THE ULTIMATE prize in domestic golf was on the line this weekend, as Jersey’s stars contested the men’s and ladies’ inter-insulars at Guernsey’s L’Ancresse.
Jersey may have taken a commanding 2-0 lead the week prior after claiming victory in the junior and senior inter-insular contests at La Moye, but the two fixtures at L’Ancresse told a different story.
Drama filled the course throughout the weekend, however Jersey’s Ladies held firm to secure a 10-10 overall draw and retain their crown.
In the men’s bracket however, the Sarnian’s ruled the roost to keep control of their title with a 12.5 to 7.5 victory.
Jersey’s Ladies team came into the ninth edition of their inter-insular still yet to lose the fixture, but this one promised to be the closest one yet.
Saturday saw the two sides trade blows left and right.
Jersey were first to strike, just nicking the foursomes 3-2, before Guernsey hit right back with a 3-2 result of their own in the fourballs competition.
Heading into the final day all-square, everything came down to the singles – could it get any more tense than this? Jersey played out of their skin in the singles, giving everything they had, but still, nothing separated these two sides.
Wins from Hannah Scriven, Melissa McMahon, Lily Buckley, Anabelle Lucas-Villar and Helen Gray proved enough for a 5-5 result in the singles, perfectly fitting the competitive nature of the weekend’s fixture.
That carried on to the overall score, as it finished all-square at 10-10 to see Jersey retain the trophy.
“As expected, it was a really tough challenge away from home against a strong Guernsey team,we really had to dig deep on Sunday,” said ladies team manager Nicola Mollin.
“The team were amazing and showed great fighting spirit in the singles to retain the trophy. There was some awesome golf on display, but I think the whole weekend was summed up on the very last match, where Guernsey sunk the putt from off the green to make it 10-10.
“I’m so proud of the players, everyone played their part – especially Anabelle Lucas-Villar, who really was our stand-out performer to win all three of her matches.”
Just a year on from the Men’s contest ending in a 10-10 draw, which saw the Sarnians narrowly retain their title, the Jersey’s men came into this year’s fixture fired up to take that one step further and clinch the title for the first time since 2023.
It was always going to be a massive challenge, with Guernsey holding an all-important home-course advantage and it was not long before an impact was made.
Saturday saw Guernsey rule proceedings, pulling away 4-1 in the foursomes competition before just edging ahead 3-2 in the fourballs format. The Jerseymen would have felt hard done by though, with every match going down to 17 showcasing how much they battled.
With the Sarnian’s up 7-3 heading into the final day and with nothing for Jersey to lose, the Caesareans threw the kitchen sink at the singles matches.
What ensued was a valiant battle, as Sam Quail, Charlie Kiberd, Oliver Allchin and Jeremy Phillips all chalked up wins, while Andy Clarke finished all square to share the point with Guernseyman Jeremy Nicolle.
But, Guernsey still just crept over the line 5.5-4.5 in the singles, culminating in an overall score of 12.5-7.5 and sealing their third consecutive men’s inter-insular title. However, with Quail and Kiberd going unbeaten, as well as the young talent showing plenty of promise for the future, there was plenty to take away.
“Obviously, it wasn’t the result we wanted, but there were loads of positives to take away from the weekend. It was a big group effort, but you need the ability to step up when it comes down to crunch time in golf, and we didn’t do that enough,” said Sam Quail.
“Their home advantage played a big part, they just know the course so well and that makes a difference. On another day, a lot of those matches would have gone another way, but that’s just how it is.
“With the new management team, helmed by Mark Tostevin, still learning the ropes, this was always going to be a learning experience and everyone’s been trying to buy into their ethos. Accountability, presentation – it’s all about nailing the basics, and we’ve built strong foundations to go off in the coming years, making for a fortunate position.”
A lot was said about the integration of youth into this year’s men’s squad, with Oliver Allchin, Aiden Wilson and Jacob Townsend all making their debuts.
It is fair to say they made their mark. Quail added: “The younger lads played freely and held themselves really well – they integrated themselves well into the team.
“This has shown the older guys that we have a load of keen youngsters coming through, which will surely pay dividends in the years to come.”
Jersey Ladies: Gloria Paradiso, Hannah Scriven, Melissa McMahon, Suzy Cornic, Chloe Cadoret, Lily Buckley, Anabelle Lucas-Villar, Abi Harris, Andrea Cunningham, Helen Gray
Jersey Men: Sam Quail, Charlie Kiberd, Josh Ozard, Andy Clarke, Alex Guelpa, Jacob Townsend, Aiden Wilson, Oliver Allchin, Matthew Parkman, Jeremy Phillips
