As usual our special betting correspondent – and renowned golf analyst – Mark Wallis (South) has taken a significant amount of time out of his busy schedule to produce his excellent and comprehensive guide to this delayed 2021 renewal. Do yourself a favour and have a thorough read!

 

Match & Venue

Venue – Rockcliffe Hall Golf Club

Field – 24 players (12 North, 12 South)

Previous Winners – North 6, South 1, tied 2

Holders – North

Course Overview – Located close to Darlington, County Durham, Rockcliffe Hall is a fairly modern course (2009) designed by the Hawtree firm which is accompanied by the on site 5 star hotel and top class facilities, rated as not only one of the best courses in the North East but one of the best in the UK, it looks a first class venue for the Ryder Cup Challenge, it’s certainly a different set up to the last encounter at Old Thorns. The back tees (not for us!) measure an astonishing 7,879 yards while the Yellows & Whites are 6,471 & 6,845 respectively, yes it’s long and daunting, water features heavily on the course with the 4th & 5th requiring direct carries over, overall it’s flat and heavily bunkered and just to add to the difficulty the greens are micro spiked with plenty of slopes and breaks as well as run off areas so not surprised it’s been used for Senior Opens and major amateur events.

Key Attribute – Power

Story of 2019

The North side led by their popular captain Andy Fearnsides travelled down to Hampshire to the delightful Old Thorns Manor to take on a Southern side captained by the current Calco Cup champion Kevin Ulla and without doubt this would be a fiercely fought renewal of the best golfing event in the calendar, months of banter & preparation from both sides it just had to be close and as it proved it went right to the wire.

For the first time, and warmly welcomed by all, an extra fourball was introduced on the afternoon when most players arrived and after exchanging pleasantries and with all players booked into their superb rooms the event kicked off in perfect playing conditions, early reports that the course had been in a poor state were disproved as greens and fairways were in very decent order but quickly the North found out that the driver didn’t need to come out of the bag on quite a few holes, a shock to their system for sure, the South started fast with victories for Burke/Holiday & Heath/Moyle taking down the strong partnership of Tattersfield/Mountain to go 2-0 up but the North hit back with three victories Fearnsides/Lightowler, Fleming/Crossfield & Doig/Baldwin all won without playing the 18th, the most eagerly awaited match on the first day was the much talked about Saunders/Wallis v Hardwick/Lister encounter and despite being down for the first few holes a birdie/par streak either side of the turn gave the South a 2 & 1 victory with both sides pleased with the 3-3 match score after the first days proceedings.

With both teams enjoying a well earned late dinner the shock news came through of the grave illness of Martin Crossfield’s mother and it was imperative that he had to get back home as quickly as possible, the spirit of the fellas who take part in this event shone through, as usual, and without a thought for himself Micky Baldwin insisted on driving Martin home, a near 200 mile trip late at night so Martin could be by his mothers bedside was daunting to say the least, not only that, once Martin was sorted he then made the return trip to help his fellow team members for the next days play, of course all of our thoughts at the time was with Martin Crossfield and he certainly didn’t want the event cancelled despite his heartache.

Of course Martin would be much missed on the North side and now no one from the South side begrudged the match win he had the day before, this left Captain Fearnsides hastily trying to see if a replacement could be found at such short notice and thankfully cometh the hour cometh the man as Joe Kenzitt travelled down to step into some very big shoes left by Martins absence, with a new player and the legend Micky B surely fatigued, would this upset the North’s team on day 2?

Another mornings fourballs saw some high class golf come to the fore and yes miraculously Micky B with partner Alan Doig won narrowly and overall 3 of the 6 matches went to the 18th and the other 3 finishing on the 17th and again the morning finished 3-3 (6-6 overall) Wallis, Burke & Holliday remained unbeaten for the South as did Fleming, Baldwin, Doig & rookie Lightowler for the North.

