With just a couple of weeks or so to go now, Mark Wallis (South) has issued his always  indispensable Form Guide for 2024, the 11th renewal of this wonderful event. Some great insights and stats here, and some decent jokes and jibes too. Enjoy.

Match & Venue

Venue – The Belfry Hotel & Resort

Courses – The Brabazon & the PGA National

Field – 24 players (North vs South)

Previous Winners – North 7, South 1, Tied 2

Holders – North

Courses Overview

The Brabazon – Set in the heart of the midlands just outside Birmingham the Belfry Hotel & Resort has one of the most iconic golf courses in the world in the shape of the Brabazon, most famous for hosting the Ryder Cup in 1985, 1989, 1993 & 2002 (and the Calco Cup in 2011) where Europe was victorious twice, one drawn & one defeat, it also hosted the Calco Cup in 2011 where Alan Doig battled to a narrow victory, the Brabazon has everything, long at nearly 6,500 yds off the yellows, majestic fairways, dog legs, water hazards, perilous bunkers and carpet like undulating greens it’s a dream to play but ultra tough and perfect for match play, with signature holes like the par 5 3rd, the risky par 4 driveable 10th and possibly one of the most famous par 4 closing holes where a drive over water to the fairway has a second shot over the lake for the brave or a lay up if a lead needs protecting, a real cliff hanger if you are level coming into this hole!

The PGA National – undoubtedly a slightly easier course than the Brabazon it has the feel of an inland links with fast fairways & plenty of water hazards on 8 holes while the strategically placed bunkers require a certain amount of course management skills, at just over 6,100 yds off the yellows it’s still reasonably long while, like the Brabazon, it has plenty of fast undulating greens, perfect to ease us into the Ryder Cup Challenge on day 1 and should compliment the day 2 afternoon foursomes.

Story of 2022

With Covid delaying our Ryder Cup Challenge by a year it was clear that the visit to Rockcliffe Hall, near Darlington, was much needed, many of the two teams had endured a difficult couple of years as we were gripped by the world pandemic. Captain of our Northern hosts was the popular Alan Doig, thrust into the role after two Ryder Cups, Doigy had spent a long time choosing the perfect place to resume the 10th edition of the North v South golf fest and he was spot on with the venue, Rockcliffe Hall presented a long testing course that certainly suited the North’s style but the South’s captain, Martin Johnstone, was equally sure of a big showing from his Southern players, with fair handicaps set by the two captains a month before and many players getting the chance to greet each other for the first time in 3 years due to Covid it made us all realise that these occasions are so very special. Amazingly there was just one change from the sides that played in 2009 and that was the South’s captain at Old Thorns, Kevin Ulla, who had moved to Abu Dhabi for work, being replaced by rookie Mark Glennister who was warmly welcomed by all.

The South were dealt a cruel blow on day 1 as Jimmy Holiday & Paul Rich’s clubs were stolen the night before from Paul’s vehicle outside of a hotel down the road from Rockcliffe where team South had gathered in preparation for the event, the staff at Rockcliffe were superb and very accommodating lending both players some decent clubs, no excuses were to be given as play got underway in pleasant but chilly & windy conditions, the opening game gave the Southern Captain a perfect start as he & rookie Glenister romped to a 6 & 4 victory over the strong Northern pairing of Doig & Baldwin, the North hit back quickly winning the next 3 matches, Ephremsen & Whitworth got one back beating Hardwick & Ramm 3 & 2 and the mornings play looked set to be all square when Saunders & Wallis had a great chance to go 1 up with two to play over Mountain & Tattersfield before ‘Kickgate’ on the 16th, say no more 😂 the Northern pair went on to win 2 & 1 and the first day ended with the North 4-2 up

A gruelling but brilliant golf day on Friday saw the morning fourballs go the way of the North again 4-2 , the North’s captain, Alan Doig, successfully used the tactics of not changing the pairings from the day before and incredibly four of the six matches went down the 18th with the other two finishing on the 17th, both Mountain & Tattersfield and Crossfield & Fleming remained unbeaten for the North, with the score standing at 8-4 to the hosts, the South’s captain Martin Johnstone had work to do galvanising his troops for the popular afternoon foursomes.

