Gibraltar Golf Club has won the 2019 White Horse Cup. The White Horse Cup is the longest running interclub match play competition in the Illawarra.
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The format is handicap match play and is for players with GA handicaps up to a maximum of 24.
The competition is divided into four divisions of five teams, with the division winners playing off in semi-finals. It is the first win for a Southern Highlands Club since the competition began in 1934.
The Gibraltar White Horse Cup team was made up of - Brendan Dodds, Wayne Knapp, Dennis Harelle, Greg Morgan captain, Paul Knock, Scott Fleeton, Bryce Morgan and Ash Druery.
To progress to the final the team negotiated a delicate path, to make the semi-final they had to record a 5-1 victory over local rivals Highlands at Highlands. They managed to climb this mountain to record a stunning victory and book a place in the semi-finals against last year's champions Kiama at Shellcove Links.
With the match drawn at 3-3, it was up to Brendan Dodds, the team's No 1, to hold his nerve and go out and play sudden death golf for a place in the final. Hold his nerve he did, winning on the first hole in the play off and booking the Gibraltar team a berth in the grand final.
The Gibraltar team played the grand final on Sunday, March 31 against Jamberoo Golf Club, at Moss Vale, which was hosted by Moss Vale Golf Club. It was nail biting sporting drama, the Jamberoo club led three matches to two going in to the last match.
The final match was delicately poised, a win to Jamberoo and the trophy was theirs, a win to Gibraltar would get them into a play off for the cup.
Gibraltar's hopes lay with the very consistent Denis Harelle.
The last match was tied up after the last 18 holes of a tense day.
Dennis Harelle had to continue the match in a playoff, having to win to keep Gibraltar's hopes alive. The result was decided after three very tense play off holes, in which Harelle prevailed, to make it three matches each.
Brendan Dodds, as the team's number one, then had to go out and play a sudden death match with the Jamberoo number one. He won the first play off hole, much to his team's relief, to give Gibraltar the trophy.
It was an amazing day for Brendan Dodds, he also earned congratulations on his hole in one on the 11th hole in White Horse Cup final. Whilst it didn't earn him the win in his match, he got the job done in the playoff after Jamberoo and Gibraltar finished tied at 3 matches each.
Congratulations flowed to the team from all Club members, the team played extremely well to win the Cup. They had played matches against Vincentia, Nowra, St Georges Basin, Highlands, Kiama and Jamberoo.
It is quite an achievement for this Gibraltar Golf team to have wrested the Cup away to the Southern Highlands for the first time ever in 85 years of play.
The Cup, which is proudly on display in the Gibraltar Golf shop, has never left the coast before and the Gibraltar players will be aiming to make sure they extend its stay in the Southern Highlands beyond this year.
