On Sunday Fynn Valley provided the venue for the Suffolk Matchplay Finals. 4 men, 4 seniors and 4 juniors would collide with half of that field needed to complete 36 holes in order to crown three champions.
The Junior semi finals were first to go out with Patrick Coffey taking out Henry Ridgeon 5&4. Bailee Taylor who was due to compete in the other semi sadly was unable to overcome injury meaning William Cobbald went straight through to the final. Patrick had got off to a fast start in the morning and it was no different in the afternoon where he found himself 6 up through 9 holes. A few years younger, William Cobbold battled hard winning a hole back on 11 but Patrick’s quality proved too much and he closed his match out on the 13th hole.
The seniors went next. The all Stowmarket clash between Andy Grogan and Matthew Rawlings took a playoff hole to decide an outcome at which point Rawlings made his way into the final. Nick Stinson of Brett Vale and Ian Brown of Ipswich GC went head to head on the other side of the draw. Ian had a little too much for Nick on the day coming out 4&3 winner and earning the right to take on Rawlings in the afternoon. A super match was had between Ian and Matthew in which Matthew would take a hole for Ian to take one back and it stayed tight right until the end. So tight in fact it would be Matthew’s second play off of the day. After a fine shot into the first play off hole Ian couldn’t convert his 5 foot putt to win, but on the second he was far more clinical. With Matthew out of position a simple par would be enough to see Ian Brown take the Platten Salver back to Ipswich.
Finally the men could go to battle for the Presidents Mashie. Josh Robertson and Taylor Crisp had a tense match that Josh managed to take on the last. Meanwhile defending champion Ben Sayers also had his work cut out but managed to get past Will Wright 3&1 to join Josh in the final. Ben got up fast and found himself 4 up through 6 holes but Josh wasn’t about to roll over and after an incredible birdie from the fairway bunker on 12 the difference was only one hole. Sayers though is a real matchplay specialist and knew just how to turn it on when he needed it. A long birdie putt on 13 and a birdie putt conceded on 14 meant he was back at 3 up and Josh was running out of holes. The players then halved their way to a result that meant Ben Sayers is the 2025 Mens Matchplay champion, retaining the Presidents Mashie. Only the second player in history to do so.
