Last Saturday, Sidmouth B team played the second leg of the annual match against Honiton B team, writes Chris Roberts.

For the first time this year, the teams played for a new cup kindly donated by Sidmouth’s Colin Macklin and Honiton’s B team captain Phil Wall supported by Sidmouth B Team sponsors Acanthus, and East Devon Physiotherapy and Sports Injury Clinic.

The cup will be contested on an annual basis between the club’s B teams and is certain to cement the close relationship between the two clubs for many years to come.

After the first leg at home, Sidmouth were leading five-and-a-half to a half so Sidmouth B team captain Steve Milton had good reason to be confident going into the second leg.

Appropriately, first out and making a welcome return to B Team golf was Colin Macklin supported by chauffeur Wobbly Bob Welsman who played against Honiton’s B team captain Phil Wall and his successor for next year, Dave Chaffey.

After five holes the pairing were four down and the outlook looked bleak. However, after sorting out a few ‘domestics’, a magnificent fight-back resulted in a half which turned out to be the best result of the day. It is rumoured that Bob and Colin are currently favourites to win the ‘Married Couples’ trophy in August!

Sadly, it was all downhill from here onwards. Next out were Steve Milton and John Barnard who lost on the 18th against Spencer Macklin and Cyd Martin. John still stays top of the B team Player of the Year League, but his turn playing with the captain has brought him crashing back to the pack as it has with numerous others before.

Roger Freer and Bob Skelly lost narrowly by two-and-one as did Don Cooper and Mick Baden. Despite losing, Mick kindly gave a lesson on ‘how not to chip over a bunker’ on the 18th hole keeping the crowded balcony entertained until the final result unfolded.

So the result finally depended on ‘banker’ pairings of Malcolm Willoughby and Steve Channing and Chris Roberts and Steve Punter.

Malcolm confidently informed the captain a few weeks before that he had never lost at Honiton which made him a must pick for the team.

Just to make sure, he was paired him with Steve Channing to ensure that they had a few handicap shots up their sleeves. What could possibly go wrong?

A sound thrashing by seven-and-six shattered the dream leaving the captain thinking that this level of pressure may have been a bridge too far for Malcolm.

Scratch golfer Chris Roberts, giving shots for the first time ever, and paired with ‘in form’ Steve Punter should also have been odds on favourites to beat their opposition. Again, the golfing gods were against Sidmouth and our pair lost two-and-one.

So after all that, Sidmouth were beaten by the same margin that they had beaten Honiton at home. With the overall result of a draw for the trophy, it seems fitting that the two clubs should share the trophy in the first year it has been contested. There’s always next year!