The Henry Cooper Junior Masters returned after a three-year break and the two leading juniors players in the country showed their class to win at Nizels in Kent on Sunday.
FORMAT: 72-hole stroke play
Yorkshire’s Dylan Shaw-Radford and Surrey’s Lottie Woad both went into the event top of the England Boys and Girls Order of Merit so extended their leads. The Huddersfield junior edged out Suffolk’s Tyler Weaver by one while Woad, who dashed straight from an A-Level exam to take part, ended up nine shots clear of the rest.
Because of Covid the competition has not been played since 2019 but its reputation as one of the best junior competitions in the country was emphasised by the strength of the field. Previous winners include Ben Schmidt, Bob McIntyre, Tom Lewis and Annabell Fuller.
And two brilliant bursts of scoring made all the difference for Shaw-Radford, who this year has already won the Scottish Boys and came a close second at the Fairhaven Trophy.
In his second round he was seven under after the first 12 holes on his way to a six-under-par 66, taking a lead he would never lose despite the best efforts of Lagonda Trophy champion Weaver.
The following day the 2021 Yorkshire Boys champion made a slow start to his third round, having started on the tenth. But five birdies in row (2-6) meant he started the final round two clear of the Bury St Edmuns junior.
With Frazer Jones (Kirby Muxloe) making a late dash for glory up ahead, two critical birdies at 12 and 15 got Shaw-Radford to eight under and despite a bogey at 17, he calmly holed out from three feet at the last to win. Weaver did have a chip-in attempt to tie but did not threaten the hole.
For Woad, who earlier this month came third at the German Girls Open, there was no such tension as her considerable power proved invaluable on a unusually long course.
She trailed by seven after the first round to Lancashire’s Sadie Adams but by the end of round three was well clear as the fast-running fairways and firm greens proved a tough ask for the majority of the girls.
Her closing round included a chip-in birdie at ten and her five over total meant she finished well clear of runner-up Ciara Rushmer (Boyce Hill).