PUGH SHOOTS 71 IN THE RAIN TO LEAD REID TROPHY
 Persistent
rain and a tricky wind presented testing conditions on the
opening day of the English Boys Under 14 Championship. But
it didn’t offer too many problems for Rhys Pugh (picture
© Tom Ward) .
The 13-year-old Welsh lad lead on 71, one over par, when
the Reid Trophy returned to its traditional home at Porters
Park.
Pugh, from Pontypridd is used to tough weather, having shot
the third lowest score on a foul final day of the under 16
championship at Southport & Ainsdale five weeks ago. “We
had plenty of wet and windy weather today but I just kept
the ball in play,” said the two-handicapper who represented
his country in last week‘s Boys Home Internationals.
On a leader board dominated by non-English players, Pugh
is a stroke ahead of Stanislas Gautier from France with Shaun
Connor from Scotland and Spain’s Javier Sainz third
on 73, followed by Patrick Mullins from Wales and Belgian
Thomas Detry.
Gautier, the French under 14 champion from the Racing Club
de France in Paris, has a scratch handicap, the lowest in
the championship. He was pleased with his 72 which was helped
by his having a caddie from the home club. “I played
well but I had four bogeys in a row after the turn,”
he said. “We had a lot of wind and rain but having a
caddie helped with his knowledge of this course.”
The leading English player is Harry Whittle from Woburn,
winner of the Douglas Johns Trophy, two weeks ago, who is
tied with Detry on 75.
Such were the trying conditions on the testing par-70 course
that only 29 of the 110-strong field beat 80.
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