ROTHERHAM DEFEND CHAMPION CLUB TITLE AT STOKE PARK
Rotherham Golf Club will seek to make a successful defence
of the title when the English Champion Club Tournament is
played at Stoke Park, Buckinghamshire, on 15th - 16th September.
The south Yorkshire club won the title convincingly at Brancepeth
Castle a year ago (2005 team pictured right – photo
courtesy of Tom Ward) and one of their line-up, Sam Haywood,
is in the team again this time. However, they will face a
tough task as the opposition teams contain several internationals,
at full, boys and under 16 levels, as well as a host of experienced
county men.
Walker Cup man Gary Wolstenholme leads the Kilworth Springs
team, the Leicestershire champions, with former boy cap Jake
Amos and Australian Dion Stevens, while Bedfordshire winners
John O’Gaunt parade former England international John
Kemp as well as the vastly experienced Mark Wharton and Michael
Round.
James Smith, another former boy cap, is in the Sundridge
Park team representing Kent, while the Suffolk champions,
Fynn Valley, include boy international Jamie Abbott.
Mark Thistleton, the greenkeeper from Hayling, who won the
Lagonda Trophy earlier this summer, is in his club’s
team, while Miles Mackman, who carded a course record 61 in
finishing runner-up in the Faldo Jug at Welwyn Garden City,
will represent Broome Manor from Wiltshire.
Rotherham apart, another previous winning club, Coxmoor from
Nottingham, who were champions at Berkhamsted in 2000, are
competing again with the experienced trio of Michael Scothern,
Derek McJannet and Ross Overton.
Shropshire & Herefordshire’s champions Hawkstone
Park will rely on youth, in the shape of Billy Mills and Ricky
Pharo, and experience with Nigel Chesters, father of under
16 cap Ashley Chesters and joint winner of the Logan Trophy
last year.
Another under 16 international, Adam Myers, is in the Northants
County team, while Giles Legg, beaten finalist in the 2002
English Amateur Championship at Walton Heath, represents Broadstone
from Dorset.
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