Captain/Pro Challenge 2026 - Match 2
This morning saw the second match of this year's Captain/Pro Challenge series take place on the King's Course, with Director of Golf AJ and myself taking on challengers Keith Stirling and Richard Hally, who stepped in at short notice for Stewart Miller following a recent injury.
The weather provided a stark contrast to the recent spell of sunshine and heat, with strong winds making scoring difficult throughout the morning. While all four players would admit they were not producing their very best golf, the challenging conditions ensured there was still plenty of competitive golf on display.
It was the challengers who settled quickest, taking the lead at the 3rd hole before AJ and I responded immediately to level the match at the 4th. Keith and Richard regained their advantage with a win on the par-three 5th, where Richard was the only one of the four players to find the green, producing an excellent tee shot in the difficult conditions. They held that lead until the 7th.
The turning point came midway through the front nine when the challengers suffered a difficult spell, losing the 7th, 8th and 9th holes in succession. The highlight of that run came at the 8th, where AJ produced a birdie two to help swing the momentum in our favour. That three-hole stretch handed us a two-hole advantage as we reached the turn.
Keith and Richard refused to go away, winning the 10th to reduce the deficit before AJ and I restored our two-hole cushion with victory on the 11th. A succession of halved holes followed as both teams battled the wind, with neither side able to gain any significant momentum.
The match remained finely poised until the 15th, where we extended our lead to three holes, taking the match to dormy three with only three holes remaining.
Keith kept the contest alive with an excellent win on the 16th, but the match came to a conclusion on the 17th after AJ and I both found the green with our approach shots and the challengers elected to concede the hole and, with it, the match.
In a fitting finish, Keith produced a birdie on the 18th hole, leaving AJ and me thankful that we had managed to get the job done on the previous hole.
While there was the occasional frustration that comes with battling both the King's Course and a stiff breeze, the match was played throughout in excellent spirit and enjoyed by all involved. Most importantly, the event will contribute further funds towards our nominated charity, CHAS, ensuring that everyone involved was playing for a cause far more important than the result itself.
The result leaves the Captain/Pro Challenge series finely poised at one win apiece following our defeat to David McLeod and Crawford Gray in the opening match back in April.
Next up, AJ and I will take on Kevin Beattie and Iain Aitchison on the PGA Centenary Course on Sunday 14th June. We look forward to another enjoyable contest and, hopefully, the opportunity to raise even more funds for CHAS.
Our thanks go to Keith and Richard for taking part and supporting another enjoyable Captain/Pro Challenge.