Northamptonshire County’s Callum Farr – runner-up in the English Amateur in August – is one of a seven-strong England team heading to Australia in January.
Picture by LEADERBOARD PHOTOGRAPHY

SEVEN members of the England Golf’s performance squads are travelling to Australia in the New Year, to kick off their 2020 amateur golf season.

Five of the men’s squad and two from the women’s team are heading down under for four top-class tournaments in January.

Northamptonshire County’s Ben Jones and Callum Farr, Yorkshire’s Ben Schmidt, Tom Plumb, from Somerset, and Northumberland’s Matty Lamb will spearhead the men’s challenge.

Cornwall’s Emily Toy – the reigning Women’s Amateur champion – and Yorkshire’s Charlotte Heath will lead the way for the women.

Emily Toy, winner of The 2019 Women’s Amateur Championship. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

A month of competition starts with the Master of the Amateur tournament at the Victoria Golf Club near Melbourne, between January 7-10.

The England players will then travel on for the Australian Amateur, at Royal Queensland, from January 14-19.

The New South Wales Amateur follows immediately at St Michael’s Golf Club and the Coast Golf Club, in Little Bay.

The month ends with the Avondale Amateur at Avondale Golf Club, from January 28-31.

Yorkshire teenager Schmidt is the most decorated of the England Golf’s men’s party, having broken the record as the youngest-ever winner of the Brabazon and Carris Trophy double in the same season, at just 16, in July.

Jones reached the semi-final of The Amateur Championship at Portmarnock, in June, but missed out on a Walker Cup appearance at Royal Liverpool, in September.

Yeovil’s Tom Plumb did play for Great Britain and Ireland at Hoylake, where the USA regained the Walker Cup.

The 20-year-old, who won the South West Counties Amateur Championship back in June, was also crowned Cape Province Open winner in March. He has been an England international at men’s and boys level since 2015.

Hampshire Hog winner Lamb, who made his debut in the English Home Internationals alongside Schmidt, Plumb, Jones and Farr, who lost in the final of the English Amateur to Stoke Park’s Conor Gough, in August.

Corhampton’s Scott Gregory – winner of the 2017 New South Wales Amateur. Picture by ANTHONY POWTER

England’s successes Down Under – from Victorian Michael Scott to Scott Gregory

THE Australian Amateur dates back to 1894 – a year before the US Amateur was founded.

That makes it the fourth oldest national championship in the amateur world behind New Zealand (1893), South Africa (1892) and the R&A Amateur (1885).

Gloucestershire’s former Winchester College student Michael Scott, who emigrated to Australia at the start of the 20th Century, won the Australian Amateur four times between 1905 and 1911.

Scott also took the amateur honours at the inaugural Australian Open title in 1904, and won again in 1907 – beating both the professionals and the amateurs in the field by some seven shots.

The son of the Earl of Eldon also won seven Victoria Amateur state titles before returning to Europe to fight in the First World War.

Scott, whose sister Lady Margaret Scott who won the first three Women’s Amateur Championships, won two French Amateur titles in 1912 and 1922.

He made his Walker Cup debut in 1924, at New York’s Garden City Golf Club.

The Royal St George’s captain became the oldest player to appear in the Walker Cup when he also captained the Great Britain and Ireland team at St Andrews, in 1934, at the age of 55 – having become the oldest winner of The Amateur Championship a year earlier.

The only English winner Down Under in post-war times was Middlesex’s Warren Bennett – the Ealing man was crowned in 1994 – the Scots have a better record with Connor Syme winning in 2016, while Eric Ramsay won at Royal Melbourne, in 2005, and Jack Doherty at Mount Lawley in 2003.

But the English have fared better in the 36-hole strokeplay qualifier – at one point given the title of Australian Amateur Strokeplay Champion but now known as the Australian Amateur Medallist.