There wasn’t much time to think about it after lunch as the rarely played, but most enjoyable, Foursomes (alternate shots) teed off with some intriguing matches, the South got off to a fast start as Bell/Burke surprisingly gave Fleming/Curley a thumping 7 & 6 and the formidable duo of Heath/Wallis beating Lister/Doig 5 & 4 but the North bounced back with victories for Ramm/Mountain & Hardwick/Fearnsides while Johnstone/Rich narrowly beat youngsters Lightowler/Kensitt for the South and then quite where Micky Baldwin found some energy from to beat the strong pairing of Saunders/Whitworth god only knows but partner Steve Tattersfield was on fire and incredibly the day ended all square again at 3-3 (9-9 overall), for most an early night was due but then again we have plenty of Northern mouths to fill with beer with a moderate help from some Southerners and of course our man Jimmy Holliday was there to help entertain the troops until the early hours!

Refreshed and raring for battle in the 12 singles on Saturday both captains rallied their teams as best they could, Ulla was inspirational and vociferous as you would expect while the thoughtful Fearnsides looked calm & collected, this could go either way! The North’s tactic of strength at the top seemed to backfire slightly as the first 4 matches resulted in the event still being tied, the battle of the captains was won by Ulla while Pete Burke’s magnificent tournament continued as he gained maximum points from his four matches when finally bringing Micky Baldwin down but only narrowly on the 18th, Terry Saunders played well but Steve Tattersfield was in tremendous form when winning 4 & 3, crucially Jimmy Holliday couldn’t hang on to a lead as the talented Rob Fleming stormed home to win 3 & 2, an inspired Jimmy Curley got the better of Ben Moyle 4 & 3 and in a tight game Paul Ephremsen beat Phil Lister on the last hole, and the scores sat at 12-12, with Paul Rich beating Joe Kensitt 4 & 3 and Steve Hardwick holing them from everywhere to beat Martin Johnstone it was down to the last two groups of 4, Wallis beat an out of sorts Chris Ramm convincingly on the way to a memorable 4 points (and didn’t we all know it!) they could then only watch a titanic match between Jason Heath and Daz Mountain, an up and down on the 17th from Mountain was truly incredible and down the last it looked like he had blew it when he heavily hooked his 3rd shot into the green, sailing past the players who had gathered on the 18th and heading for the car park and out of bounds no doubt the two would have shook hands there & then but the trolleys & bags parked behind where the ball was heading and to the left of the green threw the ball back in play, still there was much to do and Mountain had to get up and down again with Heath looking at a safe bogey, the rest is history as he produced a chip shot Seve Ballesteros would have been proud off and an unlikely half was good enough for the North to retain the Trophy, Alan Doig had already narrowly beaten David Bell 2 & 1 so it was down to Gav Whitworth to salvage another draw overall and sitting in front of the green in two and rookie Lightowler playing a bit of the course a million miles away the draw looked odds on, even more so when Lightowler visited the tea bar and then the deep rough but a couple of miraculously shots and any luck deserting Whitworth it gave the North a fantastic 15 1/2 pts to 14 1/2 pts victory and the delighted captain Andy Fearnsides could at last breath easy, no doubt the South just didn’t get the rub of the green when it mattered and some missed opportunities hurt but as usual all were magnanimous in defeat.

This was the best golfing few days I have ever had and been part of, the spirit and friendship between both teams is unparalleled anywhere in the country and win lose or draw we have 24 (25 this time) fellas who are friends for life, bring on Rockcliffe!

The Players

North

ALAN DOIG – Captain – Ryder Cups Played 2 .. matches won 5 .. matches lost 2

Wears his heart on his sleeve and will proudly captain a strong Northern side, no doubt there’s more pressure being in charge and it’s well known that it can affect your game slightly but will lead from the front and an overall victory is way more important than any personal glory, will be at home on this flat, long course and a joy to watch when on song, look out for the formidable partnership with Micky B in the fourballs

ANDY FEARNSIDES – played 3 .. won 6 … lost 4

Triumphant (if slightly fortuitous) captain at Old Thorns but took the trophy home and we didn’t as he keeps reminding us! superb ball striker and fabulous under pressure will make him tough to beat in any format, charismatic and a true leader Doigy will certainly look to him if he has any doubts, an excellent all round game his experience is invaluable to the team, the question here is will the driver be out or will he leave it at home? if the South are to win then they have to stop Mr Fearnsides somehow!

