Kenmore Retain The Rider Cup After Sunday Fightback

Scunthorpe is not normally a place associated with sporting greatness. But on Thursday 12th September, the Kenmore and Taymouth teams started to arrive at The Forest Pines resort, for the eagerly anticipated 3rd edition of The Rider Cup. Suddenly, the area was more about chip shots than chip shops. The rivalry between these two sides has been building year-on-year and as Taymouth Captain, John McLuckie had said in the build up; "This year it's personal."

The drama would begin early. Taymouth were hit with the unfortunate, late withdrawal of Paul Matuszczyk on the Thursday night. Suddenly the very format of the event was in question, the Captain's pairings up in the air; could there be an agreed way forward between the two sides?

Team meetings, Captain's meetings, negotiation and counter proposals continued for hours until finally there was an agreement. The Friday Foursomes would be switched to Two Man Scramble teams, with Taymouth's unpartnered player receiving full handicap. Saturday's Fourballs would remain unchanged, with one Taymouth player taking on two Kenmore players and the Sunday Single match that would have involved Matuszczyk would be a half point each.

It became the focus of all discussions leading into the opening day, taking away from the fact that Taymouth were coming into the event as favourites on paper. Kenmore remained confident, buoyed by their two previous victories and questioning whether Taymouth had the temperament to see the job through. The handicaps certainly played into Taymouth's favour, with an average of 24.1 versus Kenmore's of 27.0. Their side was a settled one, with all the players having been part of the team that came so close at Heron's Reach in 2023.

Kenmore, on the other hand, welcomed Dave Cook back into the side. Cook had performed well in The Rider Cup at Wokefield 2 years previous, but he hadn't played much golf since. Captain Steven Rodgers had been relaxed in the build up, but knowing that his team would have to play well to make it 3 in a row.

Just before midday on the Friday, the waiting was over as the two Captains announced their pairings for the session. McLuckie threw the dice by putting Stephen MacKinnon out first on his own; a move that signalled Taymouth's intent to send out 3 strong pairings and look to take control in the match. Rodgers and the Kenmore side had second guessed this move and tried to do something similar to match up with their rivals. In a nod to the previous year, Adam Duncan revealed a t-shirt mocking his opposite number Ramsay from The Rider Cup in 2023 and the two men had been drawn against each other again. The opening pairings were as follows:

Match 1: Jason Kerr/Miles Shaw vs. Stephen MacKinnon

Match 2: John Bruce/Dave Cook vs. Steven Roberts/Darren Petersen

Match 3: James Cornelius/ Steven Rodgers vs. Craig Roberts/Alex Keir

Match 4: Adam Duncan/Gary Cornelius vs. John McLuckie/Baz Ramsay

Team Kenmore (l-r): Gary Cornelius, Jason Kerr, Adam Duncan, Steven Rodgers (Captain), Miles Shaw, John Bruce, Dave Cook, James Cornelius.

Team Taymouth (l-r): Steven Roberts, Craig Roberts, Stephen MacKinnon, John McLuckie, Baz Ramsay, Alex Keir, Darren Petersen.

The first match would prove to be a very close affair, with MacKinnon racing into a 2up lead after just 3 holes and sending a strong message back down the field to his team. Kerr and Shaw struggled to get going for Kenmore and found themselves 4 down at the turn in what was looking like a huge shock to begin the day.

Behind them, the second match up was proving to be tight early on. Roberts and Petersen won the 2nd hole to go 1up but Bruce and Cook held them at that over the opening holes as both pairings scored steadily with pars. That changed on the 7th, as Roberts produced a wonderful recovery shot from behind a tree to find the front of the green in 2, whilst Bruce and Cook both pulled their approaches left, leaving them too much to do and losing the hole to another solid par from the Taymouth pair, now 2up.

The third match started very evenly, with Cornelius and Rodgers halving the opening 3 holes with Roberts and Keir. The Taymouth pair managed to secure a bogey from a greenside bunker at the dog-leg left 4th hole, whilst the Kenmore team could only make a double bogey to go 1down. That set off a bad run of holes for Kenmore and their Captain, making a 9 on the par 5, 5th and losing the 6th to a birdie 2 from the Taymouth team. Suddenly they were 3down.

