2015 HGU Champion Club – Ashridge GC
WINNING ASHRIDGE TEAM, OLIVER ROSS FAR LEFT, ANDREW CRUX 2ND FROM RIGHT AND LUKE MITTERHUBER FAR RIGHT, WITH ASHRIDGE CLUB CAPTAIN JOHN YULE, 2ND FROM LEFT
The HGU’s second most prestigious event of the year, behind the County Championship, the Champion Club event was played on Sunday (May 24) at the delightful Ashridge Golf Club, with 66 of the best players in the county, representing some 22 clubs, vying to become the winning club for 2015.
The format for the event is simple, three players from each club, playing 36 holes medal, all scores to count, lowest score wins.
The course was, as always, presented beautifully and was playing favorably, with several birdie opportunities, particularly the short par 5’s.
After the morning round the home club had a considerable 12 shot lead, after Andrew Crux shot a morning best 68 (-4), added to Luke Mitterhuber’s 70 (-2) and Oliver Ross’s level par 72, gave them a cumulative score of 210 (-6), some way in front of West Herts on 222 (+6).
The afternoon session saw some rain, but if anything this looks to have aided the players as the greens became slighly slower and considerably softer, promoting more target style golf.
The Ashridge players handled the pressure of leading admirably, adding an afternoon cumulative score of 214 (-2), with Ross shooting 70 (-2), Crux with 71 (-1) and Mitterhuber with 73 (+1).
West Herts raised their game in the afternoon to match Ashridge with an afternoon total of 214 for themselves, aided in no small part by a best of the day 67 (-5) by Jared Tyacke, but the morning lead of 12 shots proved too much to overcome.
Ashridge become the 1st home winners of the Champion Club event since Porters Park back in 2009, with West Herts in 2nd place on 436 (+4), a score good enough to win in many years, with Letchworth, who are excelling themselves in Division 1 of the Scratch League this year, in 3rd position on 447 (+15).
Ashridge will now progress to represent Hertfordshire in the England Golf Champion Club Final event, to be played at Brancepeth Castle in County Durham in September.
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