ROB FLEMING – played 3 …won 7 ..halved 1 ..lost 2

Awesome record in his three Ryder Cups to date and the lowest handicapped player from the North, will revel on this tough course and as you would expect he hits the ball so bloody far it’s sickening!, ideal player in this team format the South’s only hope of beating him is if he plays like he does in the Calco Cup where in his own words he under performs, that is hugely unlikely here and crucial he plays well if the North are to win, currently off on a pre match warm up in New York where he will smash Beth Page Black though not sure if that’s the golf course or one of the ladies of the night!

STEVE HARDWICK – played 9 .. won 14 .. halved 2 …lost 12

Veteran Ryder Cup player and now a single figure golfer these days, another one who will like the length and set up of this course, solid overall record and a good Calco in September, will the Hardwick/Lister partnership be seen this year? I’m not so sure but a good partner for any of his team mates if his glass back stands up, the Drildo will be packed but looks like Lizzie will be on hand to administer treatment and not Claire!

DARREN MOUNTAIN – played 9 …won 16 …halved 2 … lost 10

The Ryder Cup Challenge wouldn’t be the same without Daz, stunning record and a born winner, likely to face his stiffest challenge to date and any points earned to add to his current status of all time top points scorer will have to be hard fought for something that’s right up his street, couldn’t think of anyone I would rather be in the trenches with as they say, unfortunately for me Daz is squeaky clean and none of my Northern spies can dig up any dirt on him, what a fine chap!

JIMMY CURLEY – played 6 .. won 7 ..halved 2 .. lost 10

Second World War veteran Jimmy Curley was old when this first began 20 years ago, bless him, but he still strikes a nice ball and handicap slipping down to allow for the pensioner status, love him to bits but if I draw JC I will take a chair with me so I can have a couple of fags while he goes through his 100 full practice swings before he finally hits the damn thing!, an ever present in all the Calco events and could easily sneak 4 valuable points for the North

PHIL LISTER – played 5 ..won 8 ..halved 1… lost 7

Comes into the event in the form of his life having just beat plenty of fellow Northerners on a coastal pre event and the ‘Bubba Watson’ of the North who has every shot in the bag at the moment, unfortunately it can all go wrong quickly sometimes but certainly on his day a solid player with a solid record (except when he plays Coco of course!), interesting match up with Jimmy Curley against Paul Rich & Jason Heath in the day 1 fourballs, confidence high but definitely will be getting plenty of stick from the Southern boys to try and get in his head, now there’s a thought😂

STEVE TATTERSFIELD – played 4 ..won 8 ..halved 4 …lost 1

Awesome record having tasted defeat only once in four Ryder Cups and playing a course designed for his game though a tough handicap won’t make it plain sailing and Wallis & Saunders licking their lips at the thought of taking the scalp of Tatts & Mountain on day 1, a golfing nut who works tirelessly at trying to improve his game though his fellow comrades are questioning the new Cobra Hybrids normally saved for the use by geriatrics & beginners! but then again he could probably score well using a left handed ladies set with his talent, great guy and one of the all time great characters we look forward to seeing.

MICKY BALDWIN – played 2 ..won 5 ..lost 2

If there was a Hall of Fame for the Calco Cups/Ryder Cup Challenges then Micky B would be top of the list, charismatic, thoughtful and just damn good at what he does and of course not forgetting what was said in 2019 Old Thorn write up above makes him a key player for the North, has he reached his optimal level?, probably, will he be hard to beat, of course most definitely, the South will feel like they can win the whole event if they could find a way of taking points off Micky, as much as we all think the world of him let’s hope he doesn’t lock himself out of his room again as no one wants to see the Ghost of Bridlington wondering around Rockcliffe in the middle of the night! I’m hearing plenty are still having nightmares on what they saw.