The final match was looking close too. Duncan and Cornelius won the 3rd to put Kenmore 1up but couldn't build on that lead as McLuckie and Ramsay dug in. Back in the top match, MacKinnon's form started to dip on the back 9 and the Kenmore pair were sensing an opportunity. Kerr and Shaw won 3 holes in a row to get back to just 1down, before MacKinnon used his strokes to win the 13th and go back to 2up with just 5 to play.

Roberts and Petersen continued their impressive scoring by parring the 9th and 10th holes to go 4up on Bruce and Cook, who had started to bogey. A par at the tough par 4, 11th gave them a route back into the match as they won their first hole of the day to peg the Taymouth pair back to 3up. However, the joy as short lived as Petersen rolled in a birdie putt on the next green to take the hole and re-establish the 4up lead. That was backed up by another birdie from the Taymouth team on the 13th, putting the match to dormie 5. Another par followed at the 14th to secure the match 6&4 and get an early point on the board for the team in white. Roberts and Petersen had played their own ball in -1 through 14 holes and thoroughly deserved their comfortable victory.

It looked to be going the same way for Roberts and Keir in their match. 4up at the turn after winning the 8th, they lost the 10th to a Cornelius and Rodgers par. However, the reprieve was short lived as the Taymouth pairing won the 11th to restore the 4 hole advantage and closed out the match 4&3 with halved holes all the way to the 15th. It was a disappointing start for Kenmore's Captain, Rodgers but him and Cornelius had never given it up, despite being behind for most of the match. With Taymouth now 2-0 up, it had been a fast start and vital for Kenmore that they got some blue on the board.

The final match was still in their favour. Duncan and Cornelius won the 8th and 9th to go 3up at the turn. A birdie 2 at the 12th then made that 4up as it looked certain that Kenmore would get on the board. McLuckie and Ramsay won the 13th to get one back but immediately surrendered the 14th to leave them dormie 4. The match was over on the 15th green as both teams managed to secure par 5s to end the match 4&3 in Kenmore's favour. It was the perfect start for Kenmore's talisman, Adam Duncan; taking the scalp of his opposing Captain from 2023 and the current Taymouth Captain. It was also a confidence boosting win for Gary Cornelius, as he matched his previous Rider Cup points totals in the first session.

With the match now 2-1 Taymouth, all eyes turned to the opening game. MacKinnon had lost the 14th and 15th to allow Kerr and Shaw back to all square. When the Kenmore pair won the 16th, they led for the first time in the match and it looked like the session would end tied. However, MacKinnon found some form on the 17th to level the match again; meaning it all came down to the 18th. The Taymouth man had 2 strokes to use on the hole and looked in pole position to claim a shock win with Kerr and Shaw well short of the green in 3. However, Kerr produced the shot of the day by putting an 8 iron in close to salvage a par for Kenmore (image, above). MacKinnon could only make a 6, nett 4; meaning the opening match had been tied. It was a fair result and still a major shock that MacKinnon had managed to secure something for his team, despite playing against two players for the whole round. For Kenmore, it felt like a missed opportunity, whilst also acknowledging that half a point could be vital having been 4down at one stage.

For the first time in Rider Cup history, Taymouth had won a session and would take the lead into the rest of the weekend:

Saturday night saw the usual discussions between the two Captains and their teams about whether to stick to the original plan, or to change based on the Friday results. Taymouth also needed to decide who to send out on their own from the side. The pressure was on Kenmore for the first time with them being behind and Rodgers needed to make sure that the match didn't get away from them during the fourballs. The following matchups were announced:

Match 1: James Cornelius/Gary Cornelius vs. Steven Roberts/Darren Petersen

Match 2: Adam Duncan/Jason Kerr vs. Baz Ramsay/Stephen MacKinnon

Match 3: John Bruce/Miles Shaw vs. Alex Keir

Match 4: Steven Rodgers/Dave Cook vs. John McLuckie/Craig Roberts

The opening match saw Taymouth stick with the on-fire Friday partnership of Roberts and Petersen, against the Cornelius brothers; paired together for the first time in The Rider Cup. Match 2 saw Adam Duncan and Baz Ramsay face-off again, whilst Alex Keir was selected to go out on his own and wouldn't have been happy to see himself drawn against Kenmore's John Bruce; someone he had struggled to play well against historically. The anchor leg saw the two Captains square up with Rodgers taking on McLuckie.

