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Ruwa Country Club…….tied for second in the HPGU A League

NORTON COUNTRY CLUB shot to the top of the Harare Province Golf Union (HPGU) A League last week (18 July) when they edged Borrowdale Brooke 4-2 on match day 7 of the 2010 season. In what is turning out to be a rollercoaster league, it was the debutants who emerged the new log leaders following an amazing turn of events in the six league matches played on the day.

Norton, who were playing host to this round of A League matches, continued an impressive run in their maiden season by beating Borrowdale Brooke who had come into the tie in eighth position. That victory lifted them above previous leaders Royal Harare into pole position on 26 points. And with the season now well past it's halfway mark, Norton must seriously be fancying their chances of clinching the elite league title in the first season.
However, Norton was joined on the 26-points tally by fellow high-flyers, Ruwa Country Club who crushed basement boys Police Golf Club 6-0.

The results moved Ruwa two places up to second position. For the well-beaten Police Golf Club, it was a seventh successive defeat of what is turning out to be a nightmare season in the top league. The Gunhill side has only mustered a measly eight points from seven outings, recording a number of heavy defeats along the way. In fact, the 6-0 defeat at the hands of Ruwa was their third by such a margin this season, the Gunhill-based side having also been hammered by Wingate and Norton in earlier rounds.

Meanwhile, Warren Hills continued their surge up the log when they hammered Mount Pleasant 5-1 to move up to within one-point of the log leaders. Warren Hills are now in third position on 25 points after stretching their unbeaten run to five matches. On the other hand, Mount Pleasant remain winless this campaign with their best result having been a 3-3 draw with Borrowdale Brooke in June. Mount Pleasant remain 11th on 11 points from a possible 42.

In the day's other big win, last year's runner-up, Sherwood Golf Club brought themselves back into the title equation with a 5-1 drubbing of Eastlea side Chapman Golf Club. The emphatic victory lifted Sherwood into fourth position on 25 points. After an uncertain start to the season, Andrew Wellington's men have strung up their best run of results this year with back-to-back victories in the last two rounds of matches putting them firmly on course to improving on last year's runner-up finish.

In the pick of the weekend's matches, league giants Falcon Golf Club inflicted a second successive heavy defeat on former leaders Royal Harare with a 6-0 victory. Falcon is now in fifth position on 25 points with Royal Harare tumbling to seventh position despite having started the day in pole position. Things are surely beginning to fall apart for Royal Harare who had been the clear league leaders for three months before a 6-0 defeat by Sherwood in June allowed Norton to join them at the top of the log.

The story is no better for defending champions Wingate Park Golf Club whose battling 3-3 draw with The Country Club was hardly the ideal result. After a powerful display in winning the league title last year, Wingate's title defense has been far from convincing. The reigning champions have managed only one victory in seven attempts and are currently winless in their last three. It is a rather depressing statistic but the fact they have been picking up points despite losing has kept them in the title frame - only just.

And given the highly competitive nature of the A League this season (the top seven sides are separated by just four points), it is difficult to see where Wingate are going to get the results they need to get back into serious contention. But then, this is golf - a sport that is very unpredictable than any.

A League log after 18 July matches (Match Day 7):

			P	W	D	L	GW	GL	PTS

1. Norton		7	5	0	2	26	16	26

2.Ruwa			7	3	2	2	26	16	26

3.Warren Hills		7	4	2	1	25	17	25

4. Sherwood		7	4	1	2	25	17	25

5. Falcon		7	3	1	3	25	17	25

6.The Country Club	7	4	2	1	24	18	24

7.Royal Harare	7	5	0	2	22	20	22

8.Borrowdale Brooke	7	3	2	2	21	21	21

9.Wingate		7	1	2	4	20	22	20

10.Chapman		7	2	2	3	19	23	19

11.Mt Pleasant		7	0	1	6	11	31	11

12.Police		7	0	0	7	8	34	8

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