TEAM USA
The Teams
Despite an over-zealous, presumably new, Monarch girl who almost insisted on Duncan emptying his entire bag at check-in the two teams were finally able to board the plane to Portugal. Two debutants joined the trip, Simon Scard and Dan Jennings.
2014 had seen the relentless star march by Coleen and Lob finally stopped in its tracks, with Nick joining them on four stars out of five visits. As the teams were drawn, the former two were pulled out opposite each other for the first time ever and, for an amazing third time in six, all three Taylor brothers ended up on the same side.
2014 had seen the relentless star march by Coleen and Lob finally stopped in its tracks. As the teams were drawn, for an amazing third time in six, all three Taylor brothers ended up on the same side...
Chris Hewison
Geordie
"Geordie" 26 (hcp)Mark Singer
Singer
"Singer" 18 (hcp)Colin Jennings
Coleen
"Coleen" 36 (hcp)Dan Jennings
Dan
"Dan" 17 (hcp)Simon Scard
Scardie
"Scardie" 18 (hcp)Owen Jones
Dyf
"Dyf" 28 (hcp)Simon Taylor
Roo
"Roo" 18 (hcp)Duncan Hayes
Sky
"Sky" 21 (hcp)Simon Carter
Carter
"Carter" 19 (hcp)Nick Taylor
Nick
"Nick" 8 (hcp)Geoff Kettle
Geoffrey
"Geoffrey" 14 (hcp)Clive Taylor
Lob
"Lob" 18 (hcp)The Venues
The course at Alamos had been very well received on our first visit last year, and the extremely watery Salgados was chosen for the fourballs on the first day.
Despite the ever-decreasing quality of the board, the atmosphere generated in Sully’s is always special so there was no question where the darts were to be played. The decision on the pool was left until the Saturday night and ended up being pretty simple – we’ll play in the bar that we’re already in.
The course at Alamos had been very well received on our first visit last year, and the extremely watery Salgados was chosen for the fourballs on the first day...
Solgados
Sully's
Alamos
Some Douchey Irish Bar
Day 1: Salgados - Fourball
Thanks to the later date of this year’s competition and the fact that the flight was perfectly on time it was almost a leisurely trip to the first golf of the weekend. In fact, there was even time for a bite to eat at Café Fino before we left Carvoeiro for the course.
Although the overhead shots on their website made it look as though the course was 80% water and 20% grass it turned out that as long as you were sensible from the tee it was reasonably easy to plot your way around.
With a perfectly timed flight, a leisurely trip to the first golf of the weekend, day 1 was up and running...
Match 1
Colin Jennings
Coleen
Owen Jones
Dyf
Simon Carter
Carter
Clive Taylor
Lob
Match 2
Mark Singer
Singer
Simon Scard
Scardie
Ducan Hayes
Sky
Nick Taylor
Nick
Match 3
Dan Jennings
Dan
Chris Hewison
Geordie
Geoff Kettle
Geoffry
Simon Taylor
Roo
Day 1 Result
Night 1: Sully's - Cricket Darts
Two very close matches…and the other one. The sharing around of the bonus points meant that both sides were in good spirits heading into the first darts of the weekend.
It might have been the close score, it might have been the long walk, it might even have been the huge Calzones weighing some people down… Something was making the atmosphere at Sully’s very tense on that first night. Pressure can do funny things to people, particularly when you’ve got someone trying to take a photograph of you from alongside the dartboard. It was also interesting to note that Sully’s own collection of darts were not required at any point. Is everyone taking this a bit too seriously nowadays?
After some superb pairs results, Team USA take a good lead into the evening...
Chris Hewison
Geordie
Mark Singer
Singer
Simon Scard
Scardie
Simon Carter
Carter
Nick Taylor
Nick
Geoff Kettle
Geoffrey
Day 1 Result
Day 2: Alamos - Singles
The day that the Gamebook app came into its own. Each game were able to keep a check on the progress of the other two and it meant that the last two buggies were cheered all the way up the last hole by a huge crowd of eight – all frantically hitting refresh to see what the match situation was!
With the exception of Clive hammering poor old unprepared Tid, the games were all pretty close, but once again USA edged the day...just.
With the exception of Clive hammering poor old unprepared Tid, the games were all pretty close, but once again USA edged the day...just.
Match 1
Simon Scard
Scardie
Duncan Hayes
Sky
Match 2
Dan Jennings
Dan
Geoff Kettle
Geoffrey
Match 3
Mark Singer
Singer
Clive Taylor
Lob
Match 4
Owen Jones
Dyf
Simon Carter
Carter
Match 5
Colin Jennings
Coleen
Simon Taylor
Roo
Match 6
Chris Hewison
Geordie
Nick Taylor
Nick
Day 2 Result
Night 2: Sully's - Cricket Darts
Another tense night in Sully’s, and once again the even split of the two teams was highlighted by the fact that the two matches were shared. That left the tantalising prospect of a first-ever match tie a very real possibility.