Kenmore would make a fast start to the fourballs. The Cornelius brothers took the 1st hole to go 1up in the opening match and were quickly followed by Adam Duncan recording a birdie to go 1up on the 1st in the 2nd game. Rodgers and Cook also won the 1st with only Alex Keir offering some defiance on the opening hole for Taymouth by going into the lead against Bruce and Shaw. However, some of the blue was shortlived. In the top game, Petersen recorded a nett birdie at the 2nd to bring Taymouth level and again at the par 4, 4th to put Taymouth ahead. James Cornelius responded with a nett par at the 5th to level but an inspired run from Petersen towards the turn saw Taymouth take the 7th, 8th and 9th; going into a 3up lead at the half way stage.

In the second match, Adam Duncan wasn't getting things all his own way. Ramsay won the 4th hole to level the match, before MacKinnon won the 5th to give Taymouth a surprise lead. Kenmore immediately hit back with a par from Duncan at the 6th, before another par at the 8th put blue back on the board by the turn.

Alex Keir's good start had given him confidence, aided by the fact that John Bruce was having a shocker. Miles Shaw kept the Kenmore pair in it by halving the par 3, 3rd and then winning the 4th to bring them level in the match. John Bruce then contributed on the par 5, 6th by winning the hole to put Kenmore in front. However, Keir proved his mettle by playing a lovely tee shot into the par 3, 7th and knocking home the putt for a 2, nett 1 and levelling the match again as it remained all square at the turn.

The final match saw no halved holes in the opening five. After taking the first, Kenmore lost the 2nd but Dave Cook won both the 3rd and 4th holes, before McLuckie responded at the 5th. Kenmore remained 1up until the par 5, 8th when McLuckie's par brought the match level. Another par followed from the Taymouth Captain at the 9th, putting himself and Roberts ahead at the turn but with all to play for.

On the back 9, the opening match looked to be heading the way of Roberts and Petersen. The Cornelius brothers started the inward half strongly, James taking the 10th before Gary won both the 11th and 12th to draw them level. However, the joy didn't last as Petersen took the 13th and a struggling Steven Roberts took the 14th with a par to re-establish a 2up lead with just 4 holes to play. The 15th and 16th were halved as the Taymouth winners from Friday looked to close out another point. However, there was drama in store. At the difficult par 4,17th James Cornelius made a par, nett eagle to win the hole and keep Kenmore in the match. On the par 3, 18th tee, Gary Cornelius produced his best shot of the day to give Kenmore a real chance of winning the hole. Petersen made a 4 and Roberts made his par 3, leaving Cornelius with 2 putts to seal an unthinkable comeback and a vital half for Kenmore. He duly delivered for the team, completing a fine recovery from the pair.

The match behind them was also closer than many had anticipated on paper. Duncan put Kenmore 2up at the 10th with a par, before Jason Kerr won the 11th to increase that lead to 3up over Ramsay and MacKinnon. However, the Taymouth pair won the 12th through MacKinnon and the 13th with a nett eagle from Ramsay to get back to just 1down. At the par 5, 15th Adam Duncan delivered a superb birdie to put some daylight between the teams but that was immediately given up at the 16th as Ramsay made a 4 to take the hole and keep Taymouth alive. With the pressure of needing to deliver a point for his side, Adam Duncan stepped up on the 17th, making another birdie and closing out the match 2&1 for Kenmore.

Meanwhile, the final match was swinging in Taymouth's favour after the strong start from Rodgers and Cook. Craig Roberts birdied the 10th for a nett eagle to put them 2up, before Captain McLuckie produced an outrageous chip in at the 12th for an eagle 2 to go 3up. That shot sparked wild celebrations from the Taymouth team as Roberts set off running down the fairway to celebrate. Taymouth had the bit between their teeth in the match and would win the 13th to go 4up with just 5 to play. To Kenmore's credit, Rodgers and Cook kept fighting with a nett eagle from Rodgers at the 15th to keep the game alive. However, Roberts secured a par at the par 3, 16th to halve the hole and close out the match 3&2 for Taymouth.

