The scene was set on Sunday for what was to be an outstanding match between Luke Turnough and Rob Spence. Both talented Furness golfers in their own right. The crowd expected a close encounter and as it turned, out they weren’t wrong.
Luke birdied the first to win the hole, Rob made par on the second to win and also birdied the third to go one up. The fourth, fifth and the sixth were halved. On seven Rob holed a 25 foot birdie putt but this was matched by Luke who also holed a long birdie putt to half that hole. Luke won the eighth and ninth to go one up and then disastrously hit one out of bounds on the tenth to go back to all square. Holes eleven and twelve were halved. Rob then took the upper hand and made a par on the thirteen to go one up after Luke failed to get up and down after a difficult bunker lie.
The fourteenth was halved and Rob also won the fifteenth to go two up with three holes to play. On the sixteenth Rob drove into the fairway bunker and Luke hit a four iron left which looked OB so hit a provisional and onto the green. The first ball was found in bounds leaving a difficult stance leaning over the drainage ditch but he got it onto the green leaving a 1ten foot putt. Rob hit a great bunker shot to about fifteen feet and holed the putt for birdie. Luke then also holed his putt going in the side door to stay two down with two to play.
Rob’s tee shot on seventeen went into the right rough. Luke’s drive was in the left semi rough approximately 170 yards out. Rob had a bad lie and could only chop out, but ended up going into the gorse bush. Luke then hit his six iron to about three feet and ultimately Rob conceded the hole to go back to one up.
Luke took three wood to eliminate the danger on eighteen and ended up in the left rough, but Rob was in the fairway. Luke hit onto the back of the green leaving about twenty feet on the fringe. Rob surprisingly pulled his approach left, then chipped to four feet. Luke proceeded to walk in the bunker to get a better read on the putt knowing he had to make it to go into a play off. The crowd very quiet in anticipation, last chance for Luke. The putt rolled right in the middle of the cup to take the match to sudden death, what a game!
On the first playoff hole Luke nuked a drive carrying the marker post and rolling out leaving 210 yards in. Rob drove up the left then hit thee wood to leave a pitch in. Luke hit onto the left side fringe leaving about thirty feet for eagle. Rob pitched up to leave about twenty feet for birdie. Luke then lagged his putt to three and a half feet. It was a case of Rob’s birdie putt had to go in, but it stopped a couple inches short leaving Luke with a knee knocker for the match. No problem for Luke, straight into the back of hole and in so was Furness’s Club Champion for 2024. What a fine game, one to remember.