CHAMPION EDWARDS SEEKS ANOTHER NATIONAL TITLE
 Colin
Edwards (pictured left - photo courtesy of Tom Ward) will
be seeking a second national title of the summer when the
English County Champions Tournament takes place over the Hotchkin
Course at Woodhall Spa on Sunday 23rd September.
The 44 year old Somerset Champion won the English Mid-Amateur
Championship for the Logan Trophy at Minchinhampton last month,
his first national title for over a decade. Before that, Edwards’
last national success was a share of the Brabazon Trophy in
1995. But he proved at Minchinhampton that he has lost none
of the skills that brought him 86 England appearances between
1991 and 2003.
Edwards will be in the last game out alongside another experienced
campaigner in Leicestershire and Rutland Champion David Gibson.
Ahead of them will be another former England international
in John Kemp from Bedfordshire and Kevin Freeman, a stalwart
of BB&O golf for many years.
Cumbria’s hopes will be in the hands of William Bowe,
a former under 16 international, while several counties will
be represented by teenagers, among them Oliver Glaze from
Gloucestershire, Jack Clarke from Essex, and Lincolnshire’s
Dan Rowland.
There is one former winner in the field, Justin Phelps from
Middlesex, who took the title in 2004.
The champions will compete over 36 holes of the testing Hotchkin
Course to decide who will be crowned the County Champion of
England.
Unfortunately, several champions are absent, including Yorkshire’s
Walker Cup player Daniel Willett, who has returned to college
in the United States as has Northumberland‘s Chris Paisley
and Scott Brace from Suffolk.
Also missing will be internationals Matthew Baldwin from
Lancashire and Warwickshire champion Matt Cryer, both travelling
back from the Home Internationals in Ireland.
Besides carrying off the title, the winner or joint winners
will also gain automatic entry into next year’s Brabazon
Trophy.
The winner will also join an elite list of champions that
includes Sandy Lyle, Nick Faldo, Peter McEvoy, and Lee Westwood
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