The session was tight and much rested on the final live match out on the course with Alex Keir battling away against Bruce and Shaw. Keir took a 1up advantage at the 11th by scoring a nett par with Bruce still struggling for any kind of form. That changed at the 12th when the former Kenmore Captain made a 5 after being 3 off the tee to halve the hole and stop Keir going 2up. It seemed to inspire the Kenmore man, who won the 13th and 14th holes to turn the tide and put his team back into the lead. Keir wasn't finished though, making an excellent par at the 16th to draw level. The match went down the par 3, 18th all square and with Shaw in trouble, Bruce managed to find the front fringe of the green after Keir had also come up short with his tee shot. Keir left his approach putt well short coming up the hill and Bruce put his chip to within makeable distance. The Kenmore man had a putt to take the match but narrowly missed and it finished as a half point each. It would have been harsh on Keir to lose after a solid performance against two players, with Miles Shaw also deserving of something from the match; having carried his partner for most of it.

After all the drama, the session had finished level; Kenmore perhaps feeling they could have got more from the 3rd match but definitely grateful to escape with half a point from the top game. Adam Duncan made it 2 from 2 for Kenmore, whilst Craig Roberts matched that on the Taymouth side, helping Captain McLuckie get off the mark after his Friday defeat. The session left only Captain Rodgers, Dave Cook and Baz Ramsay looking for their first points of the weekend but the match was still tight with just 1 point in it:

More than ever before, the Singles pairings were going to be vital. The Captains had to think long and hard about their order for the final day: where would Taymouth put Matuszczyk in their order, would they load the top to try and knock off the points they needed to secure the cup for the first time? The pairings were announced on the Saturday night and looked favourable for Taymouth in terms of matchups:

Match 1: John Bruce vs. Steven Roberts

Match 2: Miles Shaw vs. Alex Keir

Match 3: James Cornelius vs. Paul Matuszczyk

Match 4: Gary Cornelius vs. Darren Petersen

Match 5: Jason Kerr vs. Baz Ramsay

Match 6: Dave Cook vs. John McLuckie

Match 7: Adam Duncan vs. Stephen MacKinnon

Match 8: Steven Rodgers vs. Craig Roberts

With the prior agreement of match 3 being a draw, the scores were 5-4 to Taymouth, meaning that they only required 3.5 points from the 7 matches to take home The Rider Cup. The top match looked like a cracker on paper as two-time Breadalbane winner, Bruce faced off against three-time winner, Roberts. Both men had struggled for form on the Saturday but knew they were capable of much better. Roberts took the 1st hole to get white on the board immediately but Bruce fought back by winning the 2nd, 3rd and 4th to go 2up.

In the second match, the much fancied Keir took the 2nd, 3rd and 4th holes against a struggling Miles Shaw to put Taymouth 3up and well on the way to one of the points they needed. Shaw showed some resistance by winning the 5th but immediately lost the 6th to keep the gap at 3 holes.

Match 4 was expected to go the way of Taymouth too, the in-form Darren Petersen taking on Gary Cornelius; although the Kenmore man was unbeaten with 1.5 points from 2 across the weekend. Petersen won the 2nd hole to go ahead but Cornelius went on a staggering run, winning the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th to go 5up. It was a score which sent shockwaves through the field and started to inspire others.

In match 5, Baz Ramsay took the opening hole against Jason Kerr but the Kenmore man levelled at the 3rd, before winning the 5th and 6th to go into a 2up lead. More blue was on the board against the head and Ramsay needed to strike back, which he did at the 7th to reduce the gap to just 1 hole.

The next two matches, on paper, looked a point per team. John McLuckie, desperate to bring home a point as Captain, got off to a flying start against Dave Cook; racing into a 4up lead after just 5 holes. In the penultimate match, Adam Duncan raced into a 3up lead after 3 on Stephen MacKinnon but the Taymouth man won the 4th, 5th and 6th holes to draw level, in what was an unexpected turn of events.

