Alex Kippen and Matt Lea clinch Foursomes Championship with steady golf as morning leaders fail to master the deteriorating conditions. 

Alex Kippen and Matt Lea with Somerset President Dennis Longden    

Junior Vice President Stephen Butterfield and his son, playing in the foursomes together for the first time, had a torrid time trying to tame this difficult links championship course but they were not alone as the morning scores were somewhat disappointing. Only 11 of the 36 pairs could manage to score under 80 leaving the field wide open for a good afternoon round capable of winning the championship.

Leading after the morning round was county first team regulars Craig Adams fom Farrington and Stuart Ponfield from The Mendip with a solid 71. Hot on their heels were Connor O'Dell and Robert Parker from Taunton & Pickeridge and Jeremy Larcombe and Ellis Cook from Burnham & Berrow both with 73. Play was slower than the championship committee had anticipated and players were advised that the referees would be warning players before issuing a penalty if slow play continued into the afternoon round. Surprisingly the afternoon round was played at a much better pace although still slower than the committee expected.

With 5 pairs within 4 shots of the morning leaders the championship was still wide open. Early leaders were O'Dell and Parker with 81 for a total of 154 and they remained in the lead for much of the afternoon. Adams and Ponfield, with a second round of 79 still managed to take the lead with a total of 150. Larcombe and Cook, with a disappointing 80 could only manage a total of 153. Curtis Edwards from Saltford and David Gregory from Burnhan & Berrow had a 79 for a 154 total. With the best of the afternoon score of 76 Alex Kippen from Enmore Park and Matt Lea from Saltford went to the top of the leaderboard with a total of 149 with just two pairs left on the course. Laurie Canter from Saltford and Charlie Cossins from Bath could only manage a 154. Phil White from Wells and Matt Kippen from Enmore Park, the posssible lead pairing for South West Week, had left too much to do after a morning 78 and could only manage a total of 153.

Congratulations to Alex Kippen and Matt Lea, the 2009 County Foursomes Champions.

Preseting the prizes Somerset President Dennis Longden thanked Burnham & Berrow for hosting the Foursomes Championship and in particular to Richard Whyman the Course Manager for the excellent way he had presented the course.