Having lost in the first round to a good Harrow team at Sandwich in both 2024 & 2025, there was a little trepidation this year. Although we were again drawn at Sandwich, Hurstpierpoint were a less dangerous opposition, albeit they were rated higher than us in the Anderson 5 Year Scales. It was felt that we had an excellent team, with Matthew McEachran back, and both Frey brothers present – Andreas for the first time since 2019. In addition, our newer team Members (Campbell, Cameron and Llew) had some Hewitt experience, and Tom Simmonds had taken charge as team Captain.
We had a full team of supporters (Jim Patrick, John Gordon, John Bushell, Niall Booker and Sandy Gray) entitled ‘carers’, with one looking after each match and roving ‘carer’ Harry Morgan. Confidence was high that we might have a run, getting to Deal (third round) was the target and anything else a bonus, but no one was complacent.
Colin Sinclair, Club Manager, and his team at Sandwich could not have done more to make the Hewitt teams welcome. There were free practice balls and course yardage books, and the course was in excellent condition – better than your correspondent has ever seen it for the Hewitt (in 50 years)! However, it wasn’t playing easy. The greens were hard and fast which put a premium on hitting approaches from the fairway.
Round 1 vs Hurstpierpoint
Tom Simmonds was keen to get back to having a strong first couple, echoes of Bull & Bushell, so he and Llew Porter led the team each day. However, Hurstpierpoint had put their weakest pair at game 1 so it was an easy 7/6 win for Tom and Llew, finished off by an excellent putt dead from off the back of the 12th green while their oppo three-putted and their ‘carer’ was in the hut buying the sausage rolls he thought they would require down 13!
The Freys, Karl and Andreas, at match 2 were having a tough game but probably would have won had games 4 & 5 (Campbell Gibson & Matthew McEachran, and Mike Thomson and Richard White) not won at the 16th and 15th respectively. Niall Watson & Cameron Grieve in game 3 had a good lead early on but lost momentum and with it their game, losing 4/3. Match won 3.5-1.5
Round 2 vs Ampleforth
In the second round the team faced Ampleforth, runners-up in three successive years (2017-19). Their team might be a little older but they did have a new star player, the ‘Mexican’. With Tom staying at one, it was decided to front load our order. As it turned out, this was directly matched by Ampleforth with a younger pair at 4 and ‘tested’ regulars at 5. The Mexican, Raul Urrea, had been positioned at one to see off Tom & Llew. It was a high class game. A close pitch for birdie at 1 put us one down. Tom holed good putts on a number of the holes to stay in the game. Llew is very long off the tee, but Raul was longer. At the par 5 7th, admittedly with the wind helping off the right, Raul put his partner 70 yards from the green. But Tom was coming in from a better angle and found the green, whilst Chris Michella couldn’t find the surface and went off the back of the green, leading to a par 5 and a hole win for Glenalmond. A missed tiddler by Raul at the next let our pair off the hook again and the OGGS pair began to get the upper hand, finally winning 2/1.
The games behind were all looking good but close. In the second game, Ampleforth had two putts from 20 feet at the 17th to win but managed to three putt. However, at the last, the Freys three-putted from the front, after the good approach from Andreas screwed back off the ridge. One all. With Campbell and Matthew winning 2/1 we needed one more game, however this was proving elusive.
From strong positions both pairs contrived to half their games at 18 and went down 19. With the fourth game on the 20th fairway, in the fifth game Mike hit a long approach putt dead at the 19th and their opponents three-putted. Match won 3.5-1.5. On to Deal.
Round 3 vs Eton
Having not played Deal previously, Cameron and Campbell walked the last 5 holes on the Friday evening to acquaint themselves with the terrain. Our opponents, Eton, were the 2024 Winners, so this was going to be tough. Whilst Thursday was reasonably warm, Friday was cooler, and Saturday positively chilly with a strong westerly wind. In the first game, Llew hit a corker off the first, 280 yds into the strong wind, which seemed to unsettle the oppo and we were quickly two up. From there however, the Eton pair played solid golf and a couple of errors from Tom and Llew proved costly and put them 1 down on 18. Fortunately, the Eton new recruit, also called Tom, topped his rescue off the 18th tee into the waste area. ‘OG’ Tom calmly stroked his 3 iron into the perfect spot. However, despite missing the green in three, ‘Eton’ Tom managed to hole a 10 footer for the 5 but Llew holed his 2 footer for the par to square the game, after a tremendous putt from off the front of the green from ‘OG’ Tom. Down 19.
The games behind were not going our way. Cameron & Niall had lost heavily, Mike & Richard lost 2/1 to the Greenhalgh brothers, a strong pair, and Campbell & Matthew were all square on the 18th green. With Tom and Llew on the 20th green, word came that the Freys had lost 2/1. Match over – Eton winning 4-1.
Summary
In conclusion, the week had been a great success. The team had a good run, two pairs (Tom & Llew and Campbell & Matthew) were unbeaten. Glenalmond are moving back up the Anderson scales. And the ‘carers’ had enjoyed a super day at Rye on the Wednesday, 27 holes plus lunch in beautiful sunshine – your correspondent had a to buy a short-sleeved shirt! And we met an OG Rye Member whilst playing the Jubilee course in the afternoon, Andrew Watson, who is a new recruit to the OGGS (thanks to Jamie Skinner) and looking forward to attending the Elie weekend in October.
With 6 players aged 30 and younger this year, the future is looking bright and with a bit of luck and work on our games who knows what the future may hold!
For the record, our neighbours at the Holiday Inn, Rossall, went on to triumph in the Hewitt, for their first victory since 1973. Radley, who were beaten by Edinburgh Academy in the first round, went on to win the Plate. Of the Scottish schools, Loretto made the semi-finals (falling to Rossall) and Edinburgh Academy were knocked out in Round 3 by Harrow, having beaten Radley and last year’s Hewitt winners, Bradfield. Merchiston, Watson’s & Fettes all succumbed in the first round of the Plate.
The stats have been updated and can be found on https://oldglenalmondgolf.co.uk/halford-hewitt-heritage/
Next year the dates are 8th to 11th April 2027.
JWGP & TRJS
