Captain V Vice Captain

Senior Season Opener – Match Report

Glorious sunshine greeted 40 finely tuned (or at least freshly oiled) senior golfers for the annual season-opening match. Spirits were high, swings were... variable, and the banter was already in mid-season form.

The match itself was a tense, seesaw affair. The Vice-Captain’s team held a narrow lead heading into the final few matches, sensing victory—but golf, as we know, is a cruel and unpredictable game. It all came down to the very last pairing, striding up the 18th with everything to play for.

Enter stage left: the legendary John Rudge—ex-Port Vale Manager and former Stoke City Director of Football—no stranger to high-stakes finales. With nerves steadier than most of the putters on show, John calmly rolled in a magnificent par on the last to square the match and ensure honours were shared. A truly clutch performance, worthy of Match of the Day (or at least Match of the Seniors).

As always, the course was full of drama. Tales of woe echoed around the clubhouse:

“It just caught a tree…”
“It was going in, then it just lipped out…”
“That bunker wasn’t there last year, was it?”
And of course, the ever-popular, “I was putting for a birdie, then somehow ended up with a six.”
In the end, a fair and fitting result. The trophy was shared, the sun stayed out, and the bar was well attended. A great way to tee off what promises to be a memorable 2025 season.