Carlise GC’s Archie Davies picked up Wales Golf’s top playing award for a second year running – having spent seven months at East Tennessee State University in the first season of a four-year golf scholarship – it will now be extended because of the coronavirus pandemic

WELSH Amateur champion Archie Davies has claimed the Wales Golf Amateur of the Year Award for the second-year running.

Davies is currently back in the UK while his American college career is interrupted by the COVID-19 outbreak, working on his game where possible and also carrying on his studies online during lockdown.

Davies was due to collect the award at the Wales Golf Annual Awards Lunch at Ryder Cup venue Celtic Manor, but the event had to be postponed because of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Archie also won the Wales Golf Boys Order of Merit, as well as a successful start to his US college golf with East Tennessee State University, part of the team which won the Hoakalei CC Collegiate Invitational in Hawaii after a string of second place finishes.

Heading to Tennessee on the back of his Welsh Amateur win in Tenby, which he described as the biggest of his career, Davies was a strong performer for the college team with two individual top 10 finishes before coronavirus brought an early end to the season.

Carlisle-based Davies has a strong Welsh sporting tradition, his great-grandfather played rugby for Wales against New Zealand.

“It is pretty special to get this award,” said Davies. “When I got it the first time, I thought it was pretty cool, but to get it a second time is awesome.

“It shows what hard work can do, coming from where I was to where I am now is pretty pleasing.

“It is a pleasant surprise, there are other players who could have got it, but the Welsh Amateur win helped a lot.

“That was really great because it had been quite a slow season with exams, I felt I wasn’t doing as well as I wanted and so that win was very important for me just before going to the US.”

Davies claimed both the Welsh Amateur title and the Welsh Boys Order of Merit in 2019

Freshman benefits from USA game

WHILE his first year as a freshman has been interrupted for obvious reasons, former Ireland Boys champion Archie Davies feels the move across the Atlantic has provided a big boost to his development.

“I feel I have learned a lot this year in terms of golf, social skills, everything,” said Davies.

“It is a completely different style of golf to what I have been used to in England and Wales and that has been beneficial for me.

“You have to hit the ball further, the greens are slopier and quicker, it has been a good experience for me and hopefully I can move forward.

“East Tennessee have a couple of really good players in the team, top 25 in the nation, so that has helped me too, given me something to work towards.

“We have a new coach this year, Jake Amos, and he has done a great job with the team, spending a bit of time with me because he likes to work with the freshmen.

“They have changed the rules because of coronavirus and so I will count as a freshman again in September, under the national colleges eligibility, because we did not finish our first season – but I will have had some experience which should help.

“I hope to push on again next year. My main goal is to win a tournament and then hopefully more than one.”

With the coronavirus having brought both the US and UK to lockdown, Davies is trying to make the best of the situation.

“I am back home in Carlisle,” he revealed. “The last few tournaments were called off in the US and I had to come home, doing classes online – trying to finish my first-year studies.

“I have got a net at home so I am trying to work on what I can, the same as everyone. It is important to stay positive and do all I can to come out of this a better player.

“Golf is still being played in some areas of the US, but the majority are in the same position.”

Archie Davies won the Welsh Amateur crown at Tenby last summer

Praise from Wales performance director

WALES Golf prformance director Gillian O’Leary congratulated Davies on the award – and becoming the first player to win the Welsh Amateur and Boys Order of Merit in the same season.

She said: “Well done to Archie on this award, winning it two years running is quite an achievement.

“There were many strong performances by Welsh golfers in 2019, but his Welsh Amateur win, and the way he has made a good start in America were the decisive factors.

“This is a difficult time for all our squad players, but we know they are working as hard as is possible on their games and we look forward to seeing them back in action when it is safe to do so.

“We look forward to making the formal presentation of this well-deserved award at an event later in the year.”

•Davies was knocked out in the fourth round of the British Boys at Saunton, in Devon, in August, just days after his Welsh Amateur triumph.

He beat Aberdovey’s Connor Jones 8&7 in the final. In 2018, he won the Irish Boys crown.

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Hew Squirrell was a five-time winner of the Welsh Amateur and won both the Berkhamsted Trophy and the Hampshire Hog. Picture by ANDREW GRIFFIN / AMG PICTURES

HEW Squirrell – one of Wales’ and Hertfordshire’s most successful-ever amateur golfers – has passed away aged 87.

The Welsh international won five Welsh Amateur titles, represented his country in the Home Internationals 19 times between 1955 and 1975.

Squirrell was part of the first Wales team ever to beat England in 1961 and won a number of big competitions in the UK during his illustrious amateur career.

Hew, when asked about the victory over England back in 1961, said: “This was a big day for us, beating England for the first time, 12-3.

“Wales only narrowly lost to Ireland, we scored a record 23 points this year.”

Only Henry Howell heads Squirrell in Wales Golf’s history books with more Welsh Amateur titles – eight between 1920-32 while only Iestyn Tucker earned more Welsh caps in the Home International appearances with 25 between 1949-79.

Cardiff Golf Club member Squirrell also captained the Welsh Home International side three times – and was the first winner of the Berkhamsted Trophy in 1960.

Wales Golf chief’s praise for Hew

Wales Golf chief executive Richard Dixon said: “It is with great sadness we heard one of our most illustrious former internationals has passed away.

“Hew has a firm place in Welsh golfing history. It is remarkable to be second on the all-time lists both for representing Wales in the Home Internationals and winning the Welsh Amateur Championship.

“Given the changes to the game in the modern era it is extremely unlikely he will be overtaken in either listing.

“Wales struggled against the greater strength in-depth of the other nations in the early days of the Home Internationals.

“But Hew was part of a group of players who came through in the ’50s who made Wales competitive.

“Along with Tucker, George Duncan, Tony Duncan, Tudor Davies and others they turned round Welsh fortunes, including that first victory over England.”

The honorary member of Royal Porthcawl also won the French Amateur title.

Having come up through the ranks as a junior at Cardiff GC, Squirrell gained his first Wales cap in 1955.

After moving to England, he won the Hertfordshire County Championship twice in 1963 and 1973, while a member at Moor Park.

He was also the first-ever winner of the Hampshire Hog, at North Hants GC, which has been won by great amateurs including Sandy Lyle, Gary Wolstenholme, Surrey’s John Davies and Peter McEvoy.

Hew then joined Buckinghamshire’s Denham Golf Club, on the outskirts of London.

As well as winning the Welsh Amateur Championship three years in a row from 1958-60, and back-to-back in 1964 and 1965, Squirrell finished as runner-up twice in 1962 and 1971.

Jack Senior (left) winner of the 2011 Hampshire Hog at North Hants GC with the 1961 winner Hew Squirrel, a member at Denham GC. Picture by ANDREW GRIFFIN / AMG PICTURES

In recent years he returned to North Hants to present the Hampshire Hog trophy to winner Jack Senior in 2011.

That visit marked 50 years since the Welshman became the fifth winner, two years after international team-mate Tony Duncan, who was stationed in North Hampshire as an Army Colonel.

Hew’s son Daniel Squirrell said: “Many Welsh golf clubs hosted Dad on numerous occasions over his golfing career, they have provided Dad and the family many fond memories.”

But the final word goes to legendary golf writer Bernard Darwin who recorded, “Perhaps I may pay my respectful compliments to Hew Squirrell.

“An elegant player he may not be – but he is full of fight and hope and the most difficult man to beat in any company.”

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