It was looking like the final match could be crucial and it paired Kenmore's Captain, Rodgers against Craig Roberts, who had beaten him on both the Friday and Saturday. Roberts won the 1st, 3rd and 5th to go 3up early on as he looked to finish the weekend with a perfect record for his team. It was a lead the Taymouth player would maintain until the turn.

Back in the top game, Steven Roberts produced a par at the 5th and an eagle at the par 5, 6th to draw level with Bruce. However, he got into trouble off the tee at the 8th and lost the hole to find himself 1down at the turn. Keir and Shaw, meanwhile traded the 8th and 9th holes to keep Taymouth 3up heading into the back 9. Dave Cook was starting to fight back against McLuckie winning the 6th, 8th, 9th and 10th to be just 1down at the start of the back 9. The biggest shock of all however, was in the next game. Stephen MacKinnon won the 9th to go 1up on Adam Duncan at the turn, a match that had looked like being heavily favoured towards the Kenmore man.

As all the games headed into the back 9, it looked like Kenmore had a chance of pulling off an unthinkable comeback; but it needed Bruce, Cornelius and Kerr to keep their leads and for Duncan, Shaw, Rodgers or Cook to turn around their matches.

Gary Cornelius was in no mood to give up his advantage. Having seen Petersen win the 9th hole to reduce his lead to 4, Cornelius won the 11th and 12th to go 6up with 6 to play. Petersen was struggling compared to his Friday and Saturday form but managed to keep the match alive by winning the 13th. However, it would be over at the par 5, 14th with Cornelius recording a nett par to close it out 6&4 for Kenmore. It was a massive result for the defending champions and for Gary Cornelius, as it meant an unbeaten weekend as part of the side.

Taymouth needed a response and they got one from their skipper. With Cook having reduced the deficit to 1, McLuckie upped his game by winning the 11th, 13th and 14th to go 4up with 4 to play. A birdie at the par 3, 15th was a fitting way to seal the match and record a 5&3 victory for his team. Taymouth had 1 of the 3.5 points they needed and they wouldn't have to wait long for another.

Craig Roberts had led from the 1st hole against Steven Rodgers and he took the 10th hole to go 4up. Rodgers won the 11th but Roberts immediately hit back at the 12th before winning the 13th to put himself dormie 5. A halve at the par 5, 14th was all that he required and was duly delivered, closing out a convincing 5&4 victory and completing his hat-trick over the Kenmore Captain. Only 1.5 points were needed now and it was getting tense as the matches headed for the closing holes.

In the second match, Miles Shaw had won the 10th and 11th holes to get back to just 1down against Keir. Knowing he was one of the most fancied Taymouth players to deliver a point in the singles, Keir hit back with wins at the 12th and 13th to restore his 3up lead. Shaw was running out of holes and at the par 3, 15th he found trouble as Keir was able to close out the match 4&3. Suddenly Taymouth only needed a half point but where was it going to come from?

Having led at the turn by 1, John Bruce started the back 9 by winning the 10th, 11th and 12th to find himself 4up on a struggling Steven Roberts. The Taymouth man won the dog-leg left par 4,13th to keep in touch but Bruce got a nett bridie on the par 5, 14th to go 4up with 4 to play. Roberts kept the match going by taking the par 3, 15th after a superb tee shot but Bruce closed out the match on the 16th with a solid par to take the game 4&2. In a match that, on paper, could have gone either way; it was a big point for Kenmore.

Suddenly there were just two matches live on the course. Adam Duncan knew he had to step up on the back 9 having been 1down at the turn to MacKinnon. The Kenmore man duly delivered, winning the 10th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th to go 3up with 3 to play. He closed out the match with a superb birdie at the 16th to win 4&2. Duncan had played the back 9 in -1 scratch to ensure he delivered the point that had been expected for his side and the result was harsh on a much improved MacKinnon who had given him a match for most of the round.

The session was now tied at 3.5-3.5 (including the agreed half for the Cornelius vs. Matuszczyk match). The overall match stood at 8-7 Taymouth. They still needed that precious half point to win The Rider Cup for the first time but Kenmore had hope of retaining. It all rested on the final match out on the course between Kerr and Ramsay.

