FISHER AND MOUL OFF TO THE SPIRIT IN HOUSTON
Internationals Oliver Fisher and Jamie Moul will represent
the English Golf Union in the Spirit International Amateur
Championship being staged on 12th - 15th October in Houston,
Texas.
The biannual event is staged at the Whispering Pines Golf
Club, north of Houston, and attracts leading players from
many overseas nations.
Fisher, who has just celebrated his 17th birthday, will be
making a swift return across the Atlantic following his participation
in the Walker Cup, were he became the youngest ever player
in the competition, and the US Amateur Championship. The talented
teenager is one of the finest prospects to emerge in English
golf in recent years, confirmed by a string of successes over
the past two years culminating in his Walker Cup call-up.
Prior to 2005 Fisher won the English Under 16 Championship,
the Lagonda and Douglas Johns Trophies, the Essex men's and
boys Championships. He has also been capped at under 16 and
boys levels - he was a member of the team that won the European
Boys Team Championship in Finland last year - was runner-up
in the R&A Junior Championship and represented Europe
in the Junior Ryder Cup in September 2004.
This year, Fisher has finished joint runner-up in the Brabazon
Trophy, reached the semi-finals of the Amateur and English
Amateur Championships and represented England in the World
Boys Team Championships in Japan prior to helping England
triumph in the European Men's Team Championship at Hillside.
More recently he won the boys title in the Duke of York Young
Champions Trophy at Castletown on the Isle of Man and carded
a course record 63 at Celtic Manor on his way to winning the
Faldo Series for the second successive year.
Moul, 20, the current Suffolk champion, made his full England
debut against France at Royal St George's last year, having
been a reserve for the 2003 Home Internationals. He was a
reserve again in 2004 but gained a recall for the match with
Spain in April and was a member of the triumphant European
Men's Team Championship squad. It was third time lucky when
he played in the recent Home Internationals, which followed
a successful year in which he has finishing fourth in the
West of England Strokeplay, tied sixth in the Brabazon Trophy
and been runner-up in the St Andrews Links Trophy.
Yet again, Moul was handed the reserve berth again for the
Walker Cup but he will be making his second visit to Houston
after playing in last year's Hall of Fame Invitational at
Redstone Golf and Country Club.
The event comprises of 72 holes of best ball competition
where five separate competitions will be conducted: International
Team (combined best ball of the Men's and Women's teams),
Men's Team, Women's Team, Men's Individual, and Women's Individual.
The English Ladies Golf Association is sending two young
players in Felicity Johnson and Sophie Walker. Felicity, 18,
(Harborne) beat Sophie at the 20th hole to win the English
Ladies Amateur Championship and has represented England in
girls and ladies Home Internationals this year. Sophie, 21,
(Kenwick Park) is also an international, the 2003 English
Ladies Strokeplay champion and a member of the European and
Vagliano teams.
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