Danny Willett took that Strokeplay title in 2008 – preceded by Andrew Dodt and Jason Day (2006), while Wellingborough’s Ryan Evans took the prize in 2014 – followed a year later by Huddersfield’s Nick Marsh, six months after he beat Hampshire’s Scott Gregory in the English Amateur final at Saunton.

Australian Blake Windred claimed the Avondale in 2018 and 2019 and turned pro earlier this year. He was third Australian to win the Avondale back-to-back since its founding in 2006.

The last Englishman to claim the title in New South Wales was Evans in 2014 that marked a memorable month Down Under for Evans and England Golf.

Woburn’s Steve Lewton, who went on to play on the European Challenge and Asian Tours, was the second ever winner in 2007, followed by Coventry’s Matt Cryer a year later.

In 2017, Gregory, from Corhampton, claimed the New South Wales Amateur title as the reigning Amateur Championship beat Sussex’s Marco Penge in the final, at Terrey Hills G&CC.

The Corhampton player – who headed England Golf’s party that year – also featured in the Master of the Amateur tournament and met Open Champion legend Peter Thompson during a practice round.

The Australian, who lifted the Claret Jug three years’ running in the mid-1950s – and five times in total between 1954 and 1965 – died in June 2018.

Staffordshire’s Gian-Marco Petrozzi claimed the NSW title in 2018. Previous English winners include Formby’s Paul Howard (2015), Hexham’s Jack Senior (2011) and Gary Wolstenholme (2007).

The New South Wales dates back to 1898 – the most famous champion was New Zealand’s Michael Campbell, the winner in 1992, who went on to win the US Open in 2005 at Pinehurst.

•For more information about the amateur events England Golf’s party will play in Australia, in January, visit www.golf.org.au

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England claimed the Raymond Trophy after beating Scotland 9-6 at Lahinch GC, in Ireland.
Picture by PAT CASHMAN / CASHMAN PHOTOGRAPHY

ENGLAND have won the Home Internationals after beating Scotland 9-6 at Lahinch, on Friday, to retain the Raymond Trophy.

Hexham’s Matty Lamb won five out of six matches, losing just one over the three days as England followed up their 12-3 romp over Wales on Wednesday, with a 10-5 win over their Irish hosts, on Thursday, to maintain their 100 per cent record.

England were pegged back to a 21/2-21/2 draw in the foursomes by the Scots, who made a strong start in match three with Eric McIntosh and Darren Howie going up five up with four to play against West Cornwall’s Harry Hall and Rotheram’s teeanage record-breaker Ben Schmidt.

Somerset’s Walker Cup pairing of Tom Sloman and Tom Plumb beat Euan McIntosh and Kieran Cantley 2&1 in the top match to tie things up quickly and extend their foursomes record to three wins out of three.

After Northamptonshire County’s Ben Jones and Saunton’s Jake Burnage lost by one hole to Royal Wimbledon’s Ryan Lumsden and Matt Clark, Lamb playing with Yorkshire’s Ben Hutchinson, beat James Wilson and Connor McKinney 4&3.

The bottom match between Lindrick’s Bailey Gill and Wallasey’s Joshua McMahon ended in a half to take the teams into lunch all-square.

England made a fast start to the singles on the course which hosted the Irish Open won by Jon Rahm.

Sloman took care of Lumsden courtesy of a 3&2 win while Jones won the 18^th to beat Cantley by two.

While Plumb was held to a half by Wilson, Burnage, who was considered very unlucky to miss out on a Walker Cup place despite winning the St Andrews Links, in June, lost 2&1 to McKinney.

Hexham’s Matty Lamb was England’s top scorer losing just one of six matches as they retained the Raymond Trophy at the Home Internationals at Lahinch, with a 9-6 win over Scotland on the final day. Picture by ANDREW GRIFFIN / AMG PICTURES

Northamptonshire’s Callum Farr halved with Irvine Lewis and Hampshire Hog winner Lamb beat Howie by one on the last to make it 61/2-41/2 to England.

