Shandon turn tables on Miramar to win Duncan Cup

Paraparaumu beach turned on a stunning day on Sunday. A vast contrast from the final one year earlier.

Previously unbeaten Miramar were hot favourites heading into the final of the Duncan Cup, the supreme interclub competition of Wellington Golf. The champions of the past 3 years were humbled by a Shandon team that played the better golf throughout the day.

Taking the positives from Shandon’s two previous encounters/losses to Miramar, the team turned up prepared to continue recent good performances in the morning foursomes,

4 – 1 results in the two previous Matches, and early leads were gained by the Luke Leesburg/ Steven Thomson and Mark Whalen/ Zabe Orchard combinations. These two pairs continued on to post comfortable 4 & 3 results and a further wins to Fasi Tuulima and Richard Pegg and a halved result to Mike Trass and Myles Averns saw a useful 3.5- 1.5 lunchtime lead gained.

Previous poor afternoon singles results ensured a keen focus and a start from scratch attitude was taken into the afternoon singles matches. The catch cry was “to win you simply need to play well”

Leesburg and Thomson established early leads in the lead out games Leesburg continuing on to an impressive 7 & 6 win and Thomson achieving a good 2 & 1 win. The rest of the team began to follow suit, all playing very good golf and slowly the Shandon team nosed ahead.

Tuulima played great golf, but came up against a Thomas Spearman-Burn who was under the card. Mark Whalen, the team’s best performed player this season maintained a lead throughout to eventually win 1up. Captain, Zabe Orchard outplayed Paraparaumu local David James 2/1 and with Peter Brinsdon accounting for fellow rep player Adam Church 3 & 2, Shandon had the points required. Averns and Trass had narrow losses, and the day was then completed by Richard Pegg and Marc Jennings recording wins at the top of the order.

With 7 wins in the singles Shandon completed a stunning victory. Shandon moved to their 12th win in Duncan Cup history one more than Miramar.