Surrey Golf
2022 English Men's County Finals
The Surrey 1st Team contested the 2022 English Men’s County Finals at Royal Norwich Golf Club during the final week of September.
The National Finals brought together the winners of the four national divisions, the South-West (Gloucestershire), Midlands (Derbyshire), North (Lancashire) and by virtue of winning the South-East qualifier back in July, Surrey.
The competition comprised round robin match-play over three days with each match consisting of three foursomes followed by six singles.
Four of the qualifying team had returned to university in America (Ben Partridge, Charlie Crockett, Harry Crockett & Aadam Syed). The following players were selected to represent Surrey at their first national finals since 2014.
David Corben (Captain)
Cameron Bell
Harvey Byers
Will Dugdale
Ben Palmer
David Primrose
Harry Uzzell
Surrey was paired to face Lancashire on the first day and Harvey Byers was prized with hitting the first tee shot of the competition. He and his partner Cameron Bell faced England internationals Callan Barrow and Jack Brooks. After the 11th, the match was tied and finely poised. However, two birdies in the next five holes from Lancashire outdid Surrey’s run of pars and the first point went to Lancashire.
Ben Palmer and David Primrose followed and again around the turn the match was poised at A/S through the 10th. Unfortunately, the run of holes from the 12th through to 15th would go the way of Lancashire and the match finished 4&3.
Harry Uzzell and captain David Corben started at astonishing speed with kick in birdies at the first three holes to secure a 2up lead. Alike the second match though the holes early in the back nine would go the way of Lancashire. After the 17th, the opposition led 1up. A solid two-putt birdie at the par five 18th enabled Surrey to get on the board with a half.
Surrey 0.5 – Lancashire 2.5
A quick start was needed to get back in the game and at one stage Surrey technically led when up in four matches and tied in one more. Again, though the run from the 12th to 15th would prove critical against our recovery. Harvey Byers would eventually lose 2&1 to Barrow. Harry Uzzell finding himself four down early doors against Brooks would pull off a great recovery and alike the morning would birdie the last to secure a half.
Our star performers in the afternoon were Will Dugdale and Cameron Bell. Both played exceptionally to secure 3&2 victories and give us hope. At this stage, the score was 4 – 3 to Lancashire with the final two matches still in the balance.
Once again though the holes early in the back nine were unfavourable. Corben moved to a couple ahead and looked to move three ahead at the 8th only for his opponent to hole from long range. This putt turned the tide, and his young opponent would seize the initiative over the next few holes and eventually run out 3&2 winner.
At this stage Lancashire had won the match but we still hung out hope for a close defeat which would keep us in the overall contest. Anchor man Ben Palmer started strong and at 3up through the 11th was looking good for a point. However, again the holes from the 12th would go against Surrey and five holes lost in six would lead to a 2&1 defeat and a final score of Surrey 3 – Lancashire 6.
In the other match Gloucestershire beat Derbyshire 7 – 2.
Day two saw Surrey face the previous years champions Gloucestershire. Our opponents, unlike ourselves were drawing from their full pool of players and utilising their previous years’ experience.
Harvey Byers and Cameron Bell again led us out. However, the morning foursomes started slowly with all three matches behind the eight ball. Byers and Bell found themselves three down through 12 and showed all their skill to win three of the last six to get a resolute half.
Corben and Uzzell were likewise three down through the 12th after their opponents holed for eagle from eighty yards. Surrey birdies at the 14th and 15th reduced the score to one down, but a birdie from Gloucestershire at the 16th looked to be a dagger blow. However, birdies at the 17th and 18th from Surrey secured another unlikely half.
Our final pair of Primrose and Dugdale came up against impressive foursomes play by their opponents who raced to the turn in four under par and 5up. Try as they might the Surrey pair could not reduce the deficit and the match finished 4&3. Surrey 1 – Gloucestershire 2.
