Boys just miss out in tense final
COUNTY U18S TEAM PRAISED AFTER FINISHING JOINT THIRD
LEICESTERSHIRE and Rutland county under-18s were involved in one of the most tense and tantalising English County Boys’ finals, writes Jennifer Prentice.
They were up against the three other regional representatives over three days at Coxmoor GC, the championship course in Nottinghamshire.
Going into the last day of the tournament, the county boys and their three rivals had won one game each.
But the county had to settle for finishing tied in third place at the climax when there was still little to separate all three. It came down to games points alone.
Northumberland, who Leicestershire and Rutland had beaten quite decisively on day two of the championship, took the title with their total of 14.5 match points, one clear of Essex on 13.5, while Leicestershire and Rutland and Gloucestershire had 13 points apiece.
Mick Billingham, the county golf union’s director of junior golf, said: “I was extremely proud of the whole squad.
“They played with great spirit and each of them made a contribution to our overall finish in this very close contest.
“They were led from the front by the team captain Sam HaynesCoote from Kibworth GC.
“He is 18 this month so is in his final year as a junior and was unbeaten in all his three singles encounters.
“But it is wrong to single out an individual in what was such an outstanding all-round performance.
“It is the first time in the counties history we have represented the Midlands in this championship and we did so in an impressive manner.
“I was highly delighted by the boys and their enthusiasm, skill and determination to put up a spirited challenge.
“The support from our back up officials was excellent too.
“Overall the way in which everyone represented the county was superb and a real credit to them all.
“Thanks to all those who turned up at Coxmoor for their on–the-spot backing.
“This was a great experience for the boys, one on which we can continue to build for the future.
“So although it is the first time we have been into this final, we are determined it will not be the last and look forward to doing so again in the near future.”
On the opening day of the final,
Leicestershire and Rutland lost 6-3 to Gloucestershire.
They trailed 2.5-0.5 in the foursomes, and lost the singles 3-2, with one halved. But on day two, up against Northumberland, they won all three foursomes and shared the singles three-all for their 6-3 victory.
This saw them go into the final day in second slot on nine games points, with Gloucestershire one ahead on ten, and Essex and Northumberland both with 8.5 each.
On the last day, against Essex, the foursomes did not go the county’s way, losing all three clashes, but they continued to battle strongly and took the singles 4-2 to lose 5-4 at the end.
The county squad, led by Sam Haynes-Coote, also included the new county “double” boys’ champion Charlie Box (Beedles Lake), who recently won both the stroke and match-play titles, Frazer Jones (Kirby Muxloe), an England regional squad member, William Plant, Ethan Bell and Millen Durham (all Cosby), and Harry Rothera (Lingdale).