FORMAT: 10 x 18-hole triangular matchplay ties
There was a nail-biting finish in the final of the South East U-14s Boys Championship where Surrey edged out Hertfordshire at Dulwich & Sydenham GC.
The three regional winners played off – the other finallist was Bedfordshire – and the outcome came down to a countback situation with Surrey and Hertfordshire having drawn 5-5 while both counties beat Bedfordshire. Their respective victory margins decided the matter and Surrey only dropped half a point during their victory while Hertfordshire won 9-1.
It capped a highly eventful day with Surrey going one better than two years ago when they finished runner-up to Kent.
And in a twist of fate Surrey manager Marc Prince just happened to be following the match which proved decisive in the final reckoning.
Walton Heath’s Luke Jones won the final hole against Bedfordshire’s Henry Wooster (Leighton Buzzard) to get the half point that proved to be the difference overall.
“I was really proud of the lad,” said Marc. “He didn’t give up, even when he had lost his match to the Hertfordshire boy.”
In the Surrey v Hertfordshire clash, the home side looked all set to win well with the top order, led by England U-14s champion Kris Kim (Walton Heath), delivering three victories out of three.
But the Hertfordshire lower order came through and in the bottom match Letchworth’s Harry Catlin hung on to win at the 18th against Evan Taylor (Foxhills) to ensure the counties finished tied.
The three counties qualified for the final having finished top of their sub-regional leagues.
Surrey 5, Hertfordshire 5 (Surrey names first)
• Kris Kim (Walton Heath) beat Harry Cox (Essendon) 4&3
• Oscar Lent (Walton Heath) beat Ben Sessions (Bishops Stortford) 2&1
• James Brash (Foxhills) beat Harrison Preston (Hanbury Manor) 5&3
• Alex Alder (Wentworth) lost to Eddie Wade (Harpenden Common) 2&1
• Luke Jones (Walton Heath) lost to Finlay Rennie (Centurion) 5&3
• Luke Rice (Addington Palace) beat Oscar Freeman (West Herts) 5&4
• Joshua Thompson (Windlesham) lost to Louie Bloxham (Welwyn Garden City) 3&2
• Aaron Moody (Burhill) lost to Ronnie Gibb (West Herts) 2&1
• Lewis Dimayuga (Walton Heath) beat Arnold Reeder-Jones (Essendon) 3&2
• Evan Taylor (Foxhills) lost to Harry Catlin (Letchworth) 1 hole
Bedfordshire 0.5, Surrey 9.5 (Beds names first)
• James Stocks (John O’Gaunt) lost to Kim 4&3
• Dillon Basi (Bedfordshire) lost to Lent 3&2
• Vikram Singh (Bedfordshire) lost to Brash 6&5
• William Mowe (Bedfordshire) lost to Alder 6&5
• Henry Wooster (Leighton Buzzard) A/S with Jones
• Nathan Church (John O’Gaunt) lost to Rice 6&5
• Rajan Kumar (Bedfordshire) lost to Thompson 5&4
• Kian Duffield (Bedford & Co) lost to Moody 6&4
• Matthew Arden (Bedford & Co) lost to Dimayuga 7&6
• Rhian Morjaria (Bedfordshire) lost to Taylor 9&7
Bedfordshire 1, Hertfordshire 9 (Beds names first)
• Stocks beat Cox 3&2
• Basi lost to Sessions 2&1
• Singh lost to Preston 2 holes
• Mowe lost to Wade 6&5
• Wooster lost to Rennie 2 holes
• Church lost to Freeman 3&2
• Kumar lost to Bloxham 7&6
• Duffield lost to Gibb 6&5
• Arden lost to Reeder-Jones 6&5
• Morjara lost to Catlin 6&5
Qualifying tables