The afternoon would prove a harrowing experience. In the first four matches Gloucestershire got ahead and would stay ahead to put the result beyond doubt. Credit goes to Ben Palmer who found himself four down early in the back nine before winning four in five holes to get the match up the last. However, overall, we were dramatically overplayed, and the result was Surrey 1 – Gloucestershire 8. Our run at the championship was over.
In the other match Lancashire beat Derbyshire 6 – 3 setting up a championship match with Gloucestershire.
Day three saw a battle for 3rd place and finally we got ahead of the curve. Byers and Bell led off again and contested a high-quality match where there was only ever one hole in it. The result was a fair half.
Dugdale and Palmer started quickly to get three ahead but were pegged back to A/S through the 12th. A fantastic birdie at the 16th put them dormie ahead and matching pars at the 17th resulted in a 2&1 win for Surrey.
Corben and Uzzell also started strongly reaching the turn 3up. After driving the 14th green Surrey were dormie 4up and looking strong. However, you should never get ahead of yourself and back-to-back birdies at the tough 15th and 16th from the midlands pair took the match to the 17th where the Derbyshire sent a dart into around ten-foot. After Surrey parred it felt nailed on the match would head up the last only for Derbyshire’s putt to slide by.
At lunch Surrey led 2.5 – 0.5.
With time tight between the foursomes finishing and singles commencing our rested player David Primrose was sent out first against youngster Josh Ashton.
Big Dave would start strongly but after a bit of back and forth found himself two down with three to go. Wins at the 16th and 17th took the match to the last where he was unable to match his opponents birdie four and was defeated one down.
Harvey Byers, in his last match before turning pro rallied around the turn winning the 10th, 11th, 13th & 15th to reach the 17th hole dormie two ahead. A birdie at the 17th signed off his county career with a 3&1 victory.
Will Dugdale continued his excellent form at Royal Norwich and raced to a 6up lead through eight holes. His opponent tried valiantly to reign him back in, but Dugdale was too solid and finished off the match with a solid par at the long 15th. At this stage, the score was Surrey 4.5 – Derbyshire 1.5. However, due to points difference we had to win to finish 3rd.
As such it would come down to needing a half point from the final three games. Cameron Bell, struggling slightly after a stomach upset the night before won the 10th, 11th, and 12th to get back to only one down. He would stand on the 17th tee with the score line still the same but would succumb to a birdie two from his opponent.
However, with slender leads in the final two matches we looked poised to secure that half. But once again holes twelve to fifteen would go against us. Uzzell, would go from 2up to one-down playing the last, a birdie four only matching his big-hitting opponent and a one down loss.
Corben, in the anchor match and running on fumes by this stage would lose the 14th and 15th to go one down. A par at the 17th took the match A/S heading up the last hole. A slight pull off the tee from Surrey found the fairway bunker with Derbyshire safely in the middle of the fairway. After two shots Derbyshire were primed on the green and a poor third shot by the Surrey captain enabled the midlands player to cosy his putt down next to the hole and win the match 1up.
The final score Surrey 4.5 – Derbyshire 4.5.
The table reads that we came 4th and this can be looked at negatively. However, if the bigger picture is viewed, we were the fourth best county in the country this year. As captain I was incredibly proud of the preparation, dedication, and application of the side. The strength of players we have both at university in America and at junior levels makes me very confident we will be back at National Finals very soon and we will learn from this experience for the future.
As ever can I thank John Noble, Jim Christine, Simon Crockett for their hard work behind the scenes. Steve McNeill, Colin Barr and Sam Wood for their support and Felicity Christine for being an excellent chef. I would also like to thank Thames Materials Ltd for the sponsorship of the team for the county finals and Peter Millar for helping supply the team attire.
David Corben
1st Team Captain
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Left to right font Sam Wood (Surrey Golf Coordinator), Ben Palmer, Cameron Bell, Harvey Byers, Harry Uzzell
Left to right back John Noble (Head Surrey Coach), David Primrose, Will Dugdale, David Corben (Captain), Simon Crockett (Surrey Board Member), Jim Christine (Surrey Coach)
Created by intelligentgolf version 10.1.2.
