Back in April two teams of golfers, associated with Drax Golf Club entered the Kyocera/Annodata UK Golf Club Classic.
The Classic is a five-man team event in which each player plays an individual match for a point for the team against the team they have drawn, so there are five points to play for in each match. This is a national competition with over 300 teams up and down the length of the UK, with the semi-finals and final being played at the Montecastillo Golf resort in Spain in March next year where the semi-finals are played one day and the finals and third-place play-off the next.
In the early stages, the draws are kept regional to keep travelling to a minimum. Drax 1 were given a bye and Drax 2 beat a team at home from Cleckheaton Golf Club in a close affair - each side scoring 2.5 points and Drax winning the play-off. In round 2 Drax 1 were away to Woolley Park. This proved to be a close affair with Drax winning at the first play-off hole. Drax 2, meanwhile, beat Town Moor golf Club of Doncaster 3.5 to 1.5. Round 3 saw Drax 1 beat Beverley at home 4 to 1, and Drax 2 were away to South Bradford who beat them 3-2. So, with only Drax 1 left, the rounds were getting progressively harder and travel distances longer. Drax found themselves having to go to Bishop Auckland, a team that had got to the finals in 2019 and a very strong side, but to Drax’s credit they managed to win the game 3-2 in difficult conditions. Round 5 saw Drax drawn at home to Seaton Carew from the north east and again they were up to the challenge winning 3.5 to 1.5. The rounds kept coming, and in the next Drax faced a tough draw where they had to travel to Kinross north on Edinburgh to play. Again the conditions were quite wet, but the golf course and the hospitality they received were second to none. The Drax outfit played exceptionally well, winning the game 4-1. Come the quarter finals, Drax were given a home draw against Burnley Golf Club. They were due to play on October 21, but due to the rain from Storm Babet the course was closed. The game was rearranged for October 28, and again the Drax team played with a confidence that a scratch team would have been proud of. They went on to win the first four games, so the score was 4-1 and Drax celebrated getting through to national finals. The four teams in the semi-finals are Woburn GC, Foxhills GC, Ryde GC and Drax GC. With all the golf and accommodation and food paid for in Montecastillo, the Drax team are keen to give a good account of themselves in the finals. Who knows, they could possible win it! To think that Drax Golf Club will be mentioned in the same breath as the likes of Woburn and Foxhills is a terrific achievement.
(Left to right) Dave Stokes, David Gisbourne, Kevin Biddle, Geoff Rankin (Capt), Daz Neary, Garrick Slaywe and Terry Young who have all played part in the Drax 1 team’s success. (02-11-525 SU)