The break between the morning & afternoon play and Johnstone’s team talk worked wonders as the South rattled off the first three matches to get the score back to 8-7, all the matches ended up being won 4 & 3 but the North hit back as captain Doig led from the front with his partner Fearnsides beating a battling Holiday & Rich 2 & 1 while Fleming & Ramm beat Moyle & Whitworth 5 & 3, after a couple of defeats the South’s pair Bell & Burke bounced back to beat the in form Crossfield & Lightowler convincingly 8 & 6 to end the days play with the North now holding a slender but important 8-6 lead, was the momentum now with the South? at the evening dinner you would have certainly thought so as many of the South were in great spirits with Burke going through his limitless song book

Down to 12 single matches on the final day and both captains were excited & nervous as they set out to play each other in the first match, as is the now the tradition, Johnstone was virtually unplayable as he blitzed Doig 7 & 6 and this was quickly followed up by an equally unplayable vice captain Ephremsen as he trounced Tattersfield 8 & 6 to level the scores at 10-10, the North hit back with wins for the RC veterans Curley & Mountain in tight games over Saunders & Glenister to restore the North 2 point lead but a hugely popular 3 & 2 victory for the South’s Bell over Crossfield and a hard fought half for Moyle v Baldwin set up a grandstand finish with both captains in the clubhouse anxiously awaiting news of the last 5 singles to come in, sadly for the South it suddenly fell apart the chuckle brothers Lister & Hardwick hammered Whitworth & Rich and then a surprising Ramm victory over Heath 2 & 1 meant that Fleming’s putt on the 16th to beat a battling Holiday proved to be the putt that won the 10th Ryder Cup Challenge for the North much to the delight of captain Alan Doig who looked like he had just won the lottery as he celebrated with his victorious side at the 19th, the last two matches also fell the way of the North on the 17th to make the final score 17 1/2 pts to 12 1/2 to the North, maybe the final score line not reflecting on how close the whole competition was. Special mention to Rob Fleming who was the only player on both sides to secure all four points in the event.

Once again the overall occasion was truly memorable and the sportsmanship & camaraderie shown by all is unrivalled in amateur golf, it’s a privilege to be captain and in Alan Doig & Martin Johnstone we had two special people, roll on May 24!

The Players

South

PAUL EPHREMSEN (handicap 16) (Captain)

Ryder Cups played 5….matches won 8 ..halved 3..lost 6

Has the all important home captain role and quickly got in at The Belfry for the venue, a fine choice that will be perfect fit for a Ryder Cup Challenge with its first class facilities, it’s been 21 years since the last Southern victory (2 draws) and Mr E will look to change that, will also look to improve on a very decent record in this event and was the leading Southern points scorer at Rockcliffe Hall, the handicaps have been generous to both sides given the degree of difficulty of the courses and off 16 Paul can use his decent length off the tee to put pressure on his opponents, if the putter is remotely working he will be difficult to beat but more importantly will he will be holding that elusive trophy in the air once he dries off from jumping in the lake at the 18th!

BEN MOYLE (21) – played 10 – won 11..halved 3.. lost 18

Experience counts for a lot in this format and only a special few can match Ben having played in every event from 2003, constant sports injuries have seen his handicap drop a touch but he loves a battle like his beloved pet, the great Calco Flyer, and like him he is a born winner who is practicing like mad to avenge some close defeats at Rockcliffe, an excellent short game will be much needed on these tough courses, has a very good record in the singles

DAVID BELL (33) – played 10 – won 8 ..lost 24

Still amazingly never halved a match, played very well in the last couple of RC’s and I’ve never seen him practice so hard for this year event, these are tough courses for high handicappers like David but he is up to the task and if using his shots to his advantage he will once again be a tough nut to crack, another never to miss an event and one of the reasons this is still a fun event and not just a golf trip, no doubt a dozen big victory cigars will be provided by Mr Bell for his southern team mates come Saturday afternoon or perhaps it will be 12 camel lights if it goes pear shaped!

