Williams proves rising star as he prepares for event double
WREXHAM star Thomas Williams’ stock is certainly rising following his Welsh Amateur Championship triumph as he is set to represent Wales in two international competitions next month.
First up for Williams will be the upcoming World Amateur Team Championship for the Eisenhower Trophy at Carton House, Ireland, which gets underway on September 5.
Joining Williams will be Ben Chamberlain (Padeswood & Buckley) and Southerndown’s Jake Hapgood in what is arguably the biggest tournament that any of them will have competed in.
The trio will play 72 holes across four days with the two lowest scores in each round counting towards the team’s overall total.
The lowest score at the end of the competition will pick up the Eisenhower Trophy.
The Wales team for the Espirito Santo Trophy – the womens tournament – had already been announced.
Kath O’Connor (West Byfleet), Jordan Ryan (Newport) and Bethan Morris (Tenby) will represent Wales at Carton House. The tournament starts on Wednesday with the same rules as the men’s competition.
It will be a quick turnaround for Williams, Chamberlain and Hapgood as all three will then travel to Conwy for the Men’s Home Internationals on September 12.
Irish Boys Amateur Open champion Archie Davies (Carlisle), St David’s Gold Cross winner Jacob Davies (Mold), Tucker Trophy champion Patrick D Mullins (Whitchurch), joint Berkshire Trophy winner Matt Roberts (Vale Resort) and Lewys Sanges, who helped Celtic Manor to their first Victory Shield Foursomes success, are among a stellar line-up for Wales.
Oliver Brown (Vale Resort), Keiron Harman (Southerndown) and Gaelen Trew (Wentworth) make up the rest of the team.
Ireland have won the last four tournaments with England claiming five consecutive titles between 2009-2013.
Wales’ only success in the Men’s Home Internationals came on home soil in 2002, at Royal St David’s and the latest crop of Welsh talent will be hoping to end the current 16-year wait for glory.
However, if they are to be successful many will have to improve on their recent performances at the Welsh Open Stroke Play Championship.
Roberts, Williams, Brown, Harman and Jacob Davies all missed the cut at Pyle & Kenfig while Chamberlain finished tied for 39th on 301, 17-over par.
Daniel Lloyd (Wrexham) was the leading Welshman and he isn’t in the squad.
The Wrexham golfer struck 288 over four rounds to seal a top-ten finish. He matched par in the first two rounds to make the cut for the 36-hole finale but started poorly in the third round with a four-over 75, largely thanks to a triple bogey on the 11th.
But he bounced back over the last 18 holes to match par once again.
Sanges was one shot further back on 289 while Hapgood and Mullins both carded 290 to finish in the top 20.
Scotland’s James Wilson claimed the title after a nervy play-off with Englishman Tom Sloman after the duo both finished on 284.
Before representing Wales, Williams’ focus will be on the Carrick Neill Scottish Men’s Open Championship, which begins on Monday at Gleneagles.
Fellow squad members Roberts, Jacob Davies, Chamberlain, Hapgood and Sanges will also be warming up for the Home Internationals.
Llewellyn Matthews (Southerndown), Shaun Harpin (Rhos-on-Sea), Rhys Evans (Celtic Manor) and Matt Harris (Southerndown) will also be making the trip up north.
The strong Welsh contingent will play 18 holes on each of the opening two days as they look to make the top 40 and ties to progress to the final day.
Archie Davies will also be juggling commitments after he was named in the Great Britain & Ireland team to face the Continent of Europe in the Jacques Léglise Trophy.
He will compete at Kytäjä, Finland, between August 31 and September 1 before travelling back to Wales.