200 NOT OUT FOR WOLSTENHOLME
 Gary
Wolstenholme (pictured left - photo courtesy of Tom Ward)
will make a record 200th appearance for his country when he
lines up for England against Spain at Royal Ashdown Forest
on 12th - 13th May.
It is a remarkable record for the Leicestershire-based 46
year old, who was awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours List,
which marks him as the most successful England amateur of
all time.
“It will make me extremely proud to make my 200th appearance
for England,” he says. “When I made my debut back
in 1988 who’d have thought I’d still be playing
international golf and passing 200 appearances.”
The rest of the England team will be Seve Benson, Gary Boyd,
David Horsey, Stephen Lewton, Jamie Moul, Ben Parker, John
Parry, and Paul Waring.
Even after two decades and so many contests, Wolstenholme
can clearly recall his first match in England colours.
“It was against France at The Berkshire and it was
a foursomes with Peter McEvoy and we lost 2 and 1,”
he reflects. “But I won my singles 3 and 2 then partnering
Peter again on the second day we won before I halved my other
singles with Francois Illouz.”
“I owe so much to my team-mates over the years as well
as my employers,” he adds. “I would never have
achieved what I have without them and I’m never going
to get around to thank them all.”
Overall, England have named a powerful squad that includes
just one new cap in Benson, the 20 year old from Surrey, winner
of the Qatar Amateur Championship earlier this year. This
earned him a place in the Commercialbank Qatar Masters on
the PGA European Tour in which he played all four rounds.
Boyd, 20, Parker, 19, and Lewton, 23, gained their first
full caps in last September’s Home Internationals in
Wales, while Horsey, 22, and Parry, 20, earn recalls after
being capped for the first time against France a year ago.
Several of the team have enjoyed overseas success over the
winter. Boyd won the inaugural Asia-Pacific Open Amateur Championship
in China and reached the quarter finals of the Spanish Amateur.
Lewton won both the Avondale Medal and the New South Wales
Medal in Australia, while Horsey was runner-up in the Tasmanian
Open Championship.
Parry won the Spanish Amateur at Desert Springs a few weeks
ago when Waring was a quarter finalist, while Wolstenholme
won the New South Wales Amateur Championship.
This year the England vs. Spain International is being sponsored
by Selectia Overseas Property. England have a superb record
in their biennial matches with Spain that began in 1985. They
sported an unbeaten record until 2005 when the Spanish gained
their first success by 15-8 with one match halved at Puerta
de Hierro
With names including Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia having
played in previous matches, golf fans are encouraged to turn
up to see some of today's exceptional players in what promises
to be a fantastic golf event. There is no charge for entry.
For those not able to get to the match daily news updates,
scores and final results can be found on the Championships
section of the EGU website, www.englishgolfunion.org.
Moul and Wolstenholme are the only members of the England
side that played in that match.
England team: Seve Benson (Wentworth), Gary
Boyd (Cherwell Edge), David Horsey (Styal), Stephen Lewton
(Woburn), Jamie Moul (Stoke-by-Nayland), Ben Parker (Royal
Birkdale), John Parry (Harrogate), Paul Waring (Bromborough),
Gary Wolstenholme (Kilworth Springs). Reserve: Matthew Cryer
(Coventry).
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