MARK WALLIS (22) – played 8 – won 12 ..halved 3 ..lost 11

Considering he’s yet to taste a Southern triumph the clown prince of WhatsApp has a pretty decent overall record and is the South’s all time leading points scorer, sure to be getting under the North’s skins leading up to the big event (all in good fun) he can often back it up with some battling displays, reaching a milestone birthday this year the only present he wants is the trophy being held aloft by his captain Mr Ephremsen on Saturday afternoon, couldn’t have asked for a better partner in the opening fourballs in rookie & great friend Scott Fraser and the match between Doig & Baldwin is the star billing of the first afternoon (well that’s what he thinks!) Looks sure to partner his fellow greyhound trainer Jason Heath in the foursomes as they are undefeated in three RC’s

GAV WHITWORTH (13) – played 7 – won 10 .. halved 2 .. lost 11

Ultra competitive and at last Gav can feel that elusive Southern victory coming, working his hardest to peak at the right time his game is in good shape and handicap coming down year after year, excellent in all departments and balls of steel to go with it, now a veteran of these RC’s this being his eighth event, he is good friends with the Northern boys and desperate to have some bragging rights over them for the next couple of years at least! Immensely popular with all and possibly the key player for the South for the dream to become a reality.

MARTIN JOHNSTONE (14) – played 5 – won 10 ..halved 1.. lost 6

Another Southern player with an excellent record particularly in the foursomes & singles which signifies how close these events have been over recent years, no one loves these occasions more than our retired ex bookie who now enjoys playing plenty of golf in his spare time and handicap coming down all the time, great captain at Rockcliffe and definitely a player the North boys fear being drawn against as so so competitive, unorthodox but effective swing and will be like a wasp in the Norths face as the putts drop in again & again!

PAUL RICH (17) – played 5 – won 6 ..halved 3 ..lost 8

Without doubt one of the most significant introductions to the Calco/RC a few years ago now with his good friend Jimmy, I did tell the Southern/Northern boys a few years ago when they rocked up from Kent that they will be popular and once again I was not wrong! Both have won Calcos and both seem to be the centre of attraction on many occasions. Now the golf can be erratic at times for Mr Rich but on his day he is unplayable, working really hard on his game at the moment he will want to erase the memories of Rockcliffe where his stolen clubs clearly affected his game, has a crucial first match with partner David Bell against Lister & Curley and now maturing as a player can bring the bacon home for team South, my fancy to score the winning putt for the South on Saturday afternoon

JIMMY HOLIDAY (18) – played 5 – won 5 ..halved 2 ..lost 11

There are 24 characters in these events that make them truly memorable and none more so than our beloved ‘David Bellamy’ lookalike, one thing we can guarantee is at some point he will bring a tear to our eyes, a record that will improve in the coming years simply because he is an excellent golfer when on song, a swing to die for and superb around the greens, could even get up & down out of his own beard if he had to! I feel this is his time as courses are made for his game!

TERRY SAUNDERS (21) – played 3 – won 5 …lost 6

‘Big Tel’ has everything you need to add to this great event, a true gentleman and great people person, one thing that has kept his spirits up when going through hell a couple of months ago with some major surgery, one that had severe complications, is the thought of playing in this year’s Ryder Cup Challenge at the Belfry, its been a real battle getting 100% fit but thankfully for captain Ephremsen he looks good to go. Wallis is on his case with ‘don’t be so nice all the time’! (only kidding of course) but on his day he can make his handicap look ridiculous and if the South are to be victorious a lot depends on Tel being right on it, has a lovely short game that is ultra important on these tough courses, the event would be all the worse if he wasn’t taking part.

