FORMAT 6-boy team, 36-hole stroke play
Leicestershire & Rutland won the England Golf Boys County Midlands qualifier for the first time last year and, following a dramatic conclusion, retained the title by the narrowest of margins at Wollaton Park on Wednesday.
The champions tied with first-round leaders Worcestershire on eight over in the final standings. With five out of six scores counting to the overall total the result was decided on who had the best ‘sixth’ score and Leicestershire’s 82 proved one shot better than the runners-up.
Warwickshire finished just four shots further back and all three counties had their chances in the closing stages but for Leicestershire, last man out Frazer Jones (Kirby Muxloe) delivered, shooting a one-under-par 70 at the Nottinghamshire venue.
And the county will once again represent the Midlands in the EG Boys County Finals at Furness in Cumbria on August 23-25.
“It was incredible and we are so proud and so pleased,” said Director of Junior Golf Mick Billingham.
“We are a small county and we have put in a lot of work developing the juniors. This year we launched our Pathway Tour and more than 100 children registered.
“It is part of our plan to engage players at a younger age. They might not necessarily be ready to play the first team but it is important they can see a pathway into representative honours and it helps when the leading boys are doing so well.”
Sixteen-year-old Thomas Dziuba (The Leicestershire) came in for now-too-old Sam Haynes-Coote (Kibworth) and he made an immediate impression, shooting a 73 in the morning as the reigning champions were third at halfway on five over behind Worcestershire (+2) and Staffordshire (+3), for whom England U-18s (Mixed) champion Jenson Forrester led from the front. The Walsall player, who last year also won the Midlands Boys title, posted a four-under-par 67 and repeated the feat after lunch to win the individual prize.
Despite Forrester’s heroics, Staffordshire drifted out of contention in the second round while Leicestershire, led by Charlie Box, came through. The plus two handicapper from Kirby Muxloe shot a 69 (-2) while Cosby’s Ethan Bell (74), Millen Durham (72) and William Plant (73) all played their part.