ENGLISH AMATEUR RETURNS TO ROYAL ST GEORGE’S IN 2007
The English Amateur Championship, the blue riband event on
the English Golf Union’s annual calendar, makes a return
visit to Royal St George’s Golf Club at Sandwich in
July 2007.
This is one of the highlights of the EGU's fixture list for
three years hence just released, which also sees the Brabazon
Trophy and the two county finals visiting venues for the first
time.
This will be the sixth time the English Amateur has been
played at Royal St George’s. The first was in 1932 when
Eric Fiddian was champion, but it didn’t return to the
Kent links until 1954 when Alan Thirlwell, former secretary
of CONGU, was the winner.
In 1969 John Cook, now an eminent coach, emerged victorious,
while the two most recent winners at the prestigious course
became European Tour professionals. Roger Chapman won there
in 1979 and Ryder Cup man Steven Richardson was the winner
in 1989 on the last occasion the Championship called.
Royal St George’s has been a popular venue for other
EGU events. Last month the biennial international with France
was staged there while the Home Internationals will grace
the course in September 2005.
The Brabazon Trophy has also been played there and this event
will break new ground in 2007 when it is played on 18-20 May
at the Forest of Arden, the Marriott Hotel venue, which has
featured prominently as a European Tour venue for several
years.
The EGU has also forged a link with the Forest of Arden in
that it has become the centre for the West Midland regional
coaching, while the Warwickshire base’s practise facilities
are also available to any players on England’s squad
lists.
The 2007 season kicks off with the international against
Spain, which also breaks new ground when it’s played
at Royal Ashdown Forest in Sussex on 12-13 May.
The men’s County Finals head north to Yorkshire for
what will be the first time in 24 years when the tournament
is held at Cleveland Golf Club on 28-30 September, while another
new first-time venue, Royal Cromer in Norfolk, will host the
Boys’ County Finals on 3-5 September.
Enville in Staffordshire, with its two 18-hole course, is
ideally suited to stage the Seniors' Championship from 6-8
June, while England will host the Seniors Home Internationals
in 2007 at Caldy Golf Club in Cheshire on 2-4 October.
The Mid-Amateur Championship for the Logan Trophy will make
its first visit to Gloucestershire as it is scheduled for
the delightful Minchinhampton club on 24-26 August.
The venue for the Champion Club tournament on 14-15 September
will be Hesketh in Southport, while the County Champions event
extends its link with Woodhall Spa, being played over the
Hotchkin Course on 23 September.
Southport & Ainsdale, another of the famous Fylde Coast
courses, will stage the McGregor Trophy (Boys Under-16 Stroke
Play Championship) on 3-6 July, while the Carris Trophy (Boys
Under-18 Stroke Play Championship) is scheduled to make its
first visit to Saunton, the popular north Devon club that
has staged many important EGU events, on 24-26 July.
Meanwhile, the Under-14 Stroke Play Championship for the
Reid Trophy will be back at its traditional home of Porters
Park in Hertfordshire, on 16-17 August, while the annual Boys
Under-16 match against England Under-18 Girls is set for Ogbourne
Downs, near Marlborough in Wiltshire, on 14 October.
The former IMS Finals now the English Captains Tournament
will be held at the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset, on 11-12 August.
2007 Venue List
12-13 May England v Spain Royal Ashdown Forest
18-20 May Brabazon Trophy Forest of Arden
6-8 June Seniors' Championship Enville
3-6 July McGregor Trophy Southport & Ainsdale
24-26 July Carris Trophy Saunton
30 July - 4 August English Amateur Championship Royal St George’s,
Sandwich
11-12 August English Golf Captains Isle of Purbeck
16-17 August Reid Trophy Porters Park
18-19 August EGU Gold Medal Woodhall Spa (Bracken Course)
24-26 August Logan Trophy Minchinhampton
3-5 September Boys County Finals Little Royal Cromer
14-15 September Champion Club Tournament Hesketh
19-21 September Home Internationals Co Louth, Ireland
22 September Presidents & Guests Tournament Woodhall Spa
(Hotchkin Course)
23 September County Champions Tournament Woodhall Spa (Hotchkin
Course)
28-30 September County Finals Cleveland
2-4 October Seniors Home Internationals Caldy
7 October England Boys U16 v Scotland Boys U16 TBA
14 October U-16 Boys v U-18 Girls Ogbourne Downs
20-21 October Junior Champion Club Spalding
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