Another tense night in Sully’s, and once again an even split of the two teams...
Dan Jennings
Dan
Owen Jones
Dyf
Colin Jennings
Coleen
Clive Taylor
Lob
Duncan Hayes
Sky
Simon Taylor
Roo
Chris Hewison
Geordie
Mark Singer
Singer
Simon Scard
Scardie
Clive Taylor
Lob
Duncan Hayes
Sky
Simon Taylor
Roo
Chris Hewison
Geordie
Mark Singer
Singer
Simon Scard
Scardie
Simon Carter
Carter
Nick Taylor
Nick
Geoff Kettle
Geoffrey
Night 2 Result
Night 3: Bar Grum Pybitch - Pool
After a day watching Wales win the Six Nations despite the best efforts of England and France we had one happy Welshman and eleven still positive Englishmen. A perfect time to play pool... providing that someone remembers to bring the rules specially laminated by Owen for the occasion and not leave them in one of the bars that we visited earlier.
Ok, so we don’t have the rules – but the match isn’t close after all and we’re all grown men and we can remember most of the rules anyway... can’t we? Alright, so if we’re going to argue about it, let’s at least do it quietly so that we don’t interrupt the singer downstairs.
Two points would be enough for USA to win the cup, but three for Europe would tie the scores and we don’t have any rules about countbacks. This could get very messy...
In the end, USA won the first point to guarantee at least a share of the spoils and then, after Europe took the next match, it was left to the debutant Dan Jennings to sink the black that won the Ryder Cup for USA this year. Unfortunately, that last game had progressed quite quickly and half of each side were at the Chinese takeaway when the result was settled but the food was good even if the owner of the bar didn’t necessarily agree.
Two points would be enough for USA to win the cup, but three for Europe would tie the scores and we don’t have any rules about countbacks. This could get very messy...
Chris Hewison
Geordie
Mark Singer
Singer
Simon Scard
Scardie
Clive Taylor
Lob
Duncan Hayes
Sky
Simon Taylor
Roo
Dan Jennings
Dan
Owen Jones
Dyf
Colin Jennings
Coleen
Simon Carter
Carter
Nick Taylor
Nick
Geoff Kettle
Geoffrey
Dan Jennings
Dan
Owen Jones
Dyf
Colin Jennings
Coleen
Simon Carter
Carter
Nick Taylor
Nick
Geoff Kettle
Geoffrey
Night 3 Result
TEAM USA WIN
Key Moments
Another year another win for Team USA, but what makes the weekend is the classic banter between teams and 2015 was no exeption. With plenty of shits and giggles it is hard to pick a favourite...
- Dunc - Air shot on the 1st
- Carter - Calling a provisional when everyone had seen the splash forty yards into the lake
- Dan - Having to hacksaw his way into his clubs on the first morning only to find the padlock keys in his pocket on the last day
- Geordie - Gin and Tonics x 4 in 1 round
- Geordie - More cosmetics than boots and then bought more from boots and the left it all in the the van for the duration of the holiday
- Scardie - Grandads jumper
- Nick - Bull taking own wickets on European come back
- Owen - I'm going to launch this, followed by air shot, followed by not getting past the ladies
- Colin - double air shot
- Lob - saying to Nick I see you've got a team colour waterproof top. Did you know you were going to be on team Europe. Well I knew I was going to be wearing both tops
- Nick - with the current exchange rates we paid £79 for the hotel and golf! Er no we paid in £'s
- Dunc - Delaying 11 hungry men because he had to go and get his darts
- Dunc - I'm going to get a fresh bacon butty because this one is cold after Geoff lovingly prepared it
- Dunc - Kiss my darts!
- Geordie - Said unlucky mate to Col when he was still in the game. "I'm so sorry Col you've lost according to Gamebook". Er, hang on – I’m one down on the last!
- Carter - Water shots in Steak on a Plate
- Nick - Hair Dick
- Owen - 4 putting from 5ft
- Geordie - Rescue club into the centre of the 18th green, watched by a crowd, Geordie then four putting the last against Nick and having to be convinced that he had, in fact, still won
- Col - "what's the WIFI code" Nick " Up the Hammers" repeat 3 times. FFS I haven't just turned into a West Ham fan in the last 10mins it's up the hammers.
- Geordie - Oooh Swansea 1 Villa 0. 45 mins after full time
- Colin - Air shot with a putter!
- Nick - premature pool celebrations
- Geordie - Voice breaking "FOUR"
- Duncan - 4 iron breaking – couldn’t find the ball OR the club head!
- Roo - Premature embroidery of his next star, some stitch picking needed