To loud cheering and shouts of glee echoing around Lambourne Golf Club, the Northcliffe and Press Golfing Society golfers celebrated the annual 25th anniversary match.

They nearly raised the roof as they all jumped from their chairs with arms raised in celebration……… but it was not for the result of the golf match that had just been played, England had beaten their old adversary, Germany in the Euro football knockout stage at Wembley.

The celebrations earlier for the Press Golfing Society’s narrow victory had already taken place during the football half time interval.

Though the shouts and cheers may not have been quite as loud as for the England victory, the applause and cheers were almost as vociferous.

As one Northcliffe member said with a big smile, it was one of the most fun losing days he had known.
With the morning first round 4xBall competition ending level with each team having four wins, the afternoon greensomes, cut back to 9-holes so that the teams would be able to watch England play, proved to be decisive for the PGS.

So many of the matches, both morning and afternoon, were decided on the tricky final greens, but the PGS 9-7 victory came with 4-wins and 2-matches halved in the second round after the lunch break.

Having lost the annual competition for the last four years to the Northcliffe at Woodhall Spa; Ferndown; Hoylake and Princes/Royal Cinque Ports, the PGS fielded a strong team under the Captaincy of Sky television producer Rob Hewer.

“It’s about time we stopped the rot and claimed the trophy. While the golf out on the course is always taken very seriously, it’s the camaraderie between all the media, newspaper and television golfers that makes this such a special competition.” Rob said as he was presented with the trophy by Northcliffe match Captain Will Flint.

“I’m not sure whoever wins the social side of this competition, but it is always a pretty close call, just like the match today.”

The Challenge Cup was donated by Northcliffe Golfing Society Chairman,Vyvyan Harmsworth for the annual match.

The overall result now stands at 14 wins for the Northcliffe, 9 for the PGS with two competitions halved.

The Northcliffe and the PGS are two of the oldest golfing societies in the country with the Northcliffe, formed in 1910 by Lord Northcliffe, founder of the Daily Mail newspaper, and the Press Golfing Society, formed in 1904.