Clark ended his week on a high as Scotland’s leading points scorer with a 2&1 win over Hutchinson to keep Scottish hopes alive.

But Schmidt – the youngest player to win both the Carris Trophy and the Brabazon in the same season – was left to claim the winning point for England and the title thanks to a two-hole win over Eric McIntosh.

Lytham Trophy winner McMahon – another to miss out on Walker Cup selection – got a half from Euan after Lindrick’s Bailey Gill took care of Stuart Easton in the bottom match, winning 3&2.

England’s bid to retain the Home Internationals crown they won at Conwy 12 months ago, began with Wales holding them to 21/2-21/2 in the foursomes.

Jones – who, along with Ben Schmidt, was one of two reserves for the Great Britain and Ireland side that lost the Walker Cup to the USA at Royal Liverpool, on Sunday,– helped Burnage to a 4&3 win over Jake Hapgood and Jacob Davies.

But from 2-0 up Welsh pair Connor Jones and George Bryant won on the last against Hutchinson and Lamb while Matt Roberts and Kieron Harman picked off Gill and McMahon by 3&2 leaving Schmidt and Farr to share the spoils with Wales’ Gaelen Trew and Tom Froom.

But the singles were a very different proposition as the scoreboard was turned red with England winning nine out of the 10 matches, with just Farr held to a half at the death by Trew to make it 12-3.

Plumb beat Davies 7&6 in match two while Burnage collected his second point of the day with a 5&4 win over Hapgood.

Hutchinson picked up the winning point with a 5&3 win over Roberts as Gill raced to his win over Jones by the same scoreline a hole behind them.

Ireland claimed the Raymond Trophy four years in a row before England’s victory in 2018 but their hopes of regaining the crown in front of their own fans was effectively ended when they lost the foursomes 4-1.

Plumb and Sloman took care of Walker Cup team-mate Conor Purcell, playing with Keith Egan, winning 4&3 while Gill and McMahon beat another of Ireland’s four Walker Cup players – Tom KcKibbin – by two holes, playing with Colm Campbell.

Ireland’s only success came courtesy of Walker Cup player Caolan Rafferty’s 2&1 win playing with Tiarnan McLarnon against Jones and Burnage.

Ireland had to come out fighting and Purcell ended Sloman’s 100 per cent record with a 3&2 win before Rafferty got the better of Plumb by 2&1.

But wins from Farr – his first for England – Burnage, Jones and Lamb – the latter against McKibbon on the last – wrapped up the 10-5 win.

Schmidt kept his unbeaten run going with a 2&1 win over McLarnon before Gill halved the bottom match with Campbell who played in all four of Ireland’s recent Home International triumphs.

For full scores from Lahinch, click here

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ENGLAND Golf have announced a strong team for the defence of their title at the Men’s Home Internationals, to be played at Lahinch, in Ireland, from September 11-13.

The 11-man team includes West Cornwall’s Harry Hall, and Somerset pair Tom Sloman and Tom Plumb, who will travel to Ireland straight from playing in the Walker Cup match at Royal Liverpool the weekend before, but not schoolboy Conor Gough, the 16-year-old English Amateur Champion, from Buckinghamshire’s Stoke Park GC.

Captain Nigel Edwards has also picked Rotherham’s record-breaker Ben Schmidt and Ben Jones, from Northamptonshire County, who were listed as first and second reserves for the biennial fixture against the USA when the Walker Cup team was named on Monday.

The 2019 team also includes Jake Burnage and Bailey Gill, who were part of the 2018 English Men’s Home International team that beat this year’s hosts Ireland in the deciding match 12 months ago at Conwy GC, in Wales.

Plumb and Sloman were also part of that winning squad. Hall and Schmidt are both newcomers to the Home International team and earn their first full England caps.