Kerr had reached the turn 1up and, after the pair halved the 10th, the Kenmore man won the 11th and 12th to go 3up. Ramsay hit back at the 13th and 14th to get back to 1, desperate to secure something for his team. However, Kerr won the 16th to go 2up with 2 to play; but he needed the full point to secure the overall draw for Kenmore. Ramsay, one of the in-form players heading into the weekend, pulled off a win at the 17th to take the match down the final hole. It was fitting, that a match which had been so close all weekend, would come down to the final game on the final hole. Ramsay knew he needed to deliver and the pressure was on. Kerr also had the luxury of a stroke on the last and played it sensibly to record a nett 5. The match was over when Ramsay hit his 4th shot having got into trouble off the tee, Kerr had won 2up and Kenmore had, unbelievably, pulled off the result they needed to retain the trophy for another year.

For Baz Ramsay, it was a horrible end to a weekend which had promised much but there was an air of deflation around the whole Taymouth team, who knew they'd let a massive opportunity slip through their hands:

As with the previous year, there had been drama right until the end in the closest fought Rider Cup match yet. Taymouth's failure to convert their advantage into victory will sting for some time, although they can take heart from some solid performances in their team across the weekend; not least from Craig Roberts who secured 3 points from 3. There were notable contributions from Alex Keir, who finished the weekend unbeaten for the second year in a row and Captain McLuckie contributing 2 points:

Taymouth	Friday Foursomes (Scramble)	Saturday Fourballs	Sunday Singles	Total
Alex Keir	1	0.5	1	2.5
Stephen MacKinnon	0.5	0	0	0.5
John McLuckie (c)	0	1	1	2
Darren Petersen	1	0.5	0	1.5
Baz Ramsay	0	0	0	0
Craig Roberts	1	1	1	3
Steven Roberts	1	0.5	0	1.5
*Paul Matuszczyk	0	0	0.5	0.5

*Did not play, have given scores of single player and agreed 0.5 for Sunday match.

For Kenmore, Adam Duncan stepped up and delivered maximum points, whilst Jason Kerr and Gary Cornelius both secured 2.5 points and were unbeaten in the event. Cornelius' vital 0.5 point comeback with his brother James on the Saturday, proved to be vital and helped earn him the individual award for the best player in The Rider Cup over the weekend:

Kenmore	Friday Foursomes (Scramble)	Saturday Fouballs	Sunday Singles	Total
John Bruce	0	0.5	1	1.5
Dave Cook	0	0	0	0
Gary Cornelius	1	0.5	1	2.5
James Cornelius	0	0.5	0.5	1
Adam Duncan	1	1	1	3
Jason Kerr	0.5	1	1	2.5
Steven Rodgers (c)	0	0	0	0
Miles Shaw	0.5	0.5	0	1

There was an air of solemness around the men in white after the matches were complete. In a corner of the room, Captain McLuckie sat with Steven Roberts and Baz Ramsay; all staring in to space and reflecting on what might have been for their side. The Kenmore charges were buoyant again, having felt in their heart of hearts that the match was slipping away from them. As Kenmore, led by Steven Rodgers, gathered to receive the retained trophy, they unveiled hidden t-shirts marking the 3 in a row achievement. Craig Roberts made a vein attempt to break the stunned silence on what had unfolded over the previous 5 hours: "Embarrassing celebrating a draw", he quipped. It certainly didn't feel like that to Rodgers and his side. After the months of build up, trash talk, mind games and practice; the match had lived up to its billing and had come to a familiar conclusion.

Much soul searching will be done by Taymouth in the next 12 months and the inquisition into what happened on the Sunday will begin in earnest. Questions around their bottle pre-match remain unanswered and will hang over the side until they can get the job done. Will they ever have a better chance to convert than they did on Sunday at Forest Pines?

A promotional video aired at the start of the weekend featured McLuckie declaring; "It's Taymouth's year" but sadly for them, that was not to be.

Ultimately, it was Kenmore's. Again.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/68409e_2cb4843091dc42fca374429211fd37da/480p/mp4/file.mp4

Taymouth Captain John McLuckie presents Kenmore Captain Steven Rodgers and his team with The Rider Cup for a 3rd successive year.