciated.  In addition to this many thanks must go to the Archivist for once again providing some interesting dinner conversation with the Hewitt records!

Match details

Halford Hewitt - Round 1 v Cheltenham at Deal 7 Apri 2011

Halford Hewitt - Round 2 v Malvern at Deal 8 April 2011