Primary Links:

User login

2001 Autumn Golf "Oxford beat Cambridge"

Saturday, 20th October 2001

For many years the C&O annual golf tournament has continued to take place in early summer at Hodogaya Country Club thanks to the kind invitation of Mr Hidehiro Takaki (Gonville & Caius, Cambridge 1927) and other members. In 1998 and 99, a winter golf match also took place and in 2000, three golf matches were played in February, June and November. The C&O Presidents have always managed to take time out of their busy schedules and participated in each game.

Tradition demands that in any sports match involving the two Universities, the Varsity Match must be competed for and we are pleased to say that the C&O golf tournament has kept up this tradition, with the best four (in some years three) players from each side counting. Net scores are used and, according to the (incomplete) records going into the 2001 summer tournament, the dark blues held a narrow lead with 9 wins to Cambridge's seven.

On Saturday, 16th June 2001 at Hodogaya C.C. blessed with fine weather and amid the usual huge spread of scores and handicaps, the light blues, stirred to action by the prospect of narrowing the lead, beat Oxford by 14 strokes, thus putting them within one match of drawing level in the series in the autumn match.

On Saturday, 20th October 2001, fifteen golfers (7 members each from Cambridge and Oxford and one lady guest) enjoyed a round of 18 holes at "Country Club The First" near Kisarazu, across Tokyo Bay via Aqua Line. It was a dry, warm and sunny day with little wind.

Sir Stephen Gomersall (Queens' Cambridge) and Simon Dalby (Trinity Hall, Cambridge), golf blue and winner of this year's Hodogaya tournament, teed off at 8:33 a.m. Shortly after the first flight headed off, the charming golf debutante Miki Yamada (Wolfson, Oxford) unleashed her 50 yard drive and quickly chased her ball down the first fairway of the 6,500 yard-long course. It was remarked, however, that perhaps the two Cambridge gentlemen in her flight would spare no chivalry, perhaps at the cost of extra shots. Meanwhile, back on the putting practice green, Steven Thomas (Merton, Oxford; Golf blue) appeared almost satisfied with his touch as he contemplated another bout with his long standing rival Dalby.

Steven, in the third flight, swept a lovely long drive down the middle of the fairway at about 9 a.m., slightly later than the scheduled tee-off time, and finally, at about 9:10 a.m. the fourth flight players got off the teeing ground and encouragingly all managed to keep their balls away from the tricky fringes of the fairway. Unusually, Sir Stephen's group was faithfully followed by two 'spectators' in the form of Japanese security men keeping a beady eye open for Osama bin Laden. Rumours that they found this close proximity to the C & O golf more life-threatening than Afghanistan are completely untrue.

For the average player the day was as usual filled with huge personal triumphs (par) as well as bitter triple bogies (and worse) but by 3:15 p.m. all fifteen players, bathed and refreshed, returned safely to the post-golf party in the corner of the dining hall. Obviously, every one was thirsty and quickly downed the first glass of beer as Terry Nakamura rapidly and efficiently computed the net scores.

True to early form Steven Thomas returned home with an excellent net 70, thus easily winning the trophy back from a somewhat off-from Simon Dalby. Thanks to Steven, Oxford beat Cambridge by 20 strokes, thus restoring their two-match lead.

The day's pairings and participants are as follows: (alphabetical order and not by handicaps)

1st flight - Simon Dalby, Stephen Gomersall, Tomo Imai, Miko Fordyce (guest)
2nd flight - Tony Fordyce, Yasuzo Takeno, Guy Heald, Miki Yamada (debutante)
3rd flight - Steven Thomas, Takahisa Hashimoto, James Lawden
4th flight - Terry Nakamura, Toshi Ohtawa, John Sunley, Justin Tate
The next C&O golf match will take place on Saturday, 16th March 2002 at Taiheiyo Club, Gotemba Course. Written by Teruhisa Nakamura (Worcester Oxford) Edited by John A. Sunley (Pembroke Cambridge) (TDM)

Posted in | Submitted by huw.williams on Fri, 2001-10-19 15:00.
login to post comments