IT WOULD be over-egging the cake to describe the Sunningdale Foursomes as mainstream golf. First played in 1934, they are a springtime frolic on two noble golf courses at one of the game’s most aristocratic clubs. For Kiran Matharu, a 14-year-old schoolgirl who will surely turn professional one day, life could hardly have been bettered yesterday. Matharu partnered Peter Tupling, the club professional at Sand Moor, near Leeds, in a first-round match against Nigel Mansell, the former racing driver, who was playing with his friend and pupil, Paul McGinley, the Ryder Cup hero.
McGinley and Mansell won on the 17th after Mansell had hit one of his three outstanding shots of the day. His eight-iron approach flew at its target, threw up a puff of sand as it landed on the green and skidded to a halt, perhaps eight feet from the flag. Matharu, however, who has a handicap of 5.3 and was given a concession to compete in this competition because of her exceptional promise, was not in the least overshadowed. She emerged as a golfer of promise, rarely playing any bad shots and conducting herself with a self-assurance that was striking in one so young.
At 52, Tupling is nearly four times as old as his partner. He did not give many glimpses of the man who led the 1972 Open after the first round and, nine years later, set a world record score of 255 for 72 holes in the Nigerian Open. It is a record that still stands. In the main the more destructive shots were his and not his partner’s, particularly drives at the 12th and 14th. One curled left, like billowing smoke on a windy day, the other shot right. “Truth be told, she was let down by the old pro today,” Tupling said.
After half a lifetime making news on motor racing tracks around the world, Mansell made news again last December when it was revealed in these pages that he had been helping McGinley with his mental approach to golf for the best part of three years. At the same time, McGinley paid tribute to the discipline Mansell had instilled in him. Routine, concentration and focus, all emphasised again and again by Mansell, were what had enabled McGinley to hole the putt that won Europe the Ryder Cup last September.
McGinley had no need to putt to win this match, no need to remind the hundred or so spectators (and Phoebe, his golden labrador who occasionally ran amok) of his performance on the 18th green at The Belfry last September. This victory came on the penultimate green, where Tupling and Matharu conceded after Tupling had hit his second shot into a greenside bunker and then was not able to hole from 15 feet for the par that would have made McGinley putt.
“Before I played the second shot on the 17th, Paul said to me ‘just put it on the middle of the green’,” Mansell said. “So there was no pressure. I said to him, ‘Paul, this is not your Ryder Cup all over again.’
“Tee to green Paul was fantastic,” Mansell enthused. “I don’t think he will have a good season, I know he will. I am sure he will break back into the top 50 in the world. He has such a great attitude. If he works hard and has a bit of luck, who knows what he might achieve? He has just had a third child so I suspect he is not getting much sleep.”
McGinley had returned from competing in Qatar only 30 hours before he teed off. The pneumonia that was diagnosed in the Middle East had left him with a distinct cough. But surrounded by friends on a sunny day and having just left a part of the world that was far less benign and comfortable, McGinley was at ease, with Mansell, himself and his golf. He and his partner will have harder matches than this one, perhaps less friendly ones, and certainly ones played in less benign conditions. For now, though, victory was theirs, even if the glory had gone to a young girl of Indian parentage who began playing golf only three years ago.
Sunningdale Foursome results