CHRIS RAMM – played 2 …won 2..halved 1 ..lost 4

Not quite at home at Old Thorns last time but will be much more suited to Rockcliffe and playing some decent golf this year, will need to be at his best as will partner Hardwick to beat the well handicapped pairing of Ephremsen & Whitworth in the day 1 fourballs, totally injury prone as well and can’t even go on a gentle jog without succumbing to injury when tripping up and has been nursing some sore ligaments for a while, so so talented on his day and another who can play way better than he is handicapped.

MARTIN CROSSFIELD – played 1 .. won 1

No one will have been looking forward to this event after three years absence than Martin after the 2019 Old Thorns classic, still he has the comfort of being the only player with a 100 % record overall, lovely guy and an important team member but fuck just like Daz, bloody squeaky clean unlike 10 other team members who I can rib a bit, solid all round game and another who will like the course set up and is certainly still improving his game.

CRAIG LIGHTOWLER – played 1 ..won 3 .. lost 1

Tremendous debut at Old Thorns winning 3 vital points for the North and bringing the bacon home at the end, improving golfer and handicap slowly coming down and captains choosing Rockcliffe has ones like Craig in mind but will need to be at his very best if we are to see a repeat performance, I’ve checked the weather forecast and though pleasant thankfully it won’t turn his head into a ‘beef 🍅’ like it did on a recent golf trip to Tenerife!

South

MARTIN JOHNSTONE (Captain) – played 4 ..won 7 ..halved 1 .. lost 5

Strong leader for the South who has been set a daunting task in trying to wrestle this prestigious trophy from the Northerners but will be more than up to the task, very good record in this event and is as fit as a flea and will be as irritating as one to play against, certainly knows how to dig deep when it matters and brilliant scrambling skills that can match the best, it’s been a long time coming but MJ is confident of taking that trophy all the way to the South coast.

JASON HEATH – played 2 ..won 5 ..halved 1 ..lost 1

Much relies on the broad shoulders of the likes of Jason & Pete Burke if the south are to be victorious as both are awesome golfers on their day, our ‘baby faced assassin’ has a brilliant temperament and eats pressure for breakfast & dinner, it looks odds on his partnership will fellow greyhound trainer ‘coco the 🤡 ’ will be out for the foursomes as they are 2 from 2 to date and ‘Wallis’ is great at digging him out of trouble, 🤣, future Captain looks guaranteed and without doubt is one of the nicest person you could ever wish to meet.

PAUL EPHREMSEN – played 4… won 5..halved 2 … lost 6

Relishes this event and determined to get off to a good start and has a good match up with partner Gav Whitworth on day 1 in what should be a cracking game against Hardwick& Ramm, if there’s one player on the southern side who will like the length of the course then it’s Mr E, hits it a country mile and quite capable of making a mockery of his handicap especially if the flat stick is dialled in, Captain in the next Ryder Cup Challenge and will want to be defending the trophy!

BEN MOYLE – played 9… won 11 ..halved 2 …lost 15

Has seen it all over the years and co founder of this brilliant event back in 2003, my, my! has it come on a bit since Five Lakes back in 2003 and though certainly the golf has stepped up a few levels the friendship and camaraderie created is as good if not better than ever, crucial team member who loves a battle and if those old creaking bones can stand up to the schedule then he could at last see that long awaited win for the South, still scores runs at cricket for fun and if he strikes that little white ball as well as he does that bigger red ball he will be tough to beat.

DAVID BELL – played 9 …won 6…lost 22

Of course we all know that our great friend is only an occasional player but as long as he’s capable of holding a golf club he will be in the side, like Ben Moyle he has played in a few lesser southern sides over the years and since it started stepping up Mr Bells record is not at all bad, given the huge length and difficulty of Rockcliffe it’s good to see Captain Doig allowing a few extra shots for him and rightly so, will be much more competitive now and will be looking to take maximum points back to Bury St Edmunds, interestingly has never halved a match.

