Kenmore Hold Firm After Strong Taymouth Showing
Thursday 14th September was meant to be the calm before the storm as some of the early arrivals in Blackpool eased themselves into the weekend at a quiet pub. But if anyone was in any doubt about the strength of feeling ahead of the 2nd Rider Cup, the arrival of Taymouth Captain Baz Ramsay would have ended that. As Ramsay entered the room to greet his team mates, he turned to the members of Kenmore who were present and simply addressed them as 'Kenmore **nts".
The battle was on. The "Tussle Under The Tower" had been building for months. The agonising over partners and orders, the changing personnel, the looking for clues in what the other team would do and the endless WhatsApp messages would all be stopping the following morning as the actual action got underway.
Ramsay had painted his Taymouth team as plucky underdogs but there was no doubting that he fancied their chances of over-turning the 12.5 - 7.5 loss the previous year. The siege mentality was their ethos, an attempt to bring the group closer together and for everyone to fight for every point on offer. The late arrival of the promising Rider Cup rookie Alex Keir, had boosted their hopes further.
On the other side, Kenmore Captain Adam Duncan has been more reserved in the lead up; extremely confident that his side could repeat the previous year's performance despite having 3 rookies in the squad. What would Duncan's strategy be? Partner some of the rookies together, or send them out with someone who had experienced the battle?
Everything was a contrast between the two sides. On Friday at high noon, the Captains announced their pairings for the Friday Foursomes - Duncan simply stated that Blair Reid and Marc Barret were going out first to do battle for his side; whereas Ramsay again took the opportunity to signal Taymouth's intent by responding "And kicking their ass will be Steven Roberts and Andrew Blackhurst". It was met with a roar and the removal of jackets by both players to reveal matching polo shirts, another attempt to build that team spirit.
The Friday matchups were as follows:
Match 1: Marc Barret/Blair Reid vs. Steven Roberts/Andrew Blackhurst
Match 2: John Bruce/Miles Shaw vs. Craig Roberts/Stephen MacKinnon
Match 3: Adam Duncan/James Cornelius vs. Darren Petersen/Baz Ramsay
Match 4: Lex McTaggart/Jason Kerr vs. John McLuckie/Alex Keir
Match 5: Gary Cornelius/Steven Rodgers vs. Eddie Roberts/Paul Matuszczyk
Team Taymouth (from l-r): Darren Petersen, Baz Ramsay, Alex Keir, John McLuckie, Andrew Blackhurst, Steven Roberts, Eddie Roberts, Paul Matuszczyk, Stephen MacKinnon, Craig Roberts.
Team Kenmore (from l-r): James Cornelius, Gary Cornelius, Steven Rodgers, Blair Reid, Lex McTaggart, Miles Shaw, Marc Barret, Adam Duncan, John Bruce (Jason Kerr missing in action).
The top two matches would prove to be the closest fought of day 1. It couldn't have started better for Taymouth in the top match as Roberts and Blackhurst won the first 2 holes with pars to go in front immediately. That start was matched, however, by the Kenmore pairing of Bruce and Shaw who were 2up through 2 also. The strongly fancied pairing of Duncan and Cornelius got off to a fast start and would win the first 7 holes to put themselves firmly in control of match 3. The final two matches both saw Taymouth race into a 3up lead through 4 holes. At that early stage, it was looking like a 3-2 win could be on the cards for Captain Ramsay in his first session.
With the top game seeing Roberts and Blackhurst 3up through 4, the tide turned from nowhere. Kenmore's pairing of Barret and Reid showed why they both have individual Breadalbane titles to their names as they won 5 holes in a row to go 2up at the turn. Behind them, Roberts and MacKinnon had started to fight back after their slow start and were all square after 9. There was no sign of a fight back from Petersen and Ramsay in the third match, as Kenmore reached the turn 7up. The two final matches both seemed to be going in Taymouth's favour still, although McTaggart and Kerr had pulled McLuckie and Keir back to level before the turning point of the match at the 9th. Keir drove left off the tee and into the trees whilst Kerr found the fairway. With the Kenmore pair stroking, it looked like they would head to the turn 1up. However, McLuckie found a gap in the trees and managed to get his shot up to the greenside. Keir chipped on and McLuckie rolled in the putt for a miraculous par 4 as McTaggart and Kerr could only manage a net 5. Taymouth were up again.
