The final of the Barnard Trophy was held at the home of last year’s winners, Swaffham, where the course was in excellent condition and the greens fast.
In blustery conditions Royal Norwich took on Bawburgh and there was some excellent play from both teams throughout.
Royal Norwich gained an early lead with their first pair going 5 up overall after just 6 holes, but their Bawburgh opponents fought back to only be 3 down after 9. The other matches remained close and, at the turn, Royal Norwich had an overall lead of just 5.
With holes being won and lost by both teams, no-one could be sure of the outcome. However, holes started to run out for Bawburgh and, by the 15th, they found themselves 6 down overall.
A hard-fought match ended with wins for 2 pairs from each team, but it was Royal Norwich who came out victorious to finish 4 up, winning the competition for the first time since 2006.
The final scores were:
Gary Hubbard & Julian Sharman beat Richard Bunn & Paul Greengrass 4 up
Carl Bream & Jeff Roff lost to Peter Bennett & Malcolm Manley 3 down
Steve Deacon & Graeme Johnson lost to Greg Gladwell & Mike Payne 3 down
Paul Robson & Andy Bonham beat Paddy Green & Jim Lewis 6 up
Congratulations to the Royal Norwich team and their Captain John Simpson, seen here receiving the trophy from NCGU Past President Robert Barnard.
