It's Pearson Time Again

OK Ladies I have held off long enough but it is time to get back into Pearson mode!!

The Fixtures meeting for this years competition is being held on Monday 1st October when we will find out who we have to play this year. So that we can update you with this information I would like to have a Get Together on:

Tuesday 2nd October with an 8.30am start.

I know some of you will be playing the Medal that day so 1 hope you will be able to join us for lunch.

I hope you will all want to take part again in this years competition especially as we will be defending our title of Four County Champions. We are now the team to beat and will need to be ready for matchplay when our games start in November.

So please can you confirm you wish to be included in this years squad by either adding your name to this post or the Sign Up List which is in the Ladies Changing Rooms.

Can you also please let me know whether you can make the Get Together on the 2nd October or if you intend to play the medal whether you will be joining us for lunch.

We will be arranging the normal round robin groups and details should be available at the Get Together.

Our Next Get Together will be on Tuesday 30th October.

Look forward to seeing you all soon.

A day in the Life of a Pearson Captain!

After three years of looking after West Malling's Pearson team I woke up at 4pm on Thursday 19th July wondering what the day had in store. I was taking the team to Clandon Regis to represent Kent in the Four Counties Final against Surrey, Hertfordshire and Middlesex, something I had only ever dreamed might be possible. And I was going without Brenda who was in Finland on holiday.

 I had had such a great day at North Foreland in June when the ladies won the coveted Kent Pearson trophy but the Four Counties Final was definitely unchartered waters. Could we do it again, did I dare dream!!  We had certainly done all the planning - the ladies had gone for their practice rounds, Judith had stepped in for Brenda and organised all the food, we had our new shirts proudly stating that we were Kent champions and we had our transport arranged to take us to Surrey. And I also knew that  the ladies would be up for the challenge.

I arrived at West Malling at 5.45am to find everyone there and loading their kit onto the coach. We left the club about 6am but soon we were shouting at the coach driver that he was going the wrong way. We had the M25 to contend with and could do without the driver not knowing the way! As it was the M25 and the driver behaved themselves and we pulled into Clandon Regis just after 7am. The kit was unloaded (including a number of bottles of champagne!) and we found our way into the men's changing room which we were sharing with 2 other teams.

Breakfast followed, coffee and bacon baguettes and then many of the early starters went out to the putting green whilst I sorted out the cards with our semi-final opponents Hanbury Manor of Hertfordshire. Our team for this match was Debbie Conder, Kelly Hanson, Caroline Harrison, Rena Jones, Julie Harris, Stella Pitt and Carol Eldridge.

The matches started at 8.30am and ran alternately with the other semi-final between Ealing and Wimbledon Park and it was nearly two hours before all the matches were on the course. Just as Carol teed off on the 1st Debbie was coming up the 9th. A quick word with caddy Kevin nearly gave me a heart attack as I was told she was 5 down. A wind up (that was naughty Kevin) as Debbie won the 9th to go 6 up - looking good and running out a comfortable winner. As it was all the remaining matches were close with Kelly and Caroline coming out on top in closely contested matches giving us a 3 - 0 lead. Hanbury Manor however showed why they are the Herts champions with wins against Rena, Stella and Carol levelling the match at 3 - 3 and we found ourselves once again following Julie down the 19th. And we should have had no doubt what the outcome was to be as yet again Julie triumphed playing the hole perfectly. We were through to the final -wow!!

Our final opponents were to be Ealing and suddenly the Four Counties trophy was in our reach. And we still had some secret weapons to unleash namely Lindsay Hart and Pat Donovan who were both unlucky not to have played in the mornings matches. And they both rose to the challenge winning their matches on the 16th levelling the match score at 2 - 2 after both Debbie and Kelly lost their matches on the 14th. Rena then won her match putting us 3 -2 up and we needed just one more win from either Caroline or Julie. And Caroline got there first winning her match on the 18th and West Malling were the Four Counties Champions. On this occasion Julie could relax as it wasn't down to her but even then she was still doing the business being 2up when she was called off the course to join in the celebrations.

And celebrate we did both on the course and later in the bar with all our fabulous supporters before we were presented with the magnificent Pearson Trophy. Then the official photos before we piled back onto our coach. The return journey seemed to go pretty quickly as we continued our celebrations demolishing the champagne we had cheekily brought with us in the morning. When we got back to the club both Kevin and Katie joined in our celebrations with more champagne and drinks until eventually we all drifted off home to enjoy a well earned rest.  

I don't think I told you ladies on the day how proud I was of you all, players, caddies and supporters. It has been such a terrific year and you have given your all to the Pearson cause and you should be so proud to call yourselves Four Counties Champions.

And now I am dreaming of defending our title...........