The pendulum in the top game swung again as Roberts and Blackhurst won the 10th, 11th and 12th to retake the lead. For a brief time, the projected result had moved to 3.5 - 1.5 in Taymouth's favour and it was becoming clear that the top two matches were crucial. In the bottom match, Roberts and Matuszczyk extended their lead to 4up through 10 as Rodgers and Cornelius were struggling. The first point was soon on the board as Duncan and Cornelius halved the par 3, 12th to secure a crushing 7&6 victory over Petersen and Ramsay. It was an early blow for the Kenmore Captain against his Taymouth counterpart but the day still looked like belonging to Ramsay overall.
It appeared no one wanted to take control of the top match as Kenmore took the 13th, 14th and 15th to wrestle back the 2up advantage with just 3 holes to play. The second match was still close, Bruce and Shaw securing a par at the 14th to go back to 1up with 4 to play. The man who had delivered 3 points from 3 for Taymouth the previous year, John McLuckie, was soon to be keeping up his 100% record as he and Keir won the 12th, 13th and 14th to secure the tie 5&4. The pair had been fancied against the rookie Kenmore pairing of McTaggart and Kerr but it was an assured performance from the Taymouth rookie Alex Keir alongside McLuckie.
At the par 3,16th Roberts and Blackhurst managed a bogey 4 to Reid and Barret's double-bogey 5 to get back to within a hole in the top match. Behind them, match 2 saw the 15th and 16th halved, Roberts narrowly missing a putt on the 16th green to level it up. The final match would be over at the 15th as Roberts and Matuszczyk secured a bogey 5 which was good enough to win their tie 4&3. At this stage it was tight. Confirmed scores were 2-1 to Taymouth but the top two matches were slightly in Kenmore's favour; it would come down to who could close it out.
The Kenmore pairing of Barret and Reid were first to secure their point. They birdied the short par 4, 17th to close the match out 2&1 as Roberts and Blackhurst could only manage par. It was a solid winning start from rookie Blair Reid as he justified the decision from his Captain to send him out first. There were celebratory fist pumps from the two back down the fairway to the second group, who were waiting to approach the green. In that match, Shaw had laid up short of the fairway ditch off the tee and MacKinnon had found the bushes on the right hand side of the fairway. Craig Roberts had to take a drop but would still have been hopeful of finding the green and perhaps taking the match down the 18th. However, Bruce struck a lovely approach to 10 feet meaning that Taymouth had to go for it. Roberts pulled his approach left and into more trouble, leaving he and MacKinnon to concede the hole and confirm a 2&1 victory for Bruce and Shaw.
There were winning Rider Cup starts for Blair Reid and Alex Keir, whilst Captain Duncan, James Cornelius and John McLuckie kept up their 100% records. The win with Eddie Roberts was Paul Matuszczyk's first Rider Cup point, but Craig Roberts and Stephen MacKinnon were left still looking for theirs after another defeat.
The opening session was tough on Taymouth, who for much of the play had looked like they would take a first round lead. However, it had been a much stronger start than the previous year's 4-1 defeat and Captain Ramsay was taking confidence from the top two matches being close and having the potential to go either way:
Friday night involved the usual speculation around pairings for the Saturday Fourballs, with Captain Ramsay in constant dialogue with his side. Captain Duncan seemed relaxed and had spoken about knowing his pairings from weeks beforehand. Both men knew that the session could be crucial and went for the following matchups:
Match 1: Adam Duncan/Miles Shaw vs. Steven Roberts/Baz Ramsay
Match 2: John Bruce/James Cornelius vs. Eddie Roberts/Paul Matuszczyk
Match 3: Jason Kerr/Steven Rodgers vs. Craig Roberts/Stephen MacKinnon
Match 4: Marc Barret/Lex McTaggart vs. Darren Petersen/Alex Keir
Match 5: Blair Reid/Gary Cornelius vs. John McLuckie/Andrew Blackhurst
The opening match was mouth-watering with the best player on both sides going head-to-head as Captain Duncan faced Steven Roberts. Again, the two Captains were facing off as Ramsay looked for revenge from the day before. It was clear that Captain Ramsay was hoping for a rekindling of the form he and Roberts showed in the 2022 Rider Cup, when they won their fourball match against Bruce and (Gary) Cornelius.
