WORLD NO.1 WILLETT COULD 'DOUBLE-UP' IN BRABAZON TROPHY
 Spectators
will get the opportunity to see Daniel Willett, who is number
1 in the R&A World Amateur Golf Ranking, in action when
he tees off in the Brabazon Trophy, supported by Approved
Golf Properties at Trevose Golf Club on 16th - 18th May.
A triumphant trip to Down Under, where he won the Australian
Amateur Stroke Play Championship, could provide the springboard
for the Yorkshireman to complete a spectacular English double
if he can succeed over the spectacular Cornish course.
With the English Amateur, the match play version, already
secured following his triumph at Royal St George’s last
summer, victory in Cornwall would make Willett the first player
to hold both titles since Mark Foster in 1995. At that time
Foster was joint holder of the Brabazon but two years earlier
David Fisher held both titles on his own.
Willett’s inclusion in the Brabazon Trophy, the first
major event on the English Golf Union’s championship
calendar, will further boost an already high quality field
for the 61st playing at Trevose (photo courtesy of Trevose
Golf and Country Club).
Players from 20 nations will line up at the famous North
Cornwall links including champions from as far afield as Australia,
South Africa and Canada as well as Europe and the Home Nations.
The field also includes seven members of the England side
from last year’s Home Internationals as well as three
members of the GB&I Walker Cup side beaten narrowly by
the United States at Royal County Down last August, Jonathan
Caldwell from Ireland, Nigel Edwards from Wales and England’s
Willett. Their presence underlines the importance of the title,
which was inaugurated at Birkdale in 1947.
The list of champions competing is a Who’s Who of the
amateur world. Australia is sending three of its national
squad in Tim Stewart, Rohan Blizard and Scott Arnold, while
among a 37-strong entry from France is Benjamin Hebert, the
current European Amateur champion.
Switzerland has six entries, Italy five, Portugal four, including
its champion Pedro Figueredo, while there are three players
from the Czech Republic.
The Home countries challenge will be strong with many internationals
on view. Nigel Edwards, winner of the recent Duncan Putter,
will spearhead the Welsh challenge along with Zac Gould, while
the Irish, led by Caldwell, cannot be ruled out.
The Scots will also be crossing the border; their entries
include John Gallagher, their reigning champion, Kier McNicoll,
the runner-up, and Kevin McAlpine, their stroke play champion.
Once again Gary Wolstenholme will be attempting to add the
Brabazon to his vast portfolio of major victories but he will
face strong opposition from the rest of his English colleagues.
The title has gone overseas several times in recent years
with the likes of Ignacio Garrido from Spain (1992), Peter
Hanson from Sweden (1998), Germany’s Jochen Lupprian
(2000), and Charl Schwartzel from South Africa (2002) coming
out on top, while last year the title was shared, the first
time in 12 years, between Jamie Moul, the England international
from Suffolk, and Frenchman Romain Bechu. However, if there
is a tie this year the winner will be decided by a sudden
death playoff.
Both Moul and Bechu have turned professional which means
only one past champion, Roger Roper from Yorkshire, is in
a starting field of 330 from an original entry of 344.
Once again, there will be two days of qualifying with 120
players competing on Wednesday 14th May and another 120 on
Thursday the 15th, the leading 30 from each day plus ties
joining the 91 exempt players for the competition proper.
Among those having to qualify are a string of boy internationals
including McEvoy Trophy winner Stiggy Hodgson, runner-up Eddie
Pepperell, 15-year-old Oscar Sharpe, the 2006 English under
16 champion, and Tommy Fleetwood.
The Brabazon Trophy is one of the EGU’s most prestigious
championships and Approved Golf Properties will be the inaugural
sponsor for the event. Play starts at 7am each day including
the qualifying rounds, the event is free to attend and both
the EGU and Trevose Golf and Country Club are looking forward
to welcoming golf fans and can guarantee everyone will see
stars of the future playing some spectacular golf.
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