SHARPE BIDS FOR ENGLISH BOYS DOUBLE
 Oscar
Sharpe will attempt to add the English Boys under 14 Championship
to the under 16 crown already in his grasp when he tees off
in the Reid Trophy at Gosforth Golf Club, Newcastle on 17th
- 18th August.
The 13 year old from Gloucestershire won the under 16 title
for the McGregor Trophy last month at Worthing, a final round
of 73 leaving him a stroke ahead of Eddie Pepperell from BB&O
and two clear of Surrey’s Eamonn ‘Stiggy’
Hodgson.
Sharpe (pictured left - photo courtesy of Tom Ward), who won’t
turn 14 until September, is a mature youngster for his age
and will develop his golfing prowess when he enrols at Millfield
School in Somerset shortly.
If Sharpe does win the Reid, he will succeed Pepperell, who
won the title is fine fashion at Bristol & Clifton a year
ago. However, he faces stiff opposition from the rest of the
111 strong field, not least from Cornwall’s Billy Downing,
runner-up in 2003 as an 11 year old, and a member of the England
under 16 training squad.
Chris Lloyd, Sharpe’s Gloucestershire colleague, is
another strong contender, while that county’s colts
champion Adam Carson is another fine prospect.
Also playing is David Ruth from Torquay, cousin of England
international James Ruth, while there are large contingents
from Essex, Sussex and Yorkshire.
Once again, the event has attracted an international field
with players from Belgium, Finland, France, Italy, The Netherlands,
Portugal, South Africa as well as Scotland and Wales taking
part.
The player with the lowest handicap of one is Matteo Manassero
from Italy while youngest player competing is 11-year-old
Mark Collins from Chart Hills in Kent.
The leading six players in the Championship will gain automatic
exemption to next year’s McGregor Trophy at Southport
& Ainsdale.
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