As with the previous day, Taymouth made the faster start. Roberts and Ramsay were net -1 through the first 3 holes to go 2up in the top game. The 3rd match was the same with Roberts and MacKinnon winning the 2nd and 3rd on Rodgers and Kerr. The Kenmore resistance was coming in the 2nd match, as the strong pairing of Bruce and Cornelius won the 1st and 2nd against the previous day's victors, Roberts and Matuszczyk. Petersen and Keir won the 1st hole in the 4th game but were pegged back to all square by the par 5, 3rd by Barret and McTaggart. In the final match, it was also a strong start for Taymouth as the ever-reliable McLuckie, paired with Blackhurst, recovered from losing the 1st to be 1up through 4.
As all the matches headed for the turn, there were the usual twists and turns. Duncan and Shaw rallied to pull the top match level by the 6th before immediately surrendering the 7th hole to go behind again. However, a fine birdie from Duncan at the par 3, 8th got Kenmore level again; only for Taymouth's Roberts to win the 9th with a par and ensure they started the back 9 ahead. Bruce and Cornelius were cruising in the next game with Bruce taking the 6th after Roberts and Matuszczyk got into trouble; putting Kenmore 3up. The Taymouth pairing were determined to get one back before the turn and Matuszczyk produced a net par at the 8th to get back to within 2 holes. Rodger's and Kerr started to find some form for Kenmore after a slow start and took the 6th and 7th to draw level; however, Roberts and MacKinnon immediately hit back at the 8th and reached the turn 1up. The 4th game was looking tight, Barret and McTaggart briefly going ahead at both the 5th and 8th but, on both occassions, being immediately pegged back by Keir and Petersen. The match was all square at the turn after a net par from Keir on the 9th. The final match, meanwhile, was swinging in Kenmore's favour. Reid and Cornelius won the 5th, 6th and 7th to go 2up and further increased that lead with a net birdie on the 9th. Taymouth's McLuckie had his work cut out to keep the 100% record going on the back 9.
The top match changed momentum round the turn. After winning the 9th to go 1up, Roberts and Ramsay took the 10th and 11th to increase the advantage to 3up. Captain Duncan, also undefeated in the Rider Cup, was going to have to dig deep with partner Miles Shaw to turn the game around. A par at the 13th was enough to eat into the deficit and give some hope for the closing stretch. The second match too, was seeing a shift in the tide. Matuszczyk won the par 5, 10th with a net par and Roberts followed that up by taking the 12th with a par to draw all square with Bruce and Cornelius, who were struggling after their strong start. The pressure of securing their first ever Rider Cup wins appeared to be getting to Roberts and MacKinnon in match 3 as they lost the 11th and 12th to go 1down to Rodgers and Kerr. They rallied at the 13th to draw level but were immediately behind again to a net par from Kerr at the 14th. The 4th game continued to be close as several holes were traded between both teams; Petersen and Keir winning 10 and 12, but Barret and McTaggart winning 11 and 13 as the match remained all square. McLuckie and Blackhurst, meanwhile, were fighting hard in the bottom match but finding stubborn resistance from Reid and Cornelius. The Taymouth pair made a breakthrough at the par 3, 12th to get back to within 2 holes. As the matches headed for the closing stretch, Kenmore looked to be in control overall but the game was on a knife edge with only the last game having more than 1 hole between the pairings.
