Durham win after singles wash-out
Jul 7 2008 by Tim Taylor, The Journal
DURHAM won their first Northern Counties League match for two years at Houghton-le-Spring on Saturday, ending the title hopes of arch rivals Northumberland.
But would they have prevailed had rain not washed out the singles? The rules say every singles match is declared a half and the 12 singles points on offer are shared. With the foursomes going 4½-1½ to Durham, this meant they won 10½-7½.
Durham captain James Handy thought his team would have won anyway.
Kevin Cademy-Taylor, Northumberland’s skipper, felt his side would not have lost but for the intervention of the weather. When the players were forced off, 11 singles matches had started. Northumberland were leading five, halving five and down in the other one, which tends to support their captain’s case.
But unless some club wants to put on a matchplay singles contest for charity – and all 24 golfers turn out again in the same order to settle the matter – the arguments will rage for ever.
Two years ago Northumberland won the league on a similar wash-out verdict against Durham at Brancepeth Castle. Last year, eyebrows were raised in the derby fixture at Hexham, when the defeated Durham side skipped the dinner after the match. This year, none of the Northumberland team stayed for the evening meal.
But as they barely had time to digest lunch before the match was halted, no offence was taken.
Durham’s No 2 foursomes, Steven Dance and Chris Hewitt, beat Simon Lee and Phil Ridden 6&5, the Durham pair starting a purple patch at the sixth, where they landed the first of five birdies in a row.
The 17-year-old Callum Tarren had gone out first with Michael Curry, their partnership claiming a half against Northumberland double champion Mark Penny and James Curry. David Machin, a former Durham County Youths champion, made his NCL debut at 34 and partnered David Patterson to a one-up victory over Chris Paisley and Craig Penny.
Machin, a late stand-in because of injury to Richard Aisbitt, sunk the pair’s 30ft eagle putt at 13 which put the match all square when they had been two down after 11.
A student adviser at the University of Sunderland, Machin, who lives in Fulwell, is in his first season as a member of Heworth and made a triumphant return to Houghton-le-Spring, the club where he first learned golf as a 12-year-old.
