SURREY DEFEND COUNTY TITLE AT ST ENODOC
Surrey will attempt to make a successful defence of the English
County Championship and complete their third victory in six
years when the finals are played at St Enodoc Golf Club, Cornwall,
on 23rd - 25th September.
The South East champions won the title in a cliffhanger at
Worksop last year, a victory that followed their success at
Little Aston in 2000. But with only two members of the side
that took them to victory in the regional qualifying at Stoke
Park available, they may find it difficult to hang on to the
title.
Devon, who were also in last year’s finals, Lincolnshire
and Yorkshire will provide stern opposition over three days
of highly competitive 18-hole match play golf over a course
that will test even the best players.
James Morrison, a semi-finalist in the English Amateur Championship
at Bromborough in July, and Michael Lowe are the lone survivors
of the Surrey side that qualified at Stoke Park.
The missing members of their powerful line-up, are international
Adam Gee, who is attending stage one of the European Tour
qualifying school, Jonathan Evans, now a professional, and
Farren Keenan and Ross McGowan, both at college in America.
In their places come boy cap Seve Benson, Simon Crockett,
Jon Poulton, and the experienced Ryan Harrison and Colin Roope.
Benson, Harrison and Morrison were in last year’s victorious
side.
Devon, champions at Formby in 2003, field five of the side
that finished fourth at Worksop a year ago, Adam Bridgewater,
Damion Gee, Kevin Harper, Paul Hendrickson, and international
James Ruth. Their newcomers are Jon White and Tom Woodhouse.
Ruth, 20, who secured the point that earned Devon victory
two years ago, scored three points from four matches in last
week’s Home Internationals at Royal St George’s.
This summer the Tavistock lad won the St Mellion International
Open, finished third in the Berkshire Trophy, sixth in the
South of England Open Strokeplay and reached the fifth round
of the English Amateur Championship.
Harper, a former Devon Youth champion, is the current county
champion and Order of Merit winner, Hendriksen is a Welsh
international, while Gee is the Gold Medal winner. All, plus
Ruth, are playing in their third County Finals.
Lincolnshire could be the dark horses of the event as they
are fielding an experienced and well-balanced side including
current England cap James Crampton and Rob Harris, a member
of the England B training squad.
Crampton, four times county champion, a former Midland Youth
champion, won the English Champions Tournament in 2003 and
the Chiberta Grand Prix in France last year. Earlier this
summer he finished second in the Brabazon Trophy and eighth
in the Berkshire Trophy.
Harris is a former Midland boys champion, while the side
also includes Richard Latham, the Director of Golf at Woodhall
Spa and a stalwart member of Hertfordshire before moving north.
Steve Dixon won the individual in the Midland Qualifying,
while Daniel Seaman lost a play-off for the Midland Open at
Little Aston this year.
Crampton, Dixon and Latham were in the Lincolnshire teams
in the 2001 finals at Burnham & Berrow and in the 2002
finals at La Moye, Jersey.
Yorkshire, the most successful county in recent finals with
five victories in eight years, include former boy caps Simon
Bell, Danny Denison, fifth in the South of England Open Strokeplay,
and John Parry, the current Danish Amateur champion.
Parry is also the Yorkshire champion, while the team includes
Grant Jackson, winner of the Golf World Champion of Champions
last year and of the York Rose Bowl.
The rest of the Yorkshire team is Gareth Evans, Christopher
Hanson, and left-hander Stephen Uzzell.
Of the four counties involved at St Enodoc, Yorkshire have
by the best record. This will be their 35th final appearance
and they have won the title 17 times. Surrey will be making
their 26th appearance in the finals, winning on 11 occasions.
Devon have appeared in 13 finals, winning twice, the previous
occasion before 2003 being at Burnham & Berrow in 1985,
while this will be Lincolnshire’s sixth final and they
have lifted the title once, in 1974 at Walton Heath.
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 23rd September, Devon meet Yorkshire and
Lincolnshire will play Surrey.
Teams:
Devon
Adam Bridgewater (Yelverton)
Damion Gee (Sidmouth)
Kevin Harper (East Devon)
Paul Hendrickson (Churston)
James Ruth (Tavistock)
Jon White (Saunton)
Tom Woodhouse (Exeter)
Lincolnshire
James Crampton (Spalding)
Steve Dixon (Gainsborough)
Rob Harris (Woodhall Spa)
Richard Latham (Woodhall Spa)
Jon Pyle (Holme Hall)
Daniel Seaman (Gainsborough)
Adam Wainwright (Gainsborough)
Surrey
Seve Benson (Wentworth)
Simon Crockett (Addington Palace)
Ryan Harrison (Wentworth)
Michael Lowe (Leatherhead)
James Morrison (St George’s Hill)
Jon Poulton (Leatherhead)
Colin Roope (Farnham)
Yorkshire
Simon Bell (Baildon)
Daniel Denison (Howley Hall)
Gareth Evans (Northcliffe)
Christopher Hanson (Crosland Heath)
Grant Jackson (Garforth)
John Parry (Harrogate)
Stephen Uzzell (Hornsea)
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