Midlands Men’s qualifier joy for Kedleston Park dominated team
Derbyshire will play in the men’s county final for the first time this century after a team of five Kedleston Park players, plus one from Matlock, did the business in the Midlands Men’s qualifier at Overstone Park.
FORMAT: 6-man team 36-hole stroke play
As with the South East final (won by Surrey), it was nip and tuck all the way with Warwickshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire & Rutland all in the final shake-up. The top four were separated by just seven shots.
But Derbyshire edged out last year’s winner Warwickshire by two to claim the title for the first time since 1999. Last-man-in Samuel Potter crucially birdied the last two holes to book their spot alongside reigning national champions Gloucestershire and South East victors Surrey. The England Golf County final takes place at Royal Norwich in September (23-25) while the Northern qualifier will be hosted by Hallamshire GC on August 3rd.
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For the county’s player development director John Rawson, the disappointment of finishing eighth in Leicestershire last year proved a huge motivational factor. Four of that team returned to the Northamptonshire venue and got a very different result. Last year Derbyshire also won the Midlands League so went in with great expectations.
“At Birstall last year we were on fire in practice round and I think the lads were a bit disillusioned about what happened,” said Rawson, whose son Mark broke the course record at Rothley Park the last time Derbyshire made it through.
“This year they were out to prove a point and my how they did!”
Captain Nick Newbold, who will be able to call on the same players for the final in two months, added: “It was a really poor performance last year. We went in with a lot of confidence.
“This time I think the team was even better and were a bit more prepared. We had a really good morning and held it together well in the afternoon as the course got firmer and more difficult.”
Newbold has been a member at Kedleston Park for nearly 20 years and was also pleased his club played such a massive part in the success.
“I’ve been at Kedleston Park since I was 11 and it means a lot to be a member there. Lots of players have been drawn to Kedleston because the place it is.”
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James Booth was the only non Kedleston member of the team and his morning 72 helped his county take a one-shot lead into the afternoon session. William Harvey and Joshua Ashton both registered four-under 68s.
However their afternoon aggregate score was eight shots worse off and that opened things up, especially for fast-finishing Leicestershire & Rutland, who started the session 12 back. A bogey-free 66 from Cosby’s James Billingham and 68 from his club-mate Coby Cartwright gave them a chance.
However Derbyshire hung on with Potter proving a brilliant anchorman. His closing 70 was enough to keep the reigning champions at bay while Nottinghamshire were four shots further adrift in third.