Warwickshire Golf

UNDER 14's BEAT STAFFORDSHIRE at COPSEWOOD

WARWICKSHIRE u14 BOYS vs STAFFORDSHIRE u14 BOYS

Copsewood Grange Golf Club – Sunday 19thMay 2019

Team Selected:

Back Row (L to R): Simon Taylor (team manager), Callum Lee, Sam Knowles, Oliver Clark, Ben Storer, Thomas Neal. Front Row (L to R): Lennon O’Neill-Knibbs, Ryan Gavin, Sam Price, Louis Taylor, Joshua Gardner.

Our Winter training programme for the u14 boys had created eager anticipation for the competitive fixtures to come this season.  On several occasions, County coaches and observers had commented on what a talented set of young golfers we had in our midst.  And so, despite more than half of the team making their debuts for Team Warwickshire, we headed to Copsewood Grange Golf Club with the weather set fair, and high hopes for our first match.

It should be said that this golf club has surpassed all expectations in its treatment of County Boys golf.    The course itself demands respect.  It is a perfect test of game management, with tight fairways, water to be negotiated, and greens which played firm and fast.  Then there is the genuinely warm welcome received by all players, officials and visitors to the club.  Copsewood Grange has made no secret of the fact that it is honoured to be selected as home venue for our under 14’s this year, offering free practice rounds to our players, and helping us to create a friendly and supportive environment to develop our lads’ skills and love of the game.  

Great credit should go to our opponents Staffordshire too.  They brought a strong team, giving away shots in most matches.  The exception was in respect of our team Captain OLIVER CLARK, who retained the lowest handicap of all the players on show.  Playing off a handicap of 5, it was Captain Ollie to lead us out in MATCH 1, partnered by Ladbrook Park’s debutant LOUIS TAYLOR.  Despite winning the first hole, our pair were 2 DOWN at the turn before really asserting themselves on the back 9.  The match was won on the 17thgreen, with Louis seeing his greenside chip horseshoe around the hole leaving a 6-inch putt to be conceded.  An opening 2&1 win was on the board.  

MATCH 2was a very tough test for our pair of RYAN GAVIN and SAM PRICE who went behind early in the match.  Despite playing some good golf, our boys could not gain a foothold in the match. Ryan and Sam found themselves 3 DOWN at the turn, and the Staffs pair just proved too strong on the day, eventually running out 5&4 winners.

In MATCH 3, Team Warwickshire fielded JOSHUA GARDNER at just 11 years old and playing off a handicap of 16, partnered by Maxstoke Park’s CALLUM LEE.  Frankly, our pair was just unstoppable on the day.  The standard of their golf was reminiscent of a certain Anglo-Italian Ryder Cup partnership, as they charged 8 up through 9 holes and closed out with a 9&7 victory.  A particular highlight was the 9thhole, a testing 175-yard uphill par 3.  A Staffs player having hit an excellent tee shot to 15 feet from the hole, Joshua narrowly missed the green, coming to rest on the fringe to the right.  In hushed tone, Joshua’s father confided: “he always chips these, whereas it should be a putt really”.   Right on cue, Joshua chips in for a 2 nett 1, leaving the Staffs team understandably resigned to the impending result of match 3.

MATCH 4paired Walmley Golf Club friends and team-mates SAM KNOWLES and BEN STORER, who have been playing golf together since they were 7 and 6 respectively. That trust and understanding was key to the outcome of their match, as they ground out the tightest of victories. Having been 1 up through 14 holes, they briefly established a 2-hole lead before being immediately pegged back to 1 at the 16th.  This match went to the wire, with handshakes on the 18thgreen as our pair showed their competitive edge - closing out for a win 1 UP.

Finally, MATCH 5saw the more experienced LENNON O’NEILL-KNIBBS partner another of our debutants THOMAS NEAL.  This was another match which could have gone either way.  Our boys had a narrow 1-hole lead at the turn, which they had increased to 2 UP by the time they reached the 15thtee. Lennon often provided advice and guidance to his partner, including on the greens.  On no fewer than 3 occasions did I see Lennon help Thomas to read clutch 10-foot putts, only to see THOMAS coolly drain each one to win 3&2. True teamwork.

Warwickshire had achieved a convincing 4-1 result, a score line which belies how hard fought at least 4 of those matches really were.  Huge thanks go out to the several Team Warwickshire officials attending in support, the very many anxious parents and siblings watching, and Copsewood members enjoying the spectacle and assisting with ball-spotting and application of local rules.  Your support is very greatly appreciated.

All in all, our boys have experienced the very best of feeling like they are an important part of our County set-up, leaving them hungry for more success in the remainder of the year.  Well done boys…our next match is at Horsehay Village Golf Club (Telford) on Sunday 2ndJunefor our away match against Shropshire & Herefordshire!

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Simon Taylor

Warwickshire Under 14 Boys’ Team Manager

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