Warwickshire Golf
Boys 6 Midland Qualifier
England Golf Regional Qualifier – Wollaton Park GC
1st June 2022
Team
Ollie Clark – Ladbrooke Park
Ryan Gavin – Coventry Golf Club
Fin Stokes – Maxstoke Park
Chan James – Coventry Hearsall
Sam Knowles – Wishaw Golf Club
Lennon O’Neill – Coventry Hearsall.
This 2022 EG Champs saw Warwickshire take a relatively inexperienced team with just two of the six players having played this event before.
The team prepared the day before the actual event with a practise day. The whole ream walked the course together playing alternate holes but all practising chipping and putting with County Coach Tom Whitehouse who help and advise was invaluable. It was clear from this point that the boys were highly focussed on the task and were ready for the following day.
Championship day saw a freshening breeze to make life interesting at Woolaton Park which looked in superb condition. In previous year a team score over 36 holes of 20 over was a potential winning score.
Ollie and Chan were amongst the early starters and both made solid starts. Ryan started well and was -2 early. Sam was also in control while both Fin and Lennon looked like they were playing well.
Ollie was in early with a well played 74 (+3) Chan followed with a 76.
Ryan was still under while both Fin and Sam were level par. Lennon had dropped some shots but was still playing well.
While Fin and Sam both completed level par rounds of 71 Ryan finished with a superb round of 69 (-2). Lennon finished with a 78 in his first round at a major event. Overall we were just 6 over for the 5 counting rounds but found ourselves in 4th place in a low scoring championship.
The afternoon rounds started and the wind picked up and the showers came to make conditions more difficult, however that did not deter the boys as they started to put together some fine rounds watched by a number of Warwickshire board members and wives who ahd made the trip to support them.
Chan dropped shots early but fought back but despite his best efforts he could not better his moring round and shot 76 again.
Ollie was also fighting hard and was looking like he would submit another solid round until he found a poor lie on his 16th which resulted in a triple bogey and 77 overall.
Lennon played well again in the afternoon round and did better his score carding a very creditable 77 in more challenging conditions.
Ryan was 2 over early on but kept his nerve and shot his second under par round of the day with a 1 under par 70 and 3 under for the day. A fantastic and well deserved result.
Sam Knowles was in fine form and birdied two of the last four as well as making a great par on the difficult 17th to finish with 70 and 1 under for the two rounds. Another awesome performance.
Last man on the course e was Fin Stokes who was frustrated to be level par with 3 to play and then watched by a growing crowd birdied the last three holes to finish -3 for his second round and the day earning him 2nd place overall.
This combined with Ryan finishing 4th and Sam 6th gave Warwickshire 3 players in the top 10.
The final score of +12 would have won this event for the last 2 years but in the end was good enough for 3rd place behind Worcestershire and L&R who both finished +8.
This was a truly fantastic performance from all the boys concerned. Their focus and application could not be faulted and I was proud to be a part of their team.
My thanks to Bob, Graham and their wives for tier support as to John as well for making the trip.
Special thanks to Richard Clark and Mark and Deb Reynolds who attended both days and were a massive addition to this effort.
But the final thanks and praise goes to Ollie, Ryan, Fin, Sam, Chan and Lennon for their efforts, attitude and great company over the two days.
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