Success for Uni golf team

The University of Exeter Golf 2nd team went head to head against Stirling 2nd team in the BUCS Trophy Final at Notts (Hollinwell) Golf Club near Mansfield on Wednesday 15 April 2015. The University of Exeter Golf Club is one of the most successful in student competitions and was looking to add to the 7 titles won in the last 3 years.

The morning fourball matches were with Exeter’s first pair Alex Broggio (captain) and Joe Davis getting the match underway with a fantastic start. However Stirling fought hard in the middle holes leading to a tense final few holes. Stirling missed a pressure putt on the 17th and a fantastic final hole from Exeter gave them a two hole victory. Ben Smith and Molly Haslam teed-off next but found it tough against a strong Stirling pair. After the first seven holes they were five holes down and needed some inspiration, which they received from their team-mates encouragement on the eighth green. By the fifteenth hole the match was all-square, which was an incredible comeback. Unfortunately a couple of difficult shots on the final holes resulted in a loss on the 17th hole. The third pairing of Joe Carmody-Firth and Dan Lane played some excellent golf with consistency the key, defeating the Stirling pair 4&3.

The afternoon singles followed, led from the front by captain Alex Broggio. He won a tight encounter by two holes before racing back down the course to support his team-mates and watch the drama unfold. The golf was extremely close and high pressured going into the final two singles. Dan Lane found his rhythm, playing some excellent golf and worked his way into a solid lead. In the final match Joe Carmody-Firth produced a few birdies to take control of his game. Dan won on the 16th hole taking Exeter to 5 points and the trophy win and Joe followed up with another fine win on the 17th hole.

University of Exeter High Performance Manager, Craig Townsend, said:
“This has been a great achievement and a demonstration of how strong golf is at the University of Exeter. The hard work that the players put into their practice should not go unnoticed. The extra high-quality practice that the Vic Ambler Golf Centre at the Sports Park offers the players has certainly paid dividends. The four back to back league titles are now capped with this fantastic Trophy triumph for the 2nd team.”

Ben Smith, team member for Exeter in the final commented: “Our thanks must go to Craig Townsend and golf coach Steve Buzza who have put in so much effort to support the team and the club making days like this possible. To have Vic Ambler offering wise words on the day also gave us the confidence to go out there and win.”

Golf is a focus sport at the University of Exeter and works with the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews to support and nurture quality young golfers. The University plays at both the Warren Golf Club and East Devon Golf Clubs. It has benefitted from a fantastic short-game facility (the Vic Ambler Golf Centre) at the Sports Park on the University of Exeter Streatham Campus.