Palairet Trophy win for Exeter!

Exeter Golf and Country Club has triumphed against 39 other golf teams from across Devon to win the 2022 Palairet Memorial Trophy.  This year’s win is the 8th time the club has held the trophy since it’s inception in 1934. The last time Exeter Golf and Country Club won the county-wide tournament was in 2010, with previous victories in 1977, 1975, 1959, 1951 and 1950.

The semi-final and final play offs took place on Sunday 14th August at England’s oldest golf course; Royal North Devon. The semi-final saw Exeter Golf and Country Club beat Tiverton Golf Club to reach the final against Stover in the afternoon.

The Palairet Memorial Trophy is an annual foursome knockout championship featuring teams of 10 golfers from club’s affiliated to Devon Golf and is played at neutral courses across the county. 

Sunday’s mild, cloudy conditions were a welcome break from the heatwave as the the squad and associates boarded the coach from Exeter to Westward Ho! at 5.30am. 

The ten-man squad from Exeter Golf and Country Club included Team Captain, George Robinson, Devon Team Captain Tom Woodhouse, James Reed, Jack Pascoe, Harrison Greenberry, Darren Bingham, Simon House, Wayne Chant, Jimmy Heal and Chris Haggar. 

The semi-final against Tiverton ended with a 2-3 win to Exeter Golf and Country Club after some tense rounds with wins by Harrison Greeenberry and Darren Bingham, George Robinson and Jimmy Heal and Tom Woodhouse and Jack Pascoe.

Semi-Final Pairing Scores:

James Reed & Chris Haggar Lost 2&1

Harrison Greenberry & Darren Bingham Won 2&1

Simon House & Wayne Chant Lost 2&1

George Robinson & Jimmy Heal Won 2&1

Tom Woodhouse & Jack Pascoe Won 4&3

Semi final: Tiverton 2-3 Exeter

With a quick turnaround required for the afternoon final against Stover, Exeter Golf and Country Club decided to maintain the same team of ten from the 14 man squad who had traveled to Royal North Devon for the tournament. 

Stover Golf Club fronted as stiff opposition as favourites to win after losing out in the 2021 final to Saunton Golf Club. 

The 1^st paring of James Reed and Chris Haggar were under the cosh from the start and found themselves 3 down after 5 holes. Fighting back, they leveled the match on 15 and go 1 up on 16.  A reverse on 17 meant the 1^st pairing were going down the 18^th all square. 

The match two pairing of Bingham and Greenberry battling to stay A/S, the 3^rd & 4^th parings of Chant/House and Robinson/Heal went into unassailable leads.

With the 5^th pairing of Woodhouse and Pascoe finding themselves 4 down after 10 holes & struggling to get anything out of their match, the tie stood firmly in the balance and needed a spark from somewhere.

Tom and Jack began to fightback and by hole 15 found themselves back to 1 down and in the ascendency. 

Back to hole 18 and a monster 370-yard drive from James Reed saw Chris Haggar left with a 42-yard wedge shot.  With Stover on the green and putting for a birdie, a perfectly flighted ball over the ditch from Haggar saw the ball land middle of the green, but it just would not stop and rolled off the back edge.  A missed put past the hole from Stover gave James the chance to chip close, but again it rolled 10ft past the pin, on what were exceptionally difficult greens.

With Haggar lining up the putt and a very large crowd gathering, Chris stepped up and banged it in the centre of the cup to an almighty cheer from the Exeter officials and supporters.  Now it was down to Stover to try & send the match down the 19^th.  Left with a 6ft downhill putt, the Stover putt rolled towards the hole but lipped out, leaving the Exeter pairing to secure the 1^st match point 1-0 Exeter.

With match 2 and 5 now going nip and tuck all the way, the news started to reach the 18th that matches 3 and 4 had gone in Exeter’s favour, with match 3 closed out for a 3&2 win for House & Chant, quickly followed by a 4&3 win for Heal & Robinson.

This put Exeter into an unassailable 3-0 lead and with that matches 2 and 5 were halted and halved, to record an historic victory for the Exeter team with an emphatic 4-1 win.

Final Pairing Scores:

James Reed & Chris Hagger Won 1up

Harrison Greenberry & Darren Bingham Halved

Simon House & Wayne Chant Won 3&2

George Robinson & Jimmy Heal Won 4&3

Tom Woodhouse & Jack Pascoe Halved

Final Result: Exeter 4-1 Stover

Men’s Golf Captain Steve Sheldon said, “What a fantastic day for everyone to experience and for some of these players, this will be the pinnacle of their amateur golfing career, with opportunities like this few and far between. I am immensely proud of all the squad! I wish to thank all our supporters, caddies, and officials, for what was a truly outstanding day and one I will never forget.”

Next on the horizon for Exeter Golf and Country Club teams are the Dartmoor League and Exe League trophies.

George Robinson, Exeter Golf and Country Club Golf Team Captain said, “I am so proud of every single player in this squad, it takes a lot of bottle and nerve alongside talent to be successful in this format and at this level.  We have waited a long time to to reclaim this trophy, and to get it back now after a 12-years is better than I ever imagined. We have some fantastic players at this club, I hope they enjoy the win and are ready to do it all again next year.”