Josh Berry bids to become only the second player to do the Yorkshire Amateur double when the Matchplay championship gets under way at Rotherham next week (Sept 17-19).
The England Junior international won the Yorkshire Amateur Championship at Alwoodley earlier this month. The 16-year-old is believed to be the youngest winner in the competition’s 127-year history.
Since the event was changed six years ago – the county championship became a 72-hole strokeplay event and a separate matchplay competition was added – only Walker Cup star Alex Fitzpatrick has done the double (2017).
Albatross joy for Yorkshire star Josh Berry
Berry starts his challenge against Ilkley’s Henry Croft with the top 32 from the strokeplay at Alwoodley qualifying for the knockout competition at the South Yorkshire venue.
The Doncaster junior won at Alwoodley by one shot from Rotherham’s Charlie Daughtrey and Pannal’s Ollie White.
On a remarkable final day at the esteemed West Yorkshire course, a number of players had their chances but Berry, who started the final round one shot clear of Huddersfield’s Louie Walsh, recovered well after a double bogey seven at the eighth. He played the back nine in level par and also took home the U-18s prize, finishing three clear of Cookridge Hall’s Alfie Storer.