With Taymouth still bearing the scars of the tight losses the day before, it was vital that they closed out some points from the fourballs. In the top game, Miles Shaw produced a stunning net eagle 1 at the par 3, 16th to bring him and Captain Duncan within 1 hole with 2 to play. With the short par 4, 17th well within reach for both Duncan and Taymouth's Roberts, it was the latter who kept his nerve and delivered a birdie 3. Both Duncan and Shaw could only manage a bogey 5 and suddenly Taymouth had closed out the top game 2&1. It was sweet revenge for Captain Ramsay after the previous day's loss to his opposite number and the match also secured bragging rights for Steven Roberts in the battle of the low handicappers. After securing the first point, Taymouth wouldn't have to wait long until they got their second. Bruce and Cornelius' back 9 woes continued as Eddie Roberts rolled in a net par at the 15th to put Taymouth ahead in the tie for the first time. At the next hole, the Kenmore pair both found the water off the tee, handing a 2up advantage to Taymouth with 2 to play. Cornelius found some form at the 17th to take the hole and put some pressure on Roberts and Matuszczyk. However, he would drive out of bounds on the last and, after an errant second shot from Bruce, Matuszczyk closed out the tie with a net birdie to seal a 2up victory.
At that stage, Taymouth led 4-3 with another couple of tight matches coming down the closing holes. Leading by 1 hole, Rodgers and Kerr managed a bogey on the 16th, which bettered Roberts and MacKinnon's double bogey, to go 2up with 2 to play. With the pressure of seeing out the game and securing a vital point, the Kenmore pair made a mess of the par 4, 17th and allowed Taymouth to take the match down the last. Behind them, Barret and McLuckie arrived at the 16th tee 1up on Petersen and Keir. Taymouth then turned the match on its head, as they won the 16th and 17th to go 1up themselves on the last. In the final match, Reid and Cornelius were 2up with 3 to play as they walked off with a half on the 15th. The match was over at the 16th, as both McLuckie and Blackhurst found trouble on the tricky par 3, allowing Kenmore to secure their first point of the session with a 3&2 victory. The match was now 4-4. Captain Ramsay was pacing at the back of the 18th green, checking the scoreboard for updates. His counterpart had taken himself away from the action, preferring to watch from a room in the hotel overlooking the 18th green.
With Roberts and MacKinnon needing to win the 18th to get a half point, they left themselves too much to do with a pair of double bogeys. Steven Rodgers was able to secure a net bogey and win the hole, and tie, for Kenmore in what had been a close battle. Rodgers and Kerr were mobbed by their team mates as they left the green with Captain Duncan celebrating from the window above; it felt like a big moment. With the match now 5-4, all eyes turned to the 4th tie, with Taymouth 1up on the 18th. Both Barret and Keir found the green in regulation, which made Taymouth favourites needing only a half to take the tie. Barret rolled his putt close and was able to secure his par 5. Keir, the Taymouth rookie, had his moment. His first putt was poor, leaving himself a tough 8 footer for his par to seal the point. More drama was to follow as, after addressing the ball, he pulled away and reset himself. Both teams held their breath. The final effort sailed past the hole and Kenmore had their vital half point. The celebrations suggested that everyone knew how vital it could be. Instead of going in to Sunday's singles 5-5, Kenmore had a 5.5-4.5 lead.
The intriguing and gripping session had been the closest yet in the short history of The Rider Cup. Some were left licking their wounds; namely Captain Duncan, James Cornelius and John McLuckie, who all lost their 100% Rider Cup records in one session. For rookie Lex McTaggart, the half point got him on the board for Kenmore; while his partner from the previous day, Jason Kerr, secured his first point. It was all set up for Sunday:
The singles pairings were going to be vital and both Captains took their time over the orders they would send their men out in. Did they front load the side to get points on the board or leave the big hitters in reserve for the heat of the battle? The pairings were announced as follows:
Match 1: Blair Reid vs. Steven Roberts
Match 2: James Cornelius vs. Baz Ramsay
Match 3: Miles Shaw vs. Stephen MacKinnon
Match 4: Adam Duncan vs. Eddie Roberts
Match 5: Jason Kerr vs. Andrew Blackhurst
Match 6: John Bruce vs. Paul Matuszczyk
Match 7: Steven Rodgers vs. Darren Petersen
Match 8: Marc Barret vs. John McLuckie
Match 9: Lex McTaggart vs. Alex Keir
Match 10: Gary Cornelius vs. Craig Roberts
The pairings looked even, in keeping with the rest of the match over the weekend. Captain Duncan had sent out rookie Blair Reid first, the man who had won 2 from 2 in his debut appearance. Against the difficult challenge of Taymouth's star player, Steven Roberts, Reid won the first hole but the match would never have more than 1 hole in it as it reached the turn all square. In the 2nd match, Captain Ramsay took the first hole against the out of form James Cornelius; a lead he would never relinquish as he won the 4th, 5th, 7th, 8th and 9th to go 5up through 9.
