Of the four semi-finalists in this year’s championship, only Arnold Wong had won before. On his way to the semis, he had eliminated three-time winner and current Hong Kong Close Amateur champion Max Wong in a dramatic match that went 22 holes. Tim Orgill was twice a losing finalist. Doug Williams, four times the Club stroke play champion, had surprisingly still not won this title. Making up the four was top senior Joe Pethes, who was runner-up a few years ago.
Pethes was Hoganesque in his match against Williams, a highly formidable opponent. Hitting 16 greens in regulation and returning a score of 71, he pipped Williams on the last hole. In the match between Wong and Orgill, Orgill took advantage of a couple of unforced errors by the former in the middle of the round to move ahead and he duly won by 3&2.
The final was played on a beautiful day for golf, cool and breezy but dry. Pethes continued from where he left off the day before and, for seven holes, played flawlessly. He had gained a 2-up lead through six, aided by an exquisite high fade to within five feet of a difficult hole position on the second for a birdie. However, Orgill took three holes in a row from the seventh, which he birdied, and capitalised on uncharacteristic mistakes by Pethes on the eighth and ninth to turn 1-up. A birdie by the senior player on the 11th squared the match but he was losing his sharpness: a missed short putt on the 12th, combined with birdies by Orgill on 14 and 15 and a grievous mistake from the middle of the fairway on the 16th, meant that Pethes was suddenly four down. However, a brilliant birdie two on the 17th coupled with a rare mistake from his opponent on the 18th meant they went into lunch with Orgill only 2-up and the outcome far from certain.
In a 36-hole match, it is vital for the player who is down at lunch to get off to a good start in the afternoon. This was denied Pethes. Three dropped shots in the first four holes turned the tide for good; he was now 5-down. Orgill's game was getting stronger by the minute, and by the turn, which he reached in two-under-par, he was 8-up with only nine to play. Pethes fought on, winning the 11th, but the match ended on the very next hole – 7&6 to Orgill for his maiden Club Championship victory. The match was played in an excellent spirit and at an excellent pace.
Orgill has always been blessed with great power and elegance in his long game. This year, he has brought his short-game and putting up to the same level, and must now be considered a strong contender in all big amateur events.
In the “Junior Championship” for players with handicaps of 10 and above, Chris Knight beat long-hitting Jordan Rhodes by 2 &1.
Click here to see the published article.
