Royal Navy claim second Inter Services double in three years at a stormy Saunton Golf Club

The Royal Navy men and ladies golfers have claimed a second Inter Services championship double in three years after seeing off their Army and RAF challenges at Saunton Golf Club.

Three days of wild weather on the North Devon links course did little to reduce the high standard of golf produced by all the players, but the Navy were just that little bit better. 

On the opening two days, the RAF men's and ladies' teams had been roundly beaten by the Army and Navy to set up a winner-takes-all contest over the east course.

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The weather always makes links golf a lottery, and Saunton brought out the worst with howling winds and torrential showers to challenge the players to their limit  

The men's five foursome matches ended all square on two-and-a-half points each, while the ladies' four foursome matches ended with a crucial single-point advantage to the Navy, meaning they would need three-and-a-half points to retain the title they won last year at Formby. 

The leaders of the 10 men's singles matches were the top two-stroke player champions of the season.

In a battle of the Adams, the Navy's Adam Taylor had to claw back a substantial lead from the Army's Adam Stone, but it was Stone who secured the point and was two up at the end of their 18 holes.

Chris Bradley, playing in his final match for the Army, secured a second point for his service over Ewan Wykeham-Martin, but Johnnie Whittaker beat the Army's individual matchplay champion Graeme Torrie two and one to start the Navy fightback.

They eventually triumphed 8-7 overall to win back the championship they won at Enville in the delayed 2022 championship. 

The ladies matches also went to the wire.

The Army's Gina Smith, Kate Eastman, Emma Dann and Kim Glynn all won the first four matches, but Lucy O’Connor, their retiring team captain, Lauren Hulston, Alex Forrest and Hazelle Garton brought the match home for the Navy.

It was the team's first defence of an Inter Services title, and it sealed a notable double for Royal Navy Golf.

They'lll be defending their titles at Moortown Golf Club in Leeds in 2026.