SCOTTISH STUDENT MATCH-PLAY TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP AT LOSSIEMOUTH

REPORT FROM DR ROB MCPHERSON

In the first match, third seeds University of the Highlands and Islands had to battle hard against bottom seeds Strathclyde. The morning series of foursomes were halved, but only after the top match UHI players – Oscar Hein and Charlie Hickling – recovered from four down with five to play to claim a vital half point. 

As the afternoon singles unfolded, this Poulteresque recovery proved critical. Good early wins for Bahl, Ramsey and Black established a strong position for Highlands and Islands; but Strathclyde’s middle order bit back with four wins from four giving them a one game advantage with three games to play. 

A strong 6&4 victory by Hein (UHI) drew the teams level again, and a halved match between Whittet and Graham meant the fixture rested on the final; match. McNeill (UHI) held a slender advantage going in to the last four holes and although Chalmers (Strathclyde) birdied three of the last four holes, it was not enough and McNeill hung on to clinch an impressive one hole victory and take the match 8-7. The second quarter final was a little more one sided with St Andrews University dominating the morning foursomes, beating an under performing Edinburgh team 5-0. 

The afternoon singles series was considerably closer with St Andrews easing to a 6-4 victory and an 11-4 overall score. Seven of the ten matches went to the seventeenth hole but, ultimately, it was the strength of St Andrews upper order – Marchbank, Wheeler and Edmunds – who saw them home to victory. 

In Thursday’s semi-finals, there is a local battle as “The Ice Panthers” of the University of Aberdeen (2^nd seeds) take on “The Fighting Beavers” of UHI; while Stirling (1^st seeds) take on their historically nearest rivals, St Andrews, in what is sure to be an exciting match”
RESULTS
 

St Andrews 11			Edinburgh 4
Guy Dalziel and Paul Campbell	2&1		Jack Arundell & Oli Fowler
Pete Greene & Ben Jamieson	1up		Stuart McLaren & David McCall
Elliott Dodds & Tom Beasley	2&1		Jonny Calder & John Innes
Matt Wheeler & Vincent Blom	5&4		Roddy Forgie & Scott Simpson
Freddie Edmunds & Joe Marchbank	4&3		Douglas Imrie & Oli Hopgood
	5	0
Guy Dalziel		6&4	Douglas Imrie
Paul Campbell	2&1		Oli Hopgood
Pete Greene	5&4		Jack Arundell
Ben Jamieson		1up	Oli Fowler
Elliott Dodds	1up		Jonny Calder
Vincent Blom		2up	David McCall
Tom Beasley		2&1	John Innes
Joe Marchbank	2&1		Scott Simpson
Matt Wheeler	2&1		Roddy Forgie
Freddie Edmunds	3&2		Stuart McLaren
	6	4
	11	4
Highlands & Islands 8			Strathclyde 7
Ross Black & Prashob Nair		2&1	Sam Mailer & James Fraser
Sameer Bahl & Derek Ramsey	2&1		Niall Fagan & Paul Smillie
Darren Leith & John Mackinnon	2&1		Mikey Manson & Craig Hughes
Callum McNeill & Jamie Whittet		3&2	Ben Gibson & Cammy Graham
Oscar Hein & Charlie Hickling	half	half	Craig Chalmers & Andrew Cunningham
	2½	2½
Sameer Bahl	4&3		James Fraser
Derek Ramsey	6&5		Paul Smillie
Ross Black	2&1		Sam Mailer
Prashob Nair		6&5	Niall Fagan
John Mackinnon		4&3	Craig Hughes
Darren Leith		1up	Mikey Manson
Charlie Hickling		4&2	Ben Gibson
Oscar Hein	6&4		Andrew Cunningham
Jamie Whittet	half	half	Cammy Graham
Callum McNeill	1up		Craig Chalmers
	5½	4½
	8	7