A couple of special coaching clinics have really worked wonders for Norfolk junior Edward Featherstone, culminating in his hugely-impressive victory in The Lagonda Trophy last night.
FORMAT: 72-hole stroke play
Last month he took advantage of a great opportunity to pick the brains of former European Tour pro Jamie Spence. The Sky commentator was renowned for his skills on the green and his former caddy Tony Rushmer, now a Norfolk-based journalist, contacted his old partner having seen Featherstone play in a county match.
The 17-year-old missed a few makeable putts against Bedfordshire and Tony discovered that Spence was going to be in the region so asked if he would spend a bit of time with the talented youngster after playing a round at Sheringham alongside long-time friend Rob Lee.
Spence agreed and told Featherstone to think more about feel rather than trying to achieve “the perfect putting stroke every time.”
Then the Sheringham player went on a coaching week to Spain with coach Chris Jenkins and friend Will Horne.
And The impact was immediate. The Norfolk Schools champion qualified for the Brabazon Trophy with a two-under 70 at Delamere Forest and then, at The Gog Magog this week, put together rounds of 68, 69, 70 and 70 to win by two shots and gain his first WAGR points.
“Over the last three weeks I have been consistently shooting under par,” said Featherstone, who also tied the amateur Sheringham course record 12 days ago.
“My driving/iron play has generally been good but the putting has really improved and I have also been getting up and down more.
“Jamie Spence got me to pick up a ball and throw it under-arm to the hole and I put it to two feet and he put it to like a foot. He then said that I have obviously got good feel and I should trust in my feel.
“The main thing is confidence now and the fact I know I am doing the right things. The experience has definitely changed something in my game.”
Featherstone also witnessed something of a putting masterclass yesterday morning when Hanbury Manor’s Adam Tridgell went ahead thanks to a three-under-par, third-round 67.
“He literally holed everything on that back nine (in the third round),” added Featherstone.
“It started on the ninth where he holed a 40-footer for birdie and both me and our other partner Luke Quint followed him in for birdies. It was incredible stuff.”
Tridgell took a two-shot lead into the final round after lunch and kept his lead until the seventh, which proved a critical hole. Both players missed the fairway in the same place and Tridgell’s ball was quickly found but Featherstone looked set to have to go back and hit another. Luckily for him ‘a spotter’ came across his ball right on the three-minute limit.
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“I know I can’t buy alcohol but I said to the guy ‘I’ll buy you a pint when we get in’.
“And I ended up just lipping out for birdie.”
The leader was not so lucky, bogeying the par five and things did not improve as he also doubled the ninth and then bogeyed the 10th.
In contrast the Norfolk teenager played the same holes in two under to leave himself well in front although he was blissfuly unaware that Worksop’s George Cordall was mounting a charge thanks to a birdie on seven, eagle on eight and another birdie on 11.
The Nottinghamshire player also birdied 14 and 15 to get within three of the leader, who dropped a shot on 13 after holing out for par from six feet at the previous two holes.
Cordall eventually closed with a 65 while Colchester’s Oliver Baker also had a chance, a bogey on 17 leaving him two back in the final reckoning.
Featherstone, after smashing a three iron 285 yards on the final tee – he had taken an iron to avoid a fairway bunker and ended up hitting his drive past it – discovered he had a two-shot lead.
He put his second pin high in the fringe and lagged his birdie effort to four feet, carefully negotiating a fast-breaking par putt to finish level for the day and three under for the tournament.