MATT Cutcliffe and Mick Cusato had too many guns for Jeremy Tydd and Peter Field in Sunday's final of the Charles Uptin Knockout which is sponsored by the Port Macquarie News.
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Although the match went to the 17th hole, the winners were always in control. Cutcliffe and Cusato won four and three.
At one stage Field chipped his ball to half a metre from the hole and, instead of marking it, left it there. When Cutcliffe played his chip shot it hit Field's ball and stopped at the hole instead of running a couple of metres through.
This came at a critical time in the match when Field and Tydd were making a comeback and instead of them winning the hole, their opponents got out with a half.
There was very little difference in handicaps with both Field and Cutcliffe being 15 markers, Tydd having a handicap of 22 and Cusato the long marker at 23.
Field won the opening hole with a birdie but this was the only time that he and Tydd were in front. Cusato used his shot at the second to get the match back to square and then Cutcliffe won the third with a par.
Then came a golden patch for Cusato's putter as he sank a good putt for par at the fifth and birdied the sixth and eighth holes, both with shots on the hole. Despite losing the seventh hole they turned three up.
Tydd and Cusato halved the 10th with pars and their partners halved the 11th, also with pars.
Tydd won the 12th and 13th and suddenly the difference was just one hole.
It was at the critical 14th where Tydd and Field failed to mark a ball on the green and Cutcliffe was able to take advantage of it. Tydd still should have won the hole but he three putted.
Cutcliffe won the 16th and 17th holes with pars, and the match was over.