The fast start from Taymouth continued. Stephen MacKinnon, without a victory in The Rider Cup, was 3up after 4 against Miles Shaw. Shaw won the 5th but MacKinnon took the 6th and then increased his lead by winning the 8th and 9th to match his Captain's lead as he headed for the back 9. Eddie Roberts was unbeaten for Taymouth and he was keen to keep up that record against Captain Duncan in the 4th match. He won the first 2 holes before Duncan pegged him back by taking the 3rd and 5th holes. Roberts was playing consistent golf though and was ahead again at the 6th, stretching that lead to 2up at the 8th. The Taymouth tide was coming. Darren Petersen, a figure of ridicule after his individual performance the previous day, started in sparkling form and raced into a 2up lead through 2 against Steven Rodgers. Craig Roberts, looking for that elusive first win, also made a fast start and led Gary Cornelius 3up through 5.
Kenmore needed to show some resistance in the face of Taymouth's start. In his match against John McLuckie, Marc Barret raced into a 3up lead through 3. McLuckie, seemingly affected by his first ever Rider Cup defeat, was struggling to get in the game. Jason Kerr also made a strong start, taking the 1st and 2nd to lead Andrew Blackhurst. John Bruce, facing a tough match against the unbeaten Paul Matuszczyk, found the form that had deserted him on the back 9 the previous day to go 3up through 4. Kenmore's other rookie, Lex McTaggart was putting up a fight against the unbeaten Taymouth rookie Alex Keir. After losing the 1st, McTaggart won the 2nd, 3rd and 5th to go 2up.
As the matches entered into the crucial stages, the live score was incredibly tight. With Reid and Roberts locked at all square for most of their game, it looked like it would become crucial to the overall result. Captain Ramsay, fittingly, secured the first point of the day for Taymouth as he defeated James Cornelius 8&6. It was a big scalp and a humiliation for the previously unbeatable Cornelius, who had struggled with injury throughout the weekend. Taymouth then led for the first time. Stephen MacKinnon picked up his first Rider Cup victory by seeing off Miles Shaw by winning the 11th, 12th and 13th to close out the match 7&5. It was a dominant performance from MacKinnon, who had led from the 2nd hole. The score stood 6.5-5.5 to Taymouth. The lead didn't last long, however, as Steven Rodgers closed out his match with the struggling Darren Petersen 7&5. Level again.
Two more Kenmore points would soon follow. First up was Marc Barret, who won the 13th and 14th holes to see off the challenge of John McLuckie 6&4. The match felt like a blow to Taymouth's hopes, with the previously unbeaten McLuckie losing for the 2nd session in a row. Following on from that victory was another for Kenmore's John Bruce. Matuszczyk had levelled their match after 7 but Bruce won the 8th, 9th and 10th to go 3up and, despite the pair trading a few holes, closed out the match on the 15th to win 4&3. Kenmore now led 8.5-6.5 and needed just 1.5 points from the remaining matches to retain the trophy. However, Captain Duncan was determined that they would win it outright again. He had managed to peg Eddie Roberts back to all square on the 15th and was looking to secure a point of his own. However, the Breadalbane veteran showed all his experience by taking the 16th to go 1up again.
