Goodwood toasts success of junior team
Golfers triumph at event
Golf At Goodwood’s youths are celebrating an incredible achievement after winning the Junior Teams Golf Nations Champions after victory at a tournament in Lincolnshire.
Goodwood’s eight-player team comprised Joe Sykes, Zach Hauffe, Jack Berry, Cameron McLeod, Freddie Gillett, Tom Bisatt, James Pollard and Cody Jackson.
Golf At Goodwood academy manager Chris McDonnell said: “Despite a practice round in challenging conditions, the team started the strokeplay qualification tournament incredibly well.
“It was clear that the three loops of nine holes at Forest Pines in Lincolnshire were going to be a challenge for all the competitors due to the tight, tree-lined fairways.
“The courses are rated among the toughest in the UK and our boys needed to play sensible and strategic golf to progress in the tournament.”
Playing against Llantrisant from South Wales in the final, who had beaten the previous year’s champions, proved not to be an obstacle in the Goodwood team’s path to success.
Tom went off first, followed by Zach, Freddie, Jack, James and Cody.
Goodwood captain Joe went as the first wild card, followed at the back by Cameron.
The early stages were nip and tuck and the spectators expected another close game. Towards the end of the front nine, Freddie and Jack started to open up commanding leads. Unfortunately,
James came up against a strong opponent who, despite a handicap in the 20’s, was only a couple over par for the first seven holes.
Having experienced the 3-3 result in the morning, Goodwood’s juniors were keen to avoid a repeat especially with Joe giving 26 shots at number seven in the order.
Tom, on the back nine, won a number of holes to take his match 3&2, while Freddie and Jack gave the team a commanding 3-0 lead.
Llantrisant clawed two matches back but Cody pulled away from his opponent around the turn and secured the winning point on the 14th green. Goodwood won the final 4-2.
The Home Nations Finals will be televised on Sky Sports in May or June.
Chris added: “What looked like it was going to be a close game didn’t materialise and the team were able to celebrate an incredible achievement.
“The team performed so well, playing very sensible golf on a difficult course, which was a great testament to the ethos that Golf At Goodwood has driven through the junior programmes over the years.
“Four of the team started playing at Goodwood when they were five years old and others team members were recent graduates from the Level Up programme.
“It really emphasises the excellence that Goodwood has in its junior ranks.”
The juniors’ march to victory was laid when they won the West Sussex League last year, which qualified them to enter the South Regional JTG Championships.
Following their win, they moved forward to the national finals, with the top four teams qualifying for the Home Nations Finals at Ramside Hall in Durham.
The Home Nations finals consisted of club teams from Scotland, England and Wales.
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