TEENAGERS NAMED IN ENGLAND POTENTIAL ‘A’ SQUAD
The English Golf Union has called up a group of 12 players
to form its Potential ‘A’ Squad for next year
and, with an eye to the future, half of them are 18 year olds.
The Potential 'A' Squad of players is considered the best
in England after the Elite Squad who they will train alongside
as part of the World Class Performance Programme.
They will attend three coaching sessions at the National
Golf Centre, incorporating specialist short game coaching
together with advice on physiological and psychological preparation,
diet and nutrition, lifestyle management and schedule management.
In addition they will receive financial support for both their
training and competitive programmes.
EGU Performance Director, Nigel Furniss, commented “We
have identified some excellent talent in these young players
which we aim to develop into World Champions. We will work
hard with the players developing a structured approach to
their training programmes. The players will find it tough
but those who stick with it will improve and see the benefit
of their commitment”.
The six teenagers are Daniel Denison, Tommy Hunter, James
Ruth, James Smith, Andrew Town and Paul Waring, while the
other six are in their early twenties.
Denison has been a member of the Yorkshire team that won
the English Boys County Championship for the past two years
and was capped for the European Boys Team Championships in
the Czech Republic and the Boys Home Internationals this year.
Hunter won the McEvoy Trophy in April and made his England
debut in the Czech Republic. Like Denison, he was also a member
of the victorious England Boys Home Internationals team and
of the GB&I side in the Jacques Leglise Trophy. Hunter
also finished runner-up in the Essex Championship.
Ruth, from Devon, is a former under-16 International, who
also made his boys debut in the European Team Championships.
His globe trotting didn’t stop there. He was part of
the England team for the World Boys Team Championships in
Japan and has just returned from Sun City, South Africa after
winning the Daily Telegraph Junior Championship.
Smith has been a key member of the Kent junior set-up in
recent years and won their boys championship in 2002. He also
visited Japan and the Czech Republic this year as part of
England teams and won the Tillman Trophy at Moortown in Leeds
during the summer.
Town, another of the successful Yorkshire Boys team for the
past two years, is a former under-16 cap who reached the quarter
finals of the English Amateur Championship at Alwoodley in
August and finished third in the Sir Henry Cooper Junior Masters
in Kent.
Another former under-16 international, Waring is the current
England Boys captain, having been part of the England junior
scene for the past three years. This year the Cheshire lad
has represented his country in Japan, the Czech Republic and
Wales for the Boys Home Internationals as well as for GB&I
in the Jacques Leglise Trophy.
Suffolk-based Laurence Dodd, 20, earns a call-up after a
string of impressive performances in East Anglia followed
by his victory in the recent Greek Amateur Championship, his
first England representative honour.
Geoff Harris, 22, reached the quarter finals of the English
Amateur in 2001 and 2002 and was a member of the BB&O
team in this year’s English County Finals at Formby.
Harris who has been at University in America has also won
2 NCAA events this year prior to completing his studies.
Scott Godfrey, 22, the only one of the 12 who was in last
year’s A Squad, is a former English Champion and boy
international who made his full England debut in the 2001
Home Internationals at Woodhall Spa. A former member of the
Elite Squad, he has represented England in Spain and Portugal
in recent years.
Edward Butler, 23, from Gloucestershire earns his call after
a successful season in which he won the West of England Stroke
Play Championship as well as finishing tied sixth in the Lytham
Trophy.
Adam Gee is another newcomer, the 23 year old from Surrey
having finished runner-up in the South East Qualifying as
well as the Midland Amateur and third in the Tillman Trophy,
while Eddie Vernon, the Derbyshire champion, is a former member
of the England Youth Squad.
This year the 23 year old has won the Hampshire Hog as well
as being a member of the England team along with Dodd and
Elite Squad member Jamie Moul that won the Nations Cup in
the recent Greek Amateur.
National Coach Keith Williams explained ”The selection
of these players illustrates how our training programme has
identified players who will gain both the most benefit from
the coaching but are also perceived to have the highest levels
of individual coachability!”
The full 'A' Squad is:
Ed Butler (Lansdowne
Daniel Denison (Howley Hall)
Laurence Dodd (Bury St Edmunds)
Adam Gee (Leatherhead)
Scott Godfrey (St Enodoc)
Geoff Harris (Reading)
Tommy Hunter (Ilford)
James Ruth (Tavistock)
James Smith (Sundridge Park)
Andrew Town (Northcliffe)
Eddie Vernon (Burton)
Paul Waring (Bromborough)
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