More blue was confirmed on the score board as Jason Kerr, capping a solid debut performance, beat Andrew Blackhurst 4&2 with a net par on the 16th. Kerr had been ahead since the 1st green but, after being 5 up through 11, had allowed Blackhurst back into the game by losing the 12th, 13th and 14th before closing it out. Kenmore now had 9.5 points but all the matches left out were close. The exception to that was the battle between the rookies, Alex Keir and Lex McTaggart. Keir had settled the early nerves and had turned the match around to be 3up on the back 9. He extended that lead to 4up on the 14th before securing a vital point for Taymouth with another hole at the par 4, 15th to win 5&3. The maths was now simple for Captain Ramsay, all his players needed to win their matches to pull off the victory.
Eddie Roberts stuck to his side of the bargain by winning the 17th and defeating Kenmore's Captain 2&1. It kept up Roberts' 100% singles record in the Rider Cup and meant he had recorded maximum points for his side. In the bottom match, Craig Roberts and Gary Cornelius were locked at all square; Cornleius briefly going 1up at the 15th before surrendering that lead at the 16th. It looked like it might come down to the last match. For that to happen though, Steven Roberts needed to find a win against Blair Reid. Reid had won the par 3, 16th to go 1up with 2 to play; however, he found himself in trouble at the short 17th hole. He could only manage a 6, net 5 with his stroke on Roberts. Roberts too found trouble and, despite recovering, could only manage a 5 to tie the hole. That meant Reid was dormie 1 and guaranteed to deliver the necessary 0.5 point for Kenmore to retain The Rider Cup. He rounded it off in style by winning the 18th to beat Taymouth's star man 2up. For the second year running, Steven Roberts was involved in the game that had decided the destination of the trophy. In the bottom match, Craig Roberts won the last hole to beat Gary Cornelius 1up and secure his first Rider Cup point for Taymouth; albeit too little, too late:
There had been drama to the end at Heron's Reach with Kenmore ultimately proving to, once again, have too much for their opponents. Taymouth had put up a hell of a fight though, not least Eddie Roberts who, if rumours are to be believed, was making his final appearance before announcing his retirement. Taymouth might want to look into cryogenics though, as Roberts took maximum points for the team. Captain Ramsay himself put up a notable display, as did Paul Matuszczyk and rookie Alex Keir finished his debut unbeaten across the weekend:
Taymouth | Friday Foursomes | Saturday Fourballs | Sunday Singles | Total |
Andrew Blackhurst | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Alex Keir | 1 | 0.5 | 1 | 2.5 |
Stephen MacKinnon | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Paul Matuszczyk | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
John McLuckie | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Darren Petersen | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0.5 |
Baz Ramsay (c) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Craig Roberts | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Eddie Roberts | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
Steven Roberts | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
For Kenmore, everyone contributed something to the victory but Captain Duncan would have been exceptionally pleased with the performance of big hitting Blair Reid, who scored maximum points on his Rider Cup debut. Jason Kerr too, scored well as a rookie in the team; whilst Marc Barret was undefeated across the weekend and there were vital 2 point returns from John Bruce and Steven Rodgers:
Kenmore | Friday Foursomes | Saturday Fourballs | Sunday Singles | Total |
Marc Barret | 1 | 0.5 | 1 | 2.5 |
John Bruce | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Gary Cornelius | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
James Cornelius | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Adam Duncan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Jason Kerr | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Lex McTaggart | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0.5 |
Blair Reid | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
Steven Rodgers | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Miles Shaw | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
There were handshakes all round at the end of the gruelling contest as the heat of the battle was over. Captain Ramsay was quick to big up his side's achievements: "We gave them a hell of a fright!" he quipped before the trophy presentation. Ultimately though, no trophies are given out for frights. Despite all the pre-talk of the "Mighty Tays" being the underdogs, defeat would still have stung. All that was left was for Captain Duncan to lead his side up to collect their 2nd Rider Cup. As it was thrust into the evening sky, the celebrations began. The Blackpool Tower, dominating the skyline behind and saluting another towering Kenmore success. The c*nts had won, for another year.
Team Kenmore, led by Captain Adam Duncan, celebrate winning the 2nd Rider Cup at Heron's Reach.
Comments