AMSTEL GOLF
AMSTEL ventured out to an incredibly windy Melbourne Airport to face Division 6 flag favourites Eastern.
With two of last week’s winning team unavailable and Mick Caruso making his debut, Amstel went in with a relatively inexperienced line up compared to Eastern, which has benefited from the defection of a few ex-Yearing Meadows Division 2 players from last season.
Nathan Crossley didn’t let this affect him and he had the first points on the board with a two and one win and is two from two this year. Unfortunately behind him things weren’t going as sweetly.
Leigh Bailey lost five and four, the last three holes of the match saw his opponent finish Birdie, Eagle, Birdie.
Takunda Moyo suffered the same frustrating result despite holding an early lead.
Mick Caruso battled hard but early nerves cost him and despite a three and two loss, his was an admirable effort.
Three/one down Amstel needed to win its remaining three matches.
Jayson Tekopua had an up and down battle with the lead changing hands many times in a match that neither player led by more than one hole.
One down coming to the last, Jayson hit two perfect shots onto the green but his opponent took advantage of a lucky bounce on his drive that was heading OOB, to match the green in regulation. Jayson then got some luck of his own when Eastern three putted and Jayson’s par was good enough to send the match into overtime.
Both players almost Birdied the tough 190 meter par three 19th but had to settle for pars.
Down the 20th Eastern found water off the tee and Jayson played out a conservative bogey to grab the vital point in overtime, letting out a Lleyton Hewitt like ‘C’MONNNNN!” when the final putt dropped.
Jack Hitchcock was given a tough task at number three but played terrific to be one up with three to play.
However, his short game deserted him when he needed it most and he lost the last three holes to lose two down and give Eastern the vital fourth point.
Skipper Brett Greenough got off to a slow start and was four down after five but fought hard to get back to one down coming up 17. Looking good to win the par five 17th, Greenough’s great chip caught a woeful bounce and shot through the back of the green and all hope went down the drain, another two and one win to Eastern the result.
Despite losing five/two, it was a pretty good effort, the score line not doing the contest justice.
The loss means Amstel drops from first to third after Sandhurst had a convincing six/one win over newcomers Yarramabat.
Next Sunday at Whittlesea, Amstel plays the other debutant team Bacchus Marsh and will be striving to get the season back on track with another win.
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