Golf: Webster and Wall prevail: Teenage takeover in fearsome foursomes battle on Old Course

THE age of innocence caught up with the Sunningdale Foursomes yesterday when four teenagers, amateurs in status but professional in outlook, contested the final. It was like a young pals' reunion as Steve Webster and Anthony Wall took the title, first played for in 1934, by two holes from David Howell and Gary Harris.

Last season, all four played in the same England Boys' team. Webster, from Atherstone in Warwickshire, and Wall, a member of Sunningdale's cadet section, covered the back nine holes over the Old course in 32 (par is 36) and they made the decisive move at the 17th. At that stage, they were all square and Webster put his approach to within 10 feet of the flag. After Harris was just outside that, Howell missed the putt. Wall, whose putting throughout displayed a marvellous touch, made no mistake and that birdie three put them one up with one to play.

Webster and Wall, who came through seven rounds here, seem to have been destined to dovetail. Webster's father builds taxis and Wall's father drives them. Tom Wall is a self-employed cabbie (he gets up at 4am for the Heathrow run) and yesterday he was a self-employed caddie, carrying Anthony's bag. 'My father has been my coach since I was four,' Anthony, who works in a local wine merchant's, said. Next year, all four players will probably attempt to make the Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup team.

Webster and Wall were two holes up after three, but by the time Howell and Harris had an eagle three at the 10th the pair from Broome Manor in Swindon had gone one up. It was all square after Howell missed the green at the short 13th and remained so until Wall's nerveless putt at the penultimate hole.

The dream ticket of the 44-year- old Michael King and his 18-year-old protege, James Healey, was blown away on a wet, cold and windy morning. King's arthritis does not appreciate such conditions and his swing suffered as a result. They three- putted the seventh and eighth and when they also lost the 12th, where Howell and Harris received a shot, there was no way back.

The other semi-final went the distance. James Bunch and Jim Farmer, one down, should have won the 17th and could have won the 18th, where Bunch hit a tremendous approach shot to within eight feet but Farmer's putt shaved the hole.