FOSTER AND MENENDEZ DEFY THE WEATHER TO LEAD ON 70
 Wet
and windy weather at Southport & Ainsdale made it difficult
for the 135 competitors in the English Boys Under 16 Championship.
But it didn’t prevent James Foster (Picture © Tom
Ward) and Spaniard Hugo Menendez from shooting two-under-par
70 to share the lead.
They were the only players to beat par in conditions that
were tough to handle and even if the pair did get the better
of the weather late in the day, their returns were nothing
short of superb.
They are two strokes ahead of Max Smith from Newbury Racecourse
who showed he is a true thoroughbred by returned a fine 72.
Foster, 15, the Hampshire junior champion and junior champion
at his club, Waterlooville, had an eagle and four birdies
in his 70. What made it even more creditable was that he was
two over par after three holes.
“It was very windy and we had a lot of rain during
the round but you just had to keep going,” he said.
“They are not my favourite conditions but you just have
to grin and bear it. However, the greens were superb and the
course is quality.”
Menendez, a 16 year old under 16 cap from Gijon, had five
birdies in his 70 crafted in totally un-Spanish weather.
“It was not easy,” he said. “I missed the
cut last year so this is better.”
Smith, also 15, and a pupil at Millfield School in Somerset,
ran in three birdies in his first English championship.
“I felt we got the worst of the conditions,”
he said. “We had a permanent drizzle with the occasional
downpour. But you just have to keep your head and pretend
it isn’t there.”
Adam Carson from Bristol and Lancastrian Tom Stuart were
sharing the lead on 73 until the later starters came up fast
on the rails.
Carson, 15, the club champion at Long Ashton, said: “The
closing holes were particularly tough. We had a few showers
and the wind was gusting so you had to keep the ball under
control.”
Bad weather seems to be dogging Carson’s footsteps.
A year ago in the under 14 championship at Gosforth a day
was cancelled through flooding, leaving Carson unable to improve
on his runner-up spot.
Carson’s effort was matched by Tom Stuart, the younger
brother of Sam Stuart, a member of the England under 21 squad.
Stuart was another to recover from a bad start to record
his 73 with four birdies. “I was four over through six
holes but managed to come home in 34 strokes,” he said
“It was tough. The wind was blowing hard and because
of that it was difficult to putt. But I’m happy with
73,” he added before heading off to play in the final
of his other club’s championship at Chorley.
Among a large group on 74 is Hertfordshire’s Tom Lewis,
who won the Sir Henry Cooper Junior Masters on Sunday, his
first major junior title.
At the halfway stage in the Nations Cup competition decided
over the opening two rounds, Spain lead on 147 by three from
Netherlands 1 and by four from England 1 for whom Tom Lewis
shot 74 and Adam Myers 77.
The opening day also contained a bizarre incident when Andrew
McLachlan from Glasgow saw his opening tee shot strike a pigeon
as it swooped towards trees alongside the par-three first.
“It was a bit scary,” he said. “I didn’t
know whether to look at the bird or the ball. It’s something
you never think would happen.”
Fortunately, there was no lasting damage as the 15 year old
from Glasgow found his ball and went on to secure a bogey-four
on his way to a round of 75.
Happily the bird survived minus a few feathers and McLachlan
became the only player to hit a birdie and a bogey on the
same hole.
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