Birdie blitz puts Brace in pole position
 There
is nothing like getting a quick start to a round of golf and
Liam Brace did just that with a barrage of birdies to lead
after the first round of the English Boys Under 16 Stroke
Play Championship at Worthing yesterday.
The 16 year old from Suffolk (photo courtesy of Tom Ward)
birdied four of the opening six holes on his way to a superb
three-under-par 68 which leaves him with a two-shot advantage
over the rest of the field. He had six threes in an outward
31 and gave a lot of credit to his English Regional Coaching
with Paul Ashwell at Woodhall Spa and Stowmarket, saying:
“It’s helped my swing and made me more confident.”
Brace, from the same Stoke by Nayland club as international
Jamie Moul, added: “After those early birdied I played
very steady and only hit one bad shot, at the 15th, which
cost me my only bogey.”
After several days of searing heat, overnight thunder storms
took much of the sting out of the course as well as lowering
the temperature to a much more comfortable level. However,
a stiff breeze made conditions tricky, especially over the
homeward stretch. That made Brace’s 68 all the more
praiseworthy and he leads by two from Oscar Sharpe, Matt Johnson
and Welsh boy cap Jonathon Davies.
Sharpe, who can claim to be the youngest and smallest player
in the field, had three birdies in his 70 and displayed a
level of confidence associated with someone of more mature
years. At only 13 years of age and standing around 5ft, Sharpe
has already stamped his mark on Gloucestershire golf with
several teenage titles while finishing tied fifth in the county
championship.
Johnson arrived in Worthing hoping for better fortune than
in last year’s event when he was disqualified after
the third round for having a non-conforming driver. “I
soon ditched that,” admitted the 15 year old after running
in four birdies in his 70.
Fifteen-year-old Davies from Neath also had four birdies
in his 70, while the only lad on level par 71 is Billy Downing
from Cornwall, who finished tied fourth a year ago.
The honour of shot-of-the-day went to Tyrrell Hatton from
BB&O who holed his nine-iron tee shot at the 124-yard
ninth. It was his third hole-in-one.
Defending champion Adam Myers went round in 74, a commendable
score on a tricky day.
In the battle for the Nations Cup, decided on the best two
cards from three over the first two rounds, England B lead
on 145 (Downing 71, Pepperell 74) by three from England A
(Renwick 74, Myers 74) with Wales B, Spain A, and Scotland
A on 150.
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