FOUR NEW CAPS IN ENGLAND HOME INTERNATIONALS SQUAD
England have named four new caps, including two currently
at college in the United States, in their 11-strong squad
that will attempt to regain the Home Internationals at Prestwick,
Scotland, on 8th -10th September.
The four are Robert Dinwiddie from Durham, Suffolk’s
Lawrence Dodd, Steven Tiley from Kent and Cheshire based Paul
Waring.
The others selected are Lee Corfield, Adam Gee, newly crowned
English Champion James Heath, Gary Lockerbie, Matthew Richardson,
Michael Skelton and Gary Wolstenholme.
Six of those selected were in the side narrowly beaten by
France at Royal St George’s, Sandwich, in May but there
are only four survivors from last year‘s Home Internationals.
Dinwiddie, 21, from the Barnard Castle club, has completed
three years of a four-year Business Information Systems course
at Tennessee State University in Nashville, during which he
has won eight tournaments on the college circuit.
A former Durham Boys champion and under 16 international,
Dinwiddie was ranked 50th in the US last year and has enjoyed
a successful 2004 on his return to this country. He finished
joint eighth in the St Andrews Links Trophy and reached the
last 16 of the Amateur Championship at St Andrews.
He also helped Durham win the Northern Qualifier for the English
County Championship and is thrilled to win his first full
cap.
"I knew I was in with a chance of being selected and
really looking forward to it," he said. "Hopefully
I can contribute to a winning team."
Dodd, who will celebrate his 21st birthday on the eve of
the Internationals, is a three-time winner of the Suffolk
Championship, who won the Greek Amateur on his debut in England
colours last autumn.
He spent a brief spell at college in America in 2002 but returned
to begin featuring on the England scene. This year he has
finished runner-up in the West of England Stroke Play Championship
and in the Peugeot Classic in France where he also helped
win the Nations Cup for England.
After losing in the first round of the Amateur Championship,
he enjoyed a successful run in last week’s English Championship
at Hollinwell, reaching the quarter finals where he was beaten
by Wolstenholme.
Tiley, who will be 22 the day after the Internationals, is
attending Georgia State University in Atlanta. He also has
a sound record in the States and, like Dinwiddie, is being
released to play at Prestwick.
Last year, Tiley won the Lagonda Trophy at Gog Magog and the
Prince of Wales Challenge Cup at his home club, Royal Cinque
Ports. He reached the fifth round of the English Amateur at
Alwoodley but was a fourth round casualty this year at Hollinwell.
Waring, the baby of the team at 19, was England Boy captain
last year and led his team to victory in the Boys’ Home
Internationals at Royal St David’s. He played in the
World Boys Team Championships in Japan as well as the European
Boys Team Championships, and for GB&I in the Jacques Leglise
Trophy.
This year the Cheshire lad has finished runner-up in the Duncan
Putter in Wales and third in the West of England Championship.
He also won the Peugeot Classic in France and was another
member of the Nations Cup winning team.
Corfield, 21, from Somerset, made his full England debut
in the Home Internationals two years ago in Wales. That honour
followed his victory in the Lytham Trophy and a runner-up
spot in the West of England Championship.
Last year, he finished second in the St Andrews Links Trophy
and the St Mellion Trophy and was a reserve for the Home Internationals.
Having been a member of the England team that won the Sherry
Cup in Spain earlier this year, he was recalled to the England
team for the match with France at Royal St George’s
and also won the West of England title.
After finishing 11th in the Scottish Stroke Play at Lundin,
Corfield reached the final of the Amateur Championship at
St Andrews only to lose to Scotland’s Stuart Wilson.
Gee, 23, from Surrey, earned his first full cap against the
French in May, having earlier reached the semi-finals of the
Portuguese Amateur. His performances last year, second in
the South East Qualifying and the Midland Amateur and third
in the Tillman Trophy, prompted his inclusion in the England
A Squad this year.
Also from Surrey, Heath, 21, won the English Amateur at Hollinwell,
only twice being taken to the final green in seven rounds
before beating David Horsey from Cheshire 3 and 2 in the 36-hole
final.
This was his second major title of the year, following his
tremendous success in the Lytham Trophy. A former under 16
champion and boy international, Heath was capped by GB&I
at boy level in 2001 and reached the semi-finals of the British
Boys that same year at Ganton. In 2002, he finished runner-up
in the European Amateur Championship in Portugal and won the
Greek Amateur title at Glyfada.
After reaching the last 16 of the English Championship in
2003, he made his full England debut in last year‘s
Home Internationals in Ireland and is now a member of the
squad from which next year‘s Walker Cup will be selected.
Lockerbie, 21, from Cumbria, the 2003 English Champion, also
earned his first full cap in last year’s Home Internationals.
Winner of the England under 18 title in 2000, he enjoyed a
successful 2003 with top-ten finishes in several major championships
culminating in his outstanding victory in the English Amateur
Championship.
Another member of the Walker Cup squad, this year he has been
to South Africa, Australia, Spain and the United States with
England teams and played against France in May.
Richardson, 19, has enjoyed a string of successes in recent
years at boys and mens levels, culminating in his victory
in the Brabazon Trophy at West Lancs in May.
He won the individual title at the World Boys’ Team
Championships in Japan in 2002 and also played in the European
Boys’ Team Championships and the Boys’ Home Internationals.
He reached the semi-finals of the British Boys’ Championship
at Carnoustie and was then called into England’s Elite
Squad.
A quarter finalist in the Spanish Amateur Championships for
the past two years, he remains a member of the Elite squad
and of the Walker Cup squad.
Skelton, 20, from Yorkshire, was the youngest member of the
Walker Cup team that beat the United States at Ganton a year
ago, having just made his England debut in the Home Internationals
at Ballybunion.
A former English under 16 champion, he enjoyed a successful
2003, winning the Henriques Salver for the best under 20 score
when finishing ninth in the Brabazon Trophy, before winning
the Welsh Stroke Play Championship. He was also runner-up
to Lockerbie in the English Amateur.
Teamed with Lockerbie, they won the Juan Carlos Tailhade Cup
in Argentina at the end of last year and was a member of the
Sherry Cup winning side this Spring. A member of the Walker
Cup squad, he also played against France in May.
Wolstenholme, who will be 44 on 21st August, has been selected
for every Home Internationals since 1988. He is England’s
most capped player with 168 matches to his credit but missed
the French match after accepting an invitation to play in
the British Masters at Forest of Arden.
A prolific winner of titles down the years, that include two
Amateur Championships, Heath, the eventual winner, beat him
in the English Championship semi-finals. Has played in the
last five Walker Cups and is seeking a sixth in Chicago next
year.
England last won the Home Internationals at Woodhall Spa
in 2001, while the defending champions are Ireland.
The full England team is: Lee Corfield (Burnham & Berrow),
Robert Dinwiddie (Barnard Castle), Lawrence Dodd (Thetford),
Adam Gee (Leatherhead), James Heath (Coombe Wood), Gary Lockerbie
(Penrith), Matthew Richardson (The Buckinghamshire), Michael
Skelton (Middlesbrough), Steven Tiley (Royal Cinque Ports),
Paul Waring (Bromborough), Gary Wolstenholme (Kilworth Springs)
Reserves: Jamie Moul (Stoke-by-Nayland) and James Ruth (Tavistock)
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