WOOD WINS PING/EGU ORDER OF MERIT
 Chris
Wood (pictured left - photo courtesy of Tom Ward) has proved
himself the most successful amateur golfer in England by finishing
a narrow winner of the Ping/EGU Order of Merit for 2007.
The 19 year old from Gloucestershire secured 864 points,
just under 20 more than Yorkshire-born English champion Daniel
Willett with another Yorkshireman, John Parry third with just
over 800.
“I’m thrilled to top the Ping/EGU Order of Merit,”
said Wood. “It is my best achievement to date and shows
how consistent I’ve been over the whole season.
“Unfortunately, I missed the English Amateur because
I played in the Russian Amateur. I managed to win that but
I felt I missed the chance of another home success.
“Daniel had a great end to the season and it should
be a good tussle with him next year.”
Wood’s Ping/EGU Order of Merit success underlines what
a superb season he has enjoyed during which he has won the
West of England Stroke Play Championship prior to the Russian
Amateur, while he finished runner-up in South West Championship,
the Tillman Trophy and the Gloucestershire Championship.
He also reached the quarter finals of the Amateur Championship,
was a member of the winning team with Ben Evans and Ben Parker
in the Portugal Nations Cup and made his full England debut
by helping to win the Home Internationals.
“I feel my best win was the West of England because
it came at the start of the year and gave me a lot of confidence
going into the season while I beat four England players in
that event,” added Wood.
“I’ve been working so hard on my game so things
like winning the Order of Merit are bound to happen. I set
my goals high and expect to reach them.”
Willett, 20, returned home having won several events at college
in the United States and duly captured the Yorkshire Championship
before winning the South of England Stroke Play and the English
Amateur in successive weeks.
He went on to finish third in the European Amateur Championship
before also making his full England debut in the Home Internationals
then returned to America to be part of the winning team in
the recent Spirit International.
Parry, who celebrates his 21st birthday on 17th November,
boosted his points tally with victories in the Spanish Amateur
and Welsh Open Stroke Play Championship while he reached the
quarter finals of the English Amateur.
Ben Evans, who will turn 21 next month, finished fourth just
behind Parry and was another to make his full England debut
in the Home Internationals. The Sussex youngster had top-ten
finishes in six events home and abroad, including runner-up
to Willett in the South of England, and was a quarter finalist
in the Spanish Amateur.
Suffolk’s Jamie Moul, who was runner-up to Ross McGowan
in last year’s Ping/EGU Order of Merit, finished fifth
this time.
A total of 25 tournaments at home and abroad count towards
the Ping/EGU Order of Merit.
Final Order of Merit Top Ten
1 Chris Wood (Long Ashton) 864.00Pts
2 Daniel Willett (Rotherham) 844.22
3 John Parry (Harrogate) 800.92
4 Ben Evans (Rye) 798.99
5 Jamie Moul (Stoke by Nayland) 792.69
6 Matthew Cryer (Coventry) 714.83
7 David Horsey (Styal) 668.13
8 Gary Boyd (Cherwell Edge) 563.27
9 Paul Waring (Bromborough) 535.52
10 Sam Hutsby (Liphook) 493.72
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