YORKSHIRE ON TRAIL OF 18th COUNTY TITLE
Yorkshire will be seeking an unprecedented 18th victory on
their 34th appearance when the English County Finals take
place at Formby Golf Club, Lancashire on 26th –28th
September.
The northern champions have dominated the county scene for
the past decade. This will be their seventh successive Finals
appearance and they will be bidding for a sixth victory in
that spell.
They will be most people’s favourites but they will
face stern opposition from Berkshire, Buckinghamshire &
Oxon (BB&O), Devon and Leicestershire & Rutland, the
other regional winners, in three days of 18-hole match play
to decide the national champions.
Once again Yorkshire field a strong line-up, including current
England internationals Graeme Clark and Michael Skelton, one
of the heroes of the recent Walker Cup victory. But they have
lost the services of Richard Finch and Jonathan Lupton, two
recent recruits to the professional ranks.
Clark has been a member of the England team for the past
three years and the current Yorkshire Champion has played
in the last four County Finals, three times on the winning
side. The 27 year old from Doncaster was a reserve for the
European Men’s Team Championships in July but returned
for the Home Internationals currently being played in Ireland.
Skelton, at 19, was the baby of the Walker Cup team at Ganton
and clinched a vital second day singles win as GB&I retained
the trophy.
Four members of the Yorkshire side, Clark, Skelton, Darryl
Berry (24) and Richard Jones (41) were members of last year’s
victorious squad, while Clark will be playing in his fifth
successive County Finals.
The side also includes 18 year old Danny Denison, who helped
Yorkshire win the Boys County Championships in the past two
years and who made his England debut in the European Boys
Team Championships in the Czech Republic earlier this summer.
He also played in the Boys Home Internationals, for the successful
GB&I team in the Jacques Leglise Trophy at Lahinch and
was joint winner of the Carris Trophy at Burnham & Berrow.
Of the four counties involved, Leicestershire & Rutland
is the only one not to have won the title. The midlanders
were fourth on their maiden appearance in 1979, then second
at Hoylake in 1991. They reached the finals again in 1996,
again finishing fourth, but improved to third in 1997.
However, the county is enjoying a successful year, having
won the Anglian League, while in Gary Wolstenholme they have
England’s most successful international. At 43, Wolstenholme
is still at the top of the game as witnessed in the recent
Walker Cup at Ganton, his fifth appearance and his fourth
on the winning side.
It was Wolstenholme’s inspirational play that helped
Leicester win the Midland Qualifying by 11 strokes at Gog
Magog when he shot rounds of 64 and 65. He also represented
Gloucestershire in the 1993 and 1994 Finals.
Leicester also include their county champion, David Gibson
(37) and Liam Plant, a former Leicester match play champion
along with three teenagers, Jake Amos, Charlie Ford and Neil
Chaudhuri.
Amos, a member of England’s School of Excellence, was
capped against Italy at Under-16 level in July and has kept
his place for the match against Scotland and against the England
Girls Under-18 side, both next month.
Ford (18) was the individual winner in the Midland boys qualifying
at Beeston Fields and is the current Leicestershire men’s
match play champion having beaten Gibson in the final. Chaudhuri
(18) won the Midland Schools title at Wellingborough and is
strongly tipped to win the Midland Order of Merit this year.
BB&O will be making their tenth appearance in the Finals,
having won on three occasions, in 1969, 1972 and most recently
in 1983. They also reached the semi-finals twice, in 1965
and 1970, when the competition was a straight knockout, and
were runners-up in 1979 and two years ago.
The only survivor of that team is Kevin Freeman, a former
county champion and the BB&O Order of Merit winner in
2001. However, BB&O could spring a surprise this time
with their experienced line-up.
It includes David Addison, last year’s Order of Merit
winner, and Matthew Briggs, the 2000 Order of Merit champion.
Geoff Harris (22) at college in the United States in recent
years, was a quarter finalist in the English Amateur Championship
in 2001 at Saunton and again last year at Walton Heath when
he put out Wolstenholme at the 22nd hole after a classic encounter.
BB&O will also have the services of Luke Rusher, another
former county champion and one of the longest hitters on view,
and the elegant Tom Lawson. But they will be without their
county champion Lee Gauthier, who is attending the European
Tour’s pre-qualifying. However, the experienced Steve
Barwick has taken his place.
BB&O won their regional qualifying at Ealing by three
strokes from Surrey and they have won the South East (North)
League.
Devon have also been in ten finals, winning once, at Burnham
& Berrow in 1985. They tied for second place in their
first Finals in 1937 and were fourth on their last appearance
in 1995 at Silloth-on-Solway.
They include a Scot, Craig Townsend, the current Devon champion,
who is the brother of Scottish rugby international Gregor
Townsend, and Alan Gawman, the South West champion.
Youth is well to the fore with boy international James Ruth
(18) who has competed in Japan, the Czech Republic and Wales
in England colours this year, Kevin Harper, the Devon Youths
champion, and Damien Gee, winner of the prestigious Devon
Salver.
Devon won their regional qualifying by four strokes from
Gloucestershire and like their three rivals have won their
regional league, in their case with six victories from six.
The Finals are contested on a round robin basis, each match
consisting of three foursomes and six singles. In the first
round of matches on 26th September, Leicestershire & Rutland
will play BB&O and Devon meet Yorkshire.
Teams:
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxon
David Addison (Parasampia)
Steve Barwick (East Berkshire)
Matthew Briggs (Parasampia)
Kevin Freeman (Stoke Park)
Geoff Harris (Reading)
Tom Lawson (Ellesborough)
Luke Rusher (Burnham Beeches)
Leicestershire & Rutland
Jake Amos (Birstall)
Neil Chaudhuri (The Leicestershire)
Charlie Ford (Kirby Muxloe)
David Gibson (Cosby)
Liam Plant (Cosby)
Steve Sansome (Birstall)
Gary Wolstenholme (Kilworth Springs)
Devon
Adam Bridgewater (Hurdwick)
Alan Gawman (Tavistock)
Damion Gee (Sidmouth)
Kevin Harper (East Devon)
Paul Hendriksen (Churston)
James Ruth (Tavistock)
Craig Townsend (Exeter)
Yorkshire
Darryl Berry (West Bradford)
Andrew Bradley (Doncaster)
Graeme Clark (Doncaster)
Daniel Denison (Howley Hall)
Richard Hollins (Sand Moor)
Richard Jones (Wath)
Michael Skelton (Middlesbrough)
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