South East League U-16s finale at Eaton
FORMAT: team matchplay round-robin
Surrey U-16s made it a perfect season in the South East League as they beat Essex and Hertfordshire in the finals at Eaton on Sunday.
Having won all six group games, the strong-looking squad delivered with a pair of 5.5-2.5 victories at the Norfolk venue to a complete a remarkable turnaround in this agegroup. Last year the county finished bottom of their qualifying group behind eventual champions Kent.
How they qualified…
Wentworth’s Leo Vorobyev, the Midland U-16s Open champion, effectively secured the winning point against Hertfordshire after a fantastic battle with Sandy Lodge’s Castor Morris, who conjured up a remarkable birdie on the par five 16th before the Surrey player took the final two holes. All the matches were played on a triangular basis with Herts edging out Essex 4.5-3.5.
It was also very close in Surrey v Hertfordshire encounter with four of the first five matches going down the 18th, Surrey critically claiming 2.5 points from the top three matches.
Kent U-18s win the South East Group finals at at Betchworth Park
Recent West of England U-16s champion Monty Holcombe led the way, overcoming Finlay Rennie (Centurion Club) by two holes while his new England U-16s teammate James Brash (Foxhills) finished all square with Hertfordshire Boys champion Harry Cox (Welwyn Garden City).
In the match behind West Herts’ Noah Peters was ahead early against Ollie George but the Worplesdon junior fought back to secure a point on the 18th while in match four Burhill’s Freddie Surgey was pegged back to all square having got to three up but he held his nerve against Essendon’s Patick Donovan and claimed it 2&1.
Essex 3.5, Hertfordshire 4.5
• Charlie Rushbridge (Colne Valley) beat Finlay Rennie (Centurion Club) 3&2
• Oliver Baker (Colchester) lost to Harry Cox (Welwyn Garden City) 1 hole
• Mason Barningham (Colchester) A/S with Noah Peters (West Herts)
• Ed Linley (Romford) beat Patrick Donovan (Essendon) 2&1
• Henry Linley (Romford) lost to Ben Sessions (Bishops Stortford) 4&3
• Dawson Langan (Orsett) lost to Castor Morris (Sandy Lodge) 4&2
• Alex Oddy (Orsett) lost to Harrison Preston (Hanbury Manor) 1 hole
• Matthew Sandy (Romford) beat Oscar Freeman (West Herts) 4&2
In the bottom tie, Addington Palace’s Bramha Patel overcame a suspected bout of food poisoning and played some brilliant stuff to win 4&3 against Oscar Freeman. The pair shared eight birdies in 15 holes.