English Schools Golf Association East and North Yorkshire qualifier family double
There was a special family double at the English Schools Golf Association East and North Yorkshire qualifier with Amy and Ben Staveley producing the goods at Malton and Norton on Friday.
FORMAT: 18-hole stableford
Yorkshire Ladies player Amy won the girls event while recently-turned 13-year-old Ben broke 80 in competition golf for the first time on his way to the nett prize. A brilliant back nine saw him surge to 44 points as the 15-handicapper played the inward loop in level par. His handicap dropped to 11.2 as a result.
Amy (Ganton GC) finished four points clear of Hessle’s Grace Lambert to the lead the qualifying for the North of England Schools final at Linden Hall on May 13. The 16-year-old from Norton College shot a three-over-par 75 and recovered from the shock of putting two balls in the water at the eighth to par the last ten holes.
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The North of England U-16s champion opened with a birdie, pitching to two feet for a tap-in four and it was her short game that came to the fore.
She said: “My putting was the best of the game and my pitching was pretty good. That was what got me the score.”
The troubles at eight (where she got an eight) meant she turned three over par but was rock solid on the back nine and did well to keep her run of pars going at the 11th. She found sand with her second but got up and down, sinking one from 20 feet.
Her little brother hit his opening tee shot out of bounds and recovered well to amass 19 nett points going out.
However his round really took off at the par five tenth where he pitched to six feet and made the birdie putt.
Another birdie followed at the 12th and at the par five last he holed a long curving putt for a four to post a 79 (29 gross points), which left him eighth out of 65 in the gross standings . Moortown’s Josh Stephens came top of the pile. The one handicapper was two under par for his final ten holes as he recorded a 74 (34) and edged out Scarborough South Cliff’s Tommy Risker on countback.