JASON HEATH (7) – played 3 – won 7 ..halved 1 ..lost 4

Brings undoubted quality to the Southern team both on & off the course and now vice captain which shows he has great character, with Pete Burke our only absentee from Rockcliffe Jason is now our stand out best golfer and his overall record means the Northern players will desperately want to miss him in the draw, great all round game and totally unflappable under pressure, like so many loves this format that’s rarely played in amateur golf, sadly though no bragging rights for his beloved ‘Saints’ in the championship as Leeds sit above them in the table but we could be seeing some play off dramas!

MARK GLENISTER (16) – played 1 – won 2 ..lost 2

Came in as a rookie at Rockcliffe and by all accounts he fully acknowledged the event exceeded all expectations both on & off the course, a solid debut produced two victories and his four ball partnership with MJ will be a real force to be reckoned with over the years. Vastly improved ‘Leftie’ golfer and spends countless hours down the range to fine tune his good all round game, not one of the most vocal team members but the feedback from the Northern boys was that ‘Glenny’ was a superb fit into the fold.

SCOTT FRASER (13) – Rookie

A great friend over the years to a few of the South’s team, his Southern Scotland address means it’s a very tenuous way into the team but realistically when all is done & dusted I’m sure the boys from both the North & South will be saying what a great call having Scott amongst us, he has none other than Pete Burke’s shoes to fill as Pete is not available, Scott loves his golf and the social side and is more than a decent golfer with a fine all round game that includes great course management skills, he will not make too many mistakes and that’s crucial in matchplay, as the only rookie on the event we warmly welcome him aboard.

North

MARTIN CROSSFIELD (15) – Captain – played 2 – won 3 ..lost 2

Northern Captain after 2 Ryder Cup Challenges and certainly a great choice as he will revel in the role, the ‘quiet assassin’ is in great form himself ripping it up off a generous handicap and is improving all the time in every department, will lead from the front and by all accounts he will not accept anything less than 100 % from his team, he will be a steel fist in a velvet glove, teams up with Rob Fleming again on day 1 and this formidable partnership will look to make it 4 from 4 when paired together, one day there will be a losing Northern captain, it’s inevitable!, but perhaps not on Martin Crossfield’s watch!

STEVE HARDWICK (12) – Played 10 – won 14 ..halved 2.. lost 16

Mr Calco himself is another we all have to thank for starting this great event some 21 years ago, his golf has improved dramatically over the years and was a single figure handicapper not that long ago, form dipping alarmingly and much to the South’s amusement came away from Rockcliffe pointless, but always takes the ribbing in good fashion and gives as good as he gets, injuries have been a real issue over the last year or two and his latest tennis/golfers elbow is cause for concern though rumour has it that it’s drilldo related! On his day a cracking golfer and like a few unplayable when it clicks but will we ever see the Hardwick/Lister partnership again? probably not as they still haven’t got over the hammering they got from Wallis/Saunders in 2019!

DAZ MOUNTAIN (19) – Played 10 – won 19 ..halved 2 ..lost 11

A force to be reckoned with and in my humble opinion not just the highest all time points scorer but the best Ryder Cup Challenge golfer since the whole event started 21 years ago which probably deserves more recognition than it gets, not because he’s a low or high handicapper just because he turns up and never under performs, tremendous scrambler and relentlessly consistent, and to go with all this just a genuinely nice guy, teams up in the fourballs with Steve Tattersfield again after the success at Rockcliffe though their opponents Heath & Moyle did beat them at Old Thorns in 2019, we don’t see each other as often as we like but when we do it’s always a real pleasure

JIMMY CURLEY (24) – played 7 – won 9..halved 3 ..lost 12

I always give our veteran a bit of stick but he loves it and takes it in good spirit, Jimmy is one of the first names on the team sheet and defies his age, plays plenty of golf in his retirement which keeps him both physically & mentally fit, like him, we all hope we can still hit a ball as well as he does when we reach our mid eighties! Maybe hasn’t got as many shots back as he would like and recent back problems could play a part in his quest to beat some more Southerners as he has done regularly over the years, always a delight to be with off the course and a real Calco talisman

