2019 Cambridge meeting

For the second year, the meeting was kicked off with a match against the College staff, this year an 18 hole match at The Cambridgeshire. The weather was extremely hot, yet most enjoyed the golf and the outcome was a narrow victory to the Johnian golfers by 2 1/2 points to 1 1/2. Players for the Johnian Society were Nigel Snaith, Don Cave, David Lynas, Guy McDonnell, David Cairns, Peter Wilson Taylor, John Parker and Robert Ross and for the College and students Mark Nelligan, Jim Wocha, Ian Todd, Charlie Smith, Ed Gompurtz, Dr Winter, Matt Winter, Keith Pearson.

After dinner in the Wordsworth Room we were treated to an excellent speach by David Bonsall, current chair of the R&A rules committee, past captain of Royal St Georges and a Johnian. David's summary of his year to date gave an overview of the life of a tournament referee and let to numerous questions on various aspects of the rules.

For the golf on Friday we returned to John O'Gaunt, a course that we had played between 1986 and 2001. The weather was a complete change from the previous day and we were hit with thunderstorms in the morning, although there was an improvement in the afternoon. Peter Taylor won the Marshall Hall Cup with a very respectable (given the difficult conditions) 35 points. For the second year running, John Parker was runner up, also with 35 points, coming second on count-back. The Posnett Salver was won by Mike Frisby with a score of 106. Ian Sanders had the closest to the pin on the 16th and Nigel Snaith the longest drive on the 17th.

The afternoon greensomes was played over the Carthegia course, which has matured nicely since 2001. This was also very closely fought with Julian Gould and Robert Ross narrowly defeating Mike Frisby and Jon Mayer on count back with both pairs scoring 21 points. It should be noted that Mike and Jon's score would have been a winning one had they not failed to score on the final hole.

Dinner in the evening again took place in the Wordsworth Room with Colin Greenhalgh, past chair of the Johnian Society and current Johnian Society ambassador as our guest. Colin outlined his role as College obituary writer and summarised the lives of a number of Johnian golfers who left us in the past year before presenting the prizes. Nigel Snaith was awarded the tile for have had the misfortune to have the Marshall Hall Cup stolen while in his possession.

Colin Greenhalgh presenting the prizes to Peter Taylor, winner of the Marshall Hall Cup

Mike Frisby, Will Mayes, Peter Taylor, Jon Mayer, Robert Ross, David Cairns, Julian Gould, Don Cave, Jonathan Lawley, Guy McDonnell, Nigel Snaith, Ian Roberts, Peter Baird, George Clark, Carl Olsson, David Lynas, John Parker, Stuart Mayes, John Loosley, James Fox, David Maclean Paul Baker, Colin Greenhalgh