FIRST ROUND: P Elson (Henley-in-Arden) and J Elson (Kenilworth) bt J York (West Herts) and C Drury (West Herts) 4 and 3; C Lipscombe (Circenseter) and G Wolstenholme (Kilworth Springs) bt N Harrington (PGAET) and J Doherty (Worthing) 2 and 1; S Osborne (Wentworth) and G Crickmay (Wentworth) bt M Wilcox (unattached) and C Harmston (Wentworth) 2 and 1; R Harrison (Bramley) and G Peddie (Bramley) bt J Farmer (St Andrews) and J Farmer (St Andrews) 3 >and 2; K Phillips (Creigiau) and A Highgate (Cotterell Park) bt P Davis (Saffron Waldon) and A George (Ely City) 2 and 1; A Reynolds (Royal Cinque Ports) and A Hall (Sandmarlins) bt M Naylor (Turnberry Hotel) and R Hall (Turnberry Hotel) at 19th; B McColl (Thorpe Hall) and S Shields (Thorpe Hall) bt P Talbot (Royal Mid Surrey) and D Talbot (Royal Mid Surrey) at 19th; J Carter (Banstead Downs) and D Lomas (Woodcote Park) bt D Fisher (Ellesborough) and M Squire (Ellesborough) at 20th; S Barwick >(East Berkshire) and G Woodman (Stoke Park) bt M Litton (The Bedford) and L Ashwell (Whyboston Lakes) 2 and 1; B Longmuir (The London) and T Crawley (The London) bt L Tremlett (Lewes) and H Hilton (Lewes) 3 and 1; M Moir (Hamilton) and A Gold bt D Wood (St Clares Hall) and P Barham (Crondon Park) 1 hole; J Donaldson (West Sussex) and C Court (Goodwood) bt A Gibson (Stock Brook Manor) and J Edwards (Chart Hills) at 21st; P Anderson (The Berkshire) and A Mackenzie (Saunton Sands) bt K Hudson >(Hart Common) and M Hunt (Pleasington) at 19th; R Cronin (West Hove) and D Cook (West Hove) bt K Maxwell (Sunningdale) and T Johnstone (PGAET) 3 and 1; N Fox (Portmarnock) and M McGinley (Grange) bt J Brant (East Berkshire) and K Brant (East Berkshire) 5 and 4; M Sell (Rag Barn) and M Floyd (Rag Barn) bt W Bladon (Kenilworth) and W Nicolson (Coventry) 6 and 5; A Tillman (The Wildernesse) and S McQuirk (Prince’s) bt J Greenall (Ramsay) and S Brown (Orton Meadows) at 19th; T Charnley >(unattached) and D Charlton (Tilsworth) bt R Misra (Sunningdale) and M Aubrey-Fletcher (Sunningdale) 5 and 4; A Ambler (Walton) and A Wainwright (Wakefield) bt G Bothwell (Moor Park) and R Willison (Ealing) 1 hole; R Fenwick (Bognor Regis) and S Nightingale (Worthing) bt L Mucklow (Windlesham) and M Roberts (Queenwood) at 19th; G Ralph (Camberley Heath) and T Spence (Battle) bt P Smith (Hillingdon) and S Vale (Whittington Heath) 3 and 2; S Campbell (Denham) and S Moon (ELPGA) bt S Whiffin >(Enfield) and J Jones (Enfield) 3 and 2; A Lane (Sunningdale) and L Bolsover (Sunningdale) bt M Cryer (Coventry) and D Fletcher (Stratford-upon-Avon) 2 and 1; S Godfrey (St Enodoc) and A Frane (St Mellion) bt M Deal (Hendon) and P Trow (Hendon) 1 up; B Evans (Pinheiros Altos) and M Evans (Pinheiros Altos) bt J Gallacher (Sunningdale) and L Atkinson (Wentworth) at 19th; S Andrew (Clitheroe) and K Andrew (Clitheroe) bt J Smith (Sundridge Park) and D Bailey (unattached) 4 and 2; G Legg (Dudsbury) >and T Peacock (Dudsbury) bt M Devetta (Sunningdale) and J Wyke (Sunningdale) at 20th; J Kemp (John O’Gaunt) M Wharton (John O’Gaunt) bt M Allen (Eaton) and S Cubitt (Eaton) 5 and 4; B St John (Woodcote Park) and Z Scotland (Woodcote Park) bt J Godbold (Waterton Park) and J Fox (Selby) 3 and 2; Kerry Smith (Waterlooville) and D Hickman (Waterlooville) bt A Inglis (Sunningdale Artisans) and J Sheffield (Sunningdale Artisans) 1 up; J Campbell (Calcote Park) and R Walton (Calcote >Park) bt D Dalton (Wrotham Heath) and R Levett (Wrotham Heath) at 19th; D Addison (Parasampia) and P Simpson (West Berkshire) bt J Hunt (Hazelmere) and A Birdseye (Hazelmere) 4 and 2; C Buttivant (Gerrards Cross) and R Pheasant (Enville) bt R Lee (Royal Mid Surrey) and R Boxall (Camberley Heath) 3-2; M Welch (Hawkstone Park) and M Hilton (unattached) bt R Edginton (Effingham) and M Lawrence (Coombe Hill) 4-3; S Stilwell (Sunningdale) >and B Pile (Woburn) bt A White (Lanark) and W Marchbank (Auchterarder) 3-2; Cooper and Creamer bt K Knowles (ELPGA) and E Pilgrim (ELPGA) 6-5; D Craik (Frilford Heath) and D Hunt (Frilford Health) bt M Challenor (Sunningdale) and J Barnes (Sunningdale) 4-3; M O’Connor (The Lambourne) and S Marshall (The Lambourne) bt L Nash (Walton Health) and J Winstanley (Burhill) 2-1; J Le Roux (Weldham Park) and J Ablett (Alresford) bt N Pereira Machado (Sunningdale) and N Brito and E Cuna (Estoril) 2-1; Jones and Robinson bt S Amiet (Team Valley) and B Austin (Team Valley) 6-5; D Howell (PGAET) and S Flanagan (St George’s Hill) bt T Stevens (Shrigley Hall) and J Murphy (Shrigley Hall) 2-1;
SECOND ROUND: Ralph and Spence bt Campbell and Moon 1 hole; Godfrey and Frane bt Lane and Bolsover 4 and 3; Evans and Evans bt Andrew and Andrew 4 and 3; Kemp and Wharton bt Legg and Peacock 2 up.