PHIL LISTER (13) – Played 6 – won 10 ..halved 2 .. lost 8

A match player to be feared and was in excellent form at Rockcliffe racking up 3 vital points for the North en route to another victory, probably no better striker of the irons in either side and looked in great form on his recent ‘European Tour’, knocking in birdies for fun, can’t keep saying though he’s a total fruit cake and no one quite knows what’s going on in that ‘Lister’ head at any time, the Jimmy Holiday of the North and ‘every days a bonus’ loves to see the Southerners squirm, we love him to bits & for sure and definitely a player the South need to beat if they have any hope of finally winning this event

STEVE TATTERSFIELD (9) – played 5 – won 10..halved 4 ..lost 3

One of the greatest players to grace this whole fabulous event, he has put the grit into the Northern side since he teed it up a few years ago, another born winner with a record to die for, question is has he peaked? Now he’s not just using geriatric hybrid drivers & 2 woods but hybrid irons as well! We did see some chinks in his armour at Rockcliffe and talk of chipping yips is all across social media! The team talk down South is if we stop Tatts we stop them winning, that might be easier said than done, off the course he’s a real character and always great fun and epitomises what this is all about

ANDY FEARNSIDES (11) – played 4 – won 9 ..halved 1 ..lost 4

Has become one of the North’s total rocks and his record speaks for itself, how he has never won a Calco Cup in September is beyond me! fiercely competitive on the course and when every aspect of his game clicks nigh on unbeatable but more importantly off the course a true gentleman, the Northern guys must realise he’s the the true leader of the whole team who’s advice and encouragement is worth 4 points every RC, Coco will make sure he’s on his case but even he can’t get to him these days. Like a few Northern players it’s been difficult to get the practice & rounds in with our filthy wet weather and a couple of weeks ago he openly admits he couldn’t win if he was a 28 handicapper, but I’ve been reliably informed it’s clicking and that spells trouble for all the Southern team!

ROB FLEMING (8) – played 4 – won 11..halved 1 ..lost 2

Of all the players from both sides who have played 3 or more Ryder Cup Challenge events Mr Fleming has the best overall record having only ever tasted defeat in two matches, indeed at Rockcliffe he was the only player to score maximum points for the event, make no mistake he plays off a tough handicap and basically just digs deep when he needs to, if all departments are firing as they normally are then captain Crossfield will have some more points in the bag, the Southern boys are fancying lowering his colours this year as we are hearing his warm up practice is causing a few nightmares and a set of new irons could be getting aired, off the course, like so many, he is another big character and revels in Southern misery with Coco his main target for banter!

MICKY BALDWIN (13) – played 3 – won 6 ..halved 1 ..lost 4

Micky B! What can we say that we already haven’t said over the years, for me a total delight to be in his company and a man I have the upmost respect for, a Calco legend who has already shown what a tough nut he is to crack on the golf course and matchplay is right up his street, always trying to improve he has added some more swing changes (not again!) and I’m hearing he couldn’t be happier with some exemplary ball striking recently, sadly the putting has been woeful to the point a new mallet one is making an appearance, teams up with Doigy (3 from 4) to take on Wallis/Fraser on day 1 and no doubt the galleries will be following this match more than any other!

ALAN DOIG (13) – played 3 – won 7 ..lost 4

Still revelling in the glory of captaining the North to victory at Rockcliffe two years ago Doigy is also another with a fine record in these events, his handicap has improved with maturity and is well suited to this format, a bit unorthodox but when his timing is good it’s very good and so sharp on the greens, just back from a belated honeymoon he is practising like mad and will not want to get beat in the opening days fourball, The Belfry will bring back some great memories having fluked the Calco at this iconic venue in 2011, over the years I’ve had some great times with ‘big Al’ and look forward to many more.

