HERBERT STEERS KNOWLE TO JUNIOR TITLE
The boys from Knowle Golf Club in Bristol (pictured left
- photo courtesy of Tom Ward) romped away with the English
Golf Union’s Junior Champion Club title with an impressive
second day performance at Woodhall Spa.
With two cards to count from three, Knowle amassed 81 Stableford
points over the Bracken course for an aggregate of 155, eight
ahead of runners-up Gerrards Cross and Yeovil and ten clear
of Boston West from Lincolnshire in fourth place.
Worcestershire’s Fulford Heath led by one point overnight
but with 14 year old Chris Herbert signing for 44 points off
a handicap of 21 and Brandon Everett adding 37 off 19, Knowle
were home and dry.
“We are delighted and honoured to win,” said
the club’s Junior Organiser David Owen. “It was
a sensational performance from the boys today. To score 44
points whatever the handicap is a wonderful effort.”
The boys were equally delighted. “It’s amazing,”
said Jordan Chapple. “We came here to enjoy it but to
win is the icing on the cake.”
Brandon Everett added: “I was the first of our side
to finish and I had an idea how the others were doing but
I didn’t count our chickens.”
Knowle were the youngest of the 33 teams with two 13 year
olds and one aged 14 while their collective handicaps amounted
to 58. But it was 14 year old Herbert who led the way. He
made the perfect start from the tenth tee, chipping in from
50 yards for birdie. “I just tried to keep it safe after
that,” said the lad who has trimmed his handicap from
28 this year and is heading even lower after this.
Minutes later, Everett came in with 37 points and the title
was as good as on its way to Bristol and they could afford
to dispose of Chapple’s 33 points.
Having completed their rounds before lunch, the Gloucestershire
boys then had to sit it out for several hours to see if anyone
could match their tally. Gerrards Cross and Yeovil did their
best but both came up short with the former collecting second
spot on countback for their better second day aggregate of
77 to 72.
The BB&O trio all beat their handicaps with 15 year old
Jonathan Hewitt scoring 39 points off four despite a double
bogey-bogey start, and 17 year old Ben Ratcliffe adding 38
off three. Their third man, Tommy Obergan must have felt a
little peeved as his 37 points didn’t count. Yeovil,
meanwhile, were well served by Darryl McMahan and Toby Gallagher,
both with 36 points.
On a fine day that gradually turned to rain, there was a
first ever hole-in-one for Sean O’Mara from Burhill
in Surrey, who sank his five iron tee shot at the 163 yard
16th for five points on his way to 33, while three youngsters
ran Herbert’s 44 points close
Matthew Walker from the Tyneside club of Durham, an 18 handicapper,
Tom Marshfield, representing Somerset’s Burnham and
Berrow, off 15, and Ben Lawrence, off ten at Porters Park
in Hertfordshire, each returned 41 points on a day of superb
scoring.
It all means there will be quite a lot of handicap trimming
over the next few days, not least at Knowle as they celebrate
becoming the first Gloucestershire side to win the title.
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