OB Golf - v Old Llandoverians

Friday 12th September, 2025 - Cradoc GC

With acknowledgment to Hywel, the Old Llandovarian Captain:

What a comeback!!!! What a match!!! Who needs the Ryder Cup when you have Christ Coll v Llandovery. The results were as follows:

Kevin Noble played with Aled Williams and David Hywel Griffiths, the OLls captain. Kevin and Aled, ‘off and on’ long-time adversaries (and occasional teammates) on the rugby pitch, had never played golf together and hadn’t seen each other for more years than they’d like to count. It was a great catch-up and a topsy-turvey match with Aled’s putting and Hywel’s 2-pointers keeping them ahead throughout the match but never quite out of sight. Kevin clung on and, with Aled’s great putting letting him down just at the last, Kevin won the 18th to halve the game. A cracking match and a great time. OBs ½ pt; OLls ½pt.

When the second pair of Nigel Jones and Peter Knill, or, as Nigel said ‘just Peter’ (!), came in having won by a ‘comfortable’ 2and1, OB’s led 1½:½.

The third pair of Martin Like and Des Lally was a concern for the captain, given their history of individually scoring (ridiculously) better than their handicaps in OB competitions. They were given strict instructions to subtly manage their points scoring if there was any hint that ‘banditry’ might be suspected. They won 5and4 – so much for subtlety ! OBs led 2½:½.

The 4th pair was Rob Calcaterra and Andrew Williams. Andrew was making a very belated OBGS debut, having discovered that Huw had a rare mistaken belief that all the cricketers got all the golf emails too ! Andrew and Rob had not seen each other since leaving school, having been in the same house and year ! They caught up plenty during the round and won their close-fought game on the last, 1up.

At the half-way stage OB’s led the match 3½:½ and were looking good to win back the trophy …

The next pair in, James Davenport and Steffan Raw-Rees, met with an OLl who, by his own admission, 'played out of his skin', and still they managed to take the game to the 18th but weren’t able to snatch the win and lost 1down. OBs 3½:OLls 1½.

Peter Owen and Jonathan Spencer came up against an OLls equivalent of the ‘Like/Lally’ pairing and succumbed 6 & 5, leaving uncle Dylan with the family Raw-Rees bragging rights for the day ! OBs 3½:OLls 2½.

Tom McLean was next in, having volunteered to face the OLl pairing on his own, rather than let the OLls play an unopposed round, as a diary mishap had deprived him of a partner. Unfortunately for Tom, OLls had two ‘Like/Lally’ pairs ! Despite playing well, in a close game, played in a great spirit, he couldn’t overcome the pair and came back on the wrong end of a tight 3&2 loss. OBs 3½:OLls 3½.

Everything was now down to the final pair of Freddie Wharton and Harry Hindmarsh. What a match they had; another tight one. They came to the final hole in the final game with the match in the balance and they were dormy 1. They scrapped and were rightfully chuffed to walk off the 18th with the win they needed to halve the game and make the match all-square. OBs 4:OLls 4.

With a drawn match, as holders, Old Llandovarians get to keep the cup. 

The Headmaster, ever supportive of OBs, was there, to graciously present the cup.

During the meal, I sat next to Andrew Williams, who was in the same house and the year above me at school; catching up and recounting shared stories. Some of the stories involved Mart Like; they were in the same year. A penny dropped and Andrew suddenly said “What ? Mart Like’s here ?”; they were sitting back to back through the meal, oblivious to each other. Another catch up and more drinks ! 

Congratulations to everyone who played and to the marvellous atmosphere and spirit the match was played in. Looking forward to 2026 already.