Early June, and whilst world tennis is still focused on Roland Garros, world golf attention has already moved to Wimbledon. The best putters from schools around the UK descend on Royal Wimbledon each evening for a few weeks to contest The Gordon Thorburn Schools Putting Competition.
With 3 of the successful 2025 Plate winning team returning and bolstered by the local knowledge and putting green experience of Royal Wimbledon member and 1988 Coll golf captain David Gordon, the OGGS putting team had a quiet confidence ahead of their turn on the green in Final Qualifying.
Drawn with Charterhouse, Shrewsbury, Epsom, Berkhamsted, Lancing, Sutton Valence and Rugby; teams filled with Halford Hewitt stars and including at least one former professional golfer, this was sure to be a challenging evening.
Priorities were to have fun, and to avoid relegation. Making the final would be a bonus but we’d then have to scrape together a team for next week!
Relegation fears should have been eased by Epsom’s late withdrawal and their securing of a first relegation place meaning that on the night seven teams were competing for two slots in the final and one dreaded relegation.
The team demonstrated determination and resilience in the face of some outstanding putting from our various opponents.
David Gordon (P’88) at 4, and Willie White (P’92) at 3 holed key putts at vital moments and ground out some vital points across their six matches each for the team.
Henry Gray (G’13) at 2 was our star player with 4 wins from his 6 matches including a very satisfying victory over the Charterhouse No 2 to deny him a rare clean sweep.
Cameron Grieve (P’17) at No. 1 had a slow start but got better with each match and in a tense final game on the green defeated Lancing to consign them to the second relegation spot and secure OG safety comfortably above the drop zone.
With our place at Top Table assured for 2027, the team enjoyed a hearty supper with fellow competitors. On the evening, Charterhouse won comfortably from Berkhamsted, both of whom progress to the Grand Final.
For the OG team, we continue to build experience and will look forward to next season’s campaign. With a good draw and a bit of luck this is a team that (as proved in winning last year’s plate) can compete with the very best!
A mid-table finish is solid for now. Maybe next year…… ?
Willie White
