The 2024 Bainbridge Shield Final was held on Sunday 25th May at Sutton Coldfield Golf Club, between Olton Golf Club and Maxstoke Park Golf Club.
The course was in excellent condition and in the fast running conditions and a blustery wind to contend with all day, the players found it a little difficult in trying to get the ball close to the holes.
Maxstoke Park, represented by Joe Mellor and Jamie Ataria began the day coping better with the windy conditions and with an outward nine holes of two under par, this saw them into a four hole lead.
Olton players, Nick Brooker and Mike Pell, rallied on the back nine, with three birdies, but still went into lunch with a three hole deficit.
The afternoon round began with Maxstoke extending their lead to four holes after the opening four holes, but a strong finish to the outward nine by Olton, including birdie four’s at two of the par five holes, saw the Maxstoke lead reduced to just one hole at the start of the back nine. The next five holes were shared, two wins each and a half, including an eagle three by Olton on the par five fourteenth hole, resulting in Maxstoke remaining one up. However a par three for Olton at the fifteenth hole saw them back on level terms for the first time since the third hole of the morning round. The sixteenth hole was halved in par four’s before Maxstoke won the seventeenth hole to lead again. However an errant tee shot on the eighteenth hole from Maxstoke ensured that the match went into extra holes. The opening hole saw Olton with a chance to win with a putt for a birdie three but when this was missed Maxstoke bravely holed their three footer across the slope to secure a half. The second extra hole, a short par three, measuring just a hundred and thirty one yards but with the flag at the back of the green, Olton’s tee shot came up a little short, whilst the Maxstoke approach finished some twenty feet away from the flag just past pin high. Olton’s first putt was a little strong and left an eighteen footer back up the slope for their par three. Maxstoke putted first to within a couple of feet and when Olton’s putt for par just slid by the hole, Maxstoke holed their putt to win.
Congratulations to both pairs for getting to the Final which was played in a wonderful spirit with the win for Maxstoke being their first since 2017. Unfortunately for Mike he was unable to repeat his success when part of Olton’s last winning team in 2019.
A brief presentation was held on the first tee in which County President, Stu Bloxham praised both finalists and awarded the prizes. He also thanked Sutton Coldfield Golf Club for the condition of their course, for hosting the event and for the catering provided.
Mark Reynolds