MARK WALLIS – played 7 …won 11 ..halved 2 ..lost 9

Almost carried the Southern side to victory at Old Thorns scoring maximum points and boy did we know it!! supremely confident of a repeat in this 10th renewal as you would expect and no one loves this event more, the Northern boys can’t get enough of his WhatsApp dribble and will want to beat him more than anything, joking aside, a true sporting gentleman who would swap one of his 12 Trainers Championships for a Ryder Cup Challenge/Calco Cup double, well maybe one might be achievable and it’s not the singles event!, if he doesn’t see a Southern victory he’s promising to pack in dog training & golf and join Billy Smart!

GAV WHITWORTH – played 6 ..won 8 ..halved 1 ..lost 10

Very good golfer and a big character in all the Calco events, didn’t quite get the rub of the green at Old Thorns and will be doing his best to erase that memory, long open course will suit him more than most and word is his short game is lethal at the moment, probably the fittest player on the southern side and has stamina in abundance, great friends with some of our Northern comrades but would love to see them squirming a bit this time.

JIMMY HOLIDAY – played 4…won 4 …halved 1 …lost 8

Talented both on & off the course though many would say the latter! rumour has it If the South are victorious he’s going to shave that beard off for the presentation! On the course he is capable of playing like a single figure handicapper when confidence is high and won’t be worried by its length, another former Calco Cup winner from the south and in fine form at home so peaking at the right time

TERRY SAUNDERS – played 2… won 3 ..lost 3

Despite just winning only the one match at Old Thorns he faced some real stiff opponents and played better than the stats suggest and will likely get back to a better than average strike rate after this event, could completely reverse the form this year and hits the ball so sweetly he could make his handicap look silly, has a dream partner on day 1 🤡 which is vital in a tough match, just recovering from some more surgery ‘big Tel’ is now physically and mentally ready to kick some arse! (In his words and who would argue against him!)

PETE BURKE – played 4 …won 6 ..halved 2 ..lost 5

The South team breathed a huge sigh of relief when Pete gave the green light for his participation in this years much awaited event, in 2019 at Old Thorns he was quite simply outstanding taking maximum points along with Coco! He got some less experienced partners round and put an end to Micky ‘the legend’ Baldwin’s run of great form in the singles, not only is he a great singer he is the Southern teams best player and would dearly love to add a Ryder Cup victory to all his Calco triumphs, his dream may come true this year.

PAUL RICH – played 4 …won 6 …halved 3 ..lost 4

Certainly one of our best southern players with a very good record and did magnificently well at Old thorns last time when playing through the pain barrier after injuring his neck a few days before the event, dream partner for any of the side and gives it his all, strong pairing in day one and vital to get off to a good start, will the North be joining in when we give it the big ‘if I was rich man …🎼🎼’ after our former Calco Cup winner helps us land a monumental victory?

MARK GLENNISTER – Rookie –

Welcome to the team Glenny, we hope he enjoys an event that is totally different to the normal medal/stapleford format, it’s tense, gripping and always mentally draining but the beers and friendship afterwards are just amazing, we just have the one rookie with Glenny which after 3 years absence is incredible, coming in for 2019 Captain Kevin Ulla, who is now working in Abu Dhabi, he won’t let us down, great ball striker and has a solid all round game.

Form Guide Summary

The world has changed quite a bit since the last Ryder Cup Challenge at Old Thorns in 2019 as Covid ripped through the planet, if there was one thing to come out of it in my mind then it certainly made me realise that life is just too short at times and we have to make the most of what we have left, our 10th renewal of this superb golf event is something I just can’t wait to be involved in, I was gutted we couldn’t play as scheduled last year but in hindsight it was probably the right decision and now with a certain sense of normality returning we can enjoy what will be another fabulous occasion, of course everybody knows I’m very much tongue in cheek pre match and I like a wind up so here’s my serious head on as I assess the chances.

