John Bruce vs. Steven Roberts
A sporting rivalry running deeper than The Rider Cup. Roberts was the first and only two-time Breadalbane winner until Bruce matched his achievement in 2021. The two men then faced off as the first ever Rider Cup Captains as Wokefield in 2022 before Roberts claimed another Breadalbane title in 2023 to go one better than Bruce again.
Original Captains
The first ever Rider Cup at Wokefield in 2022 saw Bruce and Roberts, fittingly, named as the two team Captains for the event. Both were the only two-time winners of the Breadalbane Quaich and were tasked with selecting the sides for the new competition.
Tale Of Two Games
Almost inevitable, the opening match saw both Captains select themselves to lead off. Bruce was paired with Dave Cook, against Roberts and Paul Matuszczyk. The Kenmore team would win the 1st hole on their way to a 2&1 victory which set the tone for a one-sided session; finishing 4-1 to the team in blue. The battle recommenced on the Saturday as Roberts and Baz Ramsay faced up to Bruce and Gary Cornelius. This time Roberts would exact revenge as he and Ramsay put together a scintillating back 9 to claim the point for Tamouth, winning 3&2. However, it wasn't enough for Roberts and his side overall, as they lost The Rider Cup 12.5 - 7.5 and Roberts had to watch on as Bruce lifted the trophy with the Kenmore team.
Renewing Rivalries
Having avoided each other in Blackpool, the two rivals would find themselves paired together in the opening Friday session at Forest Pines. Bruce was once again paired with Cook but Roberts had a new partner in Darren Petersen. The eagerly anticipated battle wasn't close as Roberts played superbly with Petersen to win 6&4 and extinguish the demons of Wokefield two years prior. It also put Roberts 2-1 up in their head-to-head battles at The Rider Cup. With only 1 point in the match heading to the Sunday Singles, Bruce and Roberts were selected by their Captains to lead off for their teams on the Sunday.
Honours Even
Roberts knew that a win in the opening match of the Sunday Singles could be just the fillet Taymouth needed to win their first Rider Cup. Bruce too knew what was at stake and, after both had performed below their usual standards on the Saturday, it was a tie that could go either way. The early exchanges were back and forward but Bruce pulled away around the turn and ended up taking the match 4&2 to secure a vital point for Kenmore. Not only did it square up the two in terms of their Rider Cup records against each other, the overall match ended square too, meaning Kenmore retained the trophy for another year.
Roberts Edges Ahead
With every other rivalry being drawn out on Day 1 at Belton Woods, it was inevitable that Roberts and Bruce would once again face-off in the Foursomes. Bruce was again paired with Dave Cook, whilst Roberts was forming a strong partnership with debutant Chris Taylor. Roberts and Taylor would cruise to victory with a 4&3 win as Bruce and Cook failed to get going in the opening session. Whilst narrowly avoiding each other for the rest of the weekend, Roberts now leads their personal duel 3-2.