CHRIS RAMM (17) – played 3 – won 4..halved 1 ..lost 6

Another big character from the North and our ‘sharp shooter’ has had a little more time for golf these days which could spell trouble for the South, the Belfry will suit his game where length is an advantage on many holes, doesn’t have any weaknesses and handicapped nicely as well, imo underrated he could well be my bet to be top overall point scorer for the event, as usual he will no doubt be entertaining us all in the evening as well and more than likely reminding us of his days great shots!

CRAIG LIGHTOWLER – played 2 – won 5 ..halved 1 ..lost 2

A strong introduction for the North’s side back at Old Thorns and has had two stellar RC’s, very good off the tee and a crisp striker of the ball on the fairways, would not be far off a single figure handicapper if brushing up on his short game and does seem to spend more time in the sand than a 5 year old at Blackpool beach, a great lad and very competitive and always a delight to see him again

Form Guide Summary

I enjoy writing the above though it’s getting boring reading about the North’s victories once again! And obviously we have religiously tipped the South to win since I first started doing the Form Guide, there’s absolutely no doubt the South have been slightly unlucky not to have won the last three renewals of this great event but at the end of the day the trophy keeps heading up North to Yorkshire! Will it do so again??

This year is the South’s home leg and we have another two great captains in Paul Ephremsen & Martin Crossfield, Paul has chose The Belfry rather than drag the North a couple of hundred miles South but this will be remembered as one of the best venues to grace the Ryder Cup Challenge and Paul has every angle covered to make sure the teams want for nothing and enjoy this special event.

Handicaps are always a contentious issue but I feel between the two captains they have got it spot on, the South have a handful of shots back from their 5 point defeat at Rockcliffe which is more than fair and takes in how difficult the courses are, especially the iconic Brabazon which would always favour the lower handicaps, to be precise the Norths average handicap at Rockcliffe was 14.0 and is now 14.25 while the South was 16.58 and is now 17.58, that would represent a 12 shot swing but with Pete Burke out and Scott Fraser in it adjusts to a 6 shot swing, as I say spot on in the context of fairness, well done both captains!

Amazingly there is just one change from 2022 where Scott Fraser comes into the Southern side in place of Pete Burke, tough shoes to fill of course but we warmly welcome Scott and hope he enjoys the event with all its banter and great history. Now which way is this going to go, Paul Ephremsen is delighted with his sides preparation and the hard hours have well & truly gone in, can the South find that crucial bit of fight and luck to get over the line this time is the big question?

The holders for the umpteenth time, the North, have certainly found preparation tough with an incredible amount of wet weather over the last 3 months making courses unplayable but with just over two weeks to go their games will be fine tuned and dangerously fresh, they will be licking their lips at these courses where length is certainly an advantage. Martin, interestingly, has chosen the same pairs as what played both fourballs at Rockcliffe, not just that particular RC (8-4 up) but overall the North have always came out the traps quicker than the South, it’s crucial for team Ephremsen that this is addressed because without a doubt the South historically have the edge in Foursomes (alternate shots) which is my favourite format, unlike any similar golf event we have the full history of stats on this great website and massive thanks to David Bell for keeping it updated over the years!

So Saturday we move to the crucial 12 singles on the Brabazon, the South have tried to make some brave comeback’s particularly at Close House in 2017 and we have seen drama after drama over the years, Old Thorns in particular! How many matches will come up the iconic 18th?? The Amphitheatre of the green will be truly awesome and which winning captain will be taking the plunge in the Lake (or more likely be drowned in champagne or beer!) is anyone’s guess, what I do know win, lose or draw the 11th Ryder Cup Challenge will be contested by the most sporting and best set of lads I could ever wish to meet, for the record Form Guide is going for a 16-14 win for the North (in the hope it’s final prediction is wrong again!) thank you for reading my dribble and look forward for the battle to commence.

Form Guide Betting

The South – 1/1
The North – 1/1
Draw – 10/1

P.S. I will quite happily price any matches up