Captain Alan Doig has been thrust to the head of the Northern boys very quickly after just two Ryder Cups and is thriving on the task ahead, he’s already organised a brilliant course that has great facilities in Rockcliffe Hall and will want everyone to enjoy themselves as much as he will want to win, he will revel in the pressure of being Captain, the course, by all accounts, is tough and long and totally different to Old Thorns but is very fair, yes it will suit his team more as nearly all of his 11 players & himself can drive the ball a good distance especially the likes of Tattersfield & Fleming but that’s what being at home allows you to do, key for Doig has to be that he has an unchanged side that came away with a narrow victory last time and team camaraderie is worth a couple of points all day long, he has some strong characters in Baldwin, Fearnsides & Hardwick who have been there and wore the tee shirt, Lightowler made a great debut last time and no one will be wanting to play more than Crossfield, without being detrimental in any way with Ramm, Lister & Curley he has players who can be slightly fragile or totally unplayable against which is ideal in Matchplay, make no mistake this is a strong, well prepared Northern side that will take some stopping

Martin Johnstone captains a Southern team that will be primed and ready to do battle, MJ has left no stone unturned in preparing his troops for the long trip to Rockcliffe and has every intention of bringing that converted trophy down to the South coast, there’s just one change from the incredibly unlucky side that was just touched off at Old Thorns as Rookie Glennister comes in for Kevin Ulla, ‘Glenny’ is a good friend of the Captains and will know what to expect, he should go well, a lot rests on the South’s two best golfers in Burke & Heath while the experience of Moyle, Whitworth & Bell is invaluable, our Kent duo of Holiday & Rich are solid players and certainly Saunders & Ephremsen look well in on their handicaps if they play to their best, of course not forgetting ‘Mr 4 points’ himself Wallis who has a fine record overall the Southern team will not be found wanting.

Form Guide Prediction

In 2019, as predicted, it came down to the last couple of matches in the singles as did the 2017 event at Close House so we should expect the same again?, Rockcliffe Hall’s length will favour the North or will it? the overall handicaps see the South about seventeen shots better off with the North than they were at Old Thorns (5 extra for David Bell and a few more for Glenny than if Ulla was still in) so realistically that could tip the scales in the South’s favour, quite a few Northern players like Steve Hardwick have improved their handicaps significantly since the last Ryder Cup Challenge so again there’s another reason why we see such a gulf in shots for each sides now compared to last time, we could go on but the truth is this is set to go to the wire again and either side can win, no doubt the North did have some good fortune last time and I will take the South to grab that long awaited victory albeit tentatively and it goes without saying there will be 24 brilliant lads who will enjoy the occasion win, lose or draw, bring it on!

North 14 ½ pts … South 15 ½ pts

Form Guide Betting

10/11 – North win
11/8 – South win
12/1 – Tie

8/11 – North retain RC

Top overall points scorer

4/1 – Paul Ephremsen
5/1 – Jason Heath
11/2 – Andy Fearnsides
6/1 – Craig Lightowler
6/1 – Pete Burke
7/1 – Steve Tattersfield
7/1 – Martin Johnstone
8/1 – Martin Crossfield
8/1 – Terry Saunders
8/1 – Phil Lister
10/1 – Mark Wallis
10/1 – Rob Fleming
10/1 – Paul Rich
11/1 – Micky Baldwin
12/1 – Jimmy Curley
12/1 – Darren Mountain
12/1 – Gav Whitworth
14/1 – Jimmy Holiday
14/1 – Alan Doig
14/1 – Steve Hardwick
16/1 – Mark Glennister
16/1 – Ben Moyle
16/1 – Chris Ramm
20/1 – David Bell

Day 1 – Fourballs

Doig/Baldwin 4/5 v Johnstone/Glennister 13/8… Tie 7/1

Fleming/Crossfield 4/6 v Burke/Holiday 2/1 ….Tie 8/1

Curley/Lister 6/4 v Rich/Heath 8/11 …Tie 8/1

Fearnside/Lightowler 1/2 v Moyle/Bell 5/2… Tie 9/1

Hardwick/Ramm 5/4 v Ephremsen/Whitworth 10/11… Tie 7/1

Tattersfield/Mountain 11/10 v Wallis/Saunders 20/21 ..Tie 7/1

To lead after day 1

North 4/5 – South 11/8 ..Tie 7/2