The Asp Trophy comes home

It hasn't happened since 2004 but it was surely worth the wait. The promise made last year has been fulfilled. Today the East Vets beat the West Vets at Gullane by 3 1/2 to 1 1/2. The Asp Trophy has come home!

The weather looked promising early afternoon and those East Vets travelling from the Edinburgh area and all those West Vets must have thought the Meteorological Office had got it wrong - again - but in actual fact they hadn't. Heavy showers had been promised and they were bang on. (At this point readers are recommended to have a squint at the slideshow). However nothing dampened the enthusiasm of the players. They had arrived in time for coffee and biscuits but, by some peculiar miracle, the West Vets converted their rich teas into bacon rolls. The East Vets enjoyed the aroma.

Then to battle. This was as usual a scratch foursomes competition for ladies of handicaps 10 - 15 and it was very evenly matched indeed apart from the fact that the West Vets - being the away team - seemed to have just a little more knowledge of Gullane 2 than the East Vets might have expected. This somewhat negated the Home Player Advantage Phenomenon. However. Off they went into the torrential rain and the home support went and had another cup of coffee.

Two of the games went very much in East favour but the others followed more of a tug and rug nature with many fine shots - and one or two odd ones. The rough was very rough but the strategy of just avoiding it did not seem well enough understood. Now and again this caused a bit of a problem.

With the scoreline at 2 1/2 to 1 1/2 (for East Vets) there was one game to go which could level the game and lead to retention of the Asp Trophy by the West. The game was all square at the eighteenth. Both drives rolled right down the middle of the fairway in prime position. The West caught the front edge of the green with their second but Sandra Ashurst dropped a lovely wedge shot right at the pin, the ball unfortunately rolling up the slope a little. It was not exactly dead and presented a tricky downhill putt for her partner. The West putted first and were pin-high in three. Carol McLeod studied her line and when she was ready - only when she was ready - stroked that ball down the hill and straight into the can, for a birdie. The Trophy was ours at last. Well done the East.

A lovely tea was enjoyed by all after which Fiona Roger presented Noreen Fenton with the Asp Trophy.

Results
Gilly Glen and Ellice Cackett lost to Enid Young and Marion Stewart by one hole
Morag Wardrop and Dulcie Barnes bt Maureen Mitchell and Rena Simpson 5 and 4
Kate Johnstone and Pam Townsend bt Cathy Morton and Lana McDonald
Caroline Kinnaird and Sydena Cullen halved with Ruth Henderson and Elinor Grant
Carol McLeod and Sandra Ashurst bt Margaret Mowat and Fiona Roger one hole