Hall graduated from University of Las Vegas, in May, where he won twice in five weeks in 2018 and played under Cornwall’s Walker Cup player Philip Rowe, who was in the same team as Justin Rose, in 1997.

They are joined by Hampshire Hog winner Matty Lamb, Yorkshire’s Ben Hutchinson and Wallasey’s Joshua McMahon, who also make their debut in the contest.

The final debutant is Northamptonshire County’s second representative in the team – Callum Farr, who lost in the final of the English Amateur to Stoke Park’s Conor Gough at Hankley Common, earlier this month.

Farr, who earned his place in this year’s England A squad by winning the Selborne Salver last year and by reaching the last four of the 2018 English Amateur, was also runner-up in the Spanish Amateur, in March.

Two reserve players have also been selected – Castle Royle’s David Langley and Malton and Norton’s Yorkshire player David Hague, who both were in the team a year ago.

The post England captain Edwards picks six debutants for Home Internationals at Lahinch appeared first on Golf North.

Thurloway, from Chartham Park, beat Gloucestershire’s Joe Long 6&5 in last year’s final at Formby, and is now seeking to become the first player to win back-to-back championships since Paul Casey in 2000 and 2001.

Long, from Lansdown Golf Club, also returns attempting to go one better than last year – having played well in the 2018 Hampshire Hog, which was won by his close friend Mitch Waite, who is now in the pro ranks.

Saunton GC’s Jake Burnage the 2017 Hampshire Hog winner. Picture by ANDREW GRIFFIN / AMG PICTURES

St Andrews Links Trophy winner Jake Burnage, from North Devon’s Saunton GC, also made his breakthrough win at North Hants just two years ago.

Burnage missed the European Amateur Team Championships in Sweden earlier this month – something that would normally preclude a player’s chance of Walker Cup selection.

Burnage, who starteed the season in the England A squad, will be battling against his nine England rivals, who are keen to press their claims for one of the 10 spots in Walker Cup captain Craig Watson’s team to face the Americans at Royal Liverpool, in September.

The top-ranked player in this year’s field is World No. 30, Tom Sloman, from Somerset’s Taunton & Pickeridge Golf Club, who won the individual title at the European Nations Cup at Spain’s Sotogrande, in the spring.

Sloman is joined by Lindrick and Yorkshire’s Bailey Gill and Yeovil and Somerset’s Tom Plumb, who were also part of the English squad that defended the team title in southern Spain – all three are in the GB&I squad.

With the team expected to be named in less than two weeks after the US Amateur, the English event represents B.B.&O.’s David Langley’s last chance to impress on UK soil at least.

Wallasey’s Walker Cup hopeful Joshua McMahon. Picture by ANDREW GRIFFIN / AMG PICTURES

Also looking to impress the Walker Cup selectors are Wallasey’s Josh McMahon, who was named in the provisional 16-man squad after his victory in the Lytham Trophy, in May, and Northamptonshire County’s Ben Jones, who reached the last four in The Amaetur Championship at Portmarnock, in June.

West Cornwall’s Brabazon runner-up Harry Hall and Hexham’s Matty Lamb – who were part of the English team that finished runner-up to hosts Sweden in the recent European Men’s Team Championship – are also heading to the Hampshire-Surrey border with the two qualifying courses which are just 11 miles apart.

Lamb has already won at North Hants this year having claimed the Hampshire Hog with a superb course record 63 in the second round, in April and earned his GB&I call-up with some strong showings since.

Also teeing it up at the Fleet club where Justin Rose made a name for himself as an amateur by Hallamshire and Yorkshire’s Alex Fitzpatrick, whose brother Matt has been a Ryder Cup team-mate of Rose’s.

Wiltshire’s England A squad member Jake Bolton, from Ogbourne Downs, went close at North Hants to landing both the Hampshire Hog and the Hampshire Salver, having to settle for runner-up.

Hexham’s Matty Lamb winner of the Hampshire Hog, at North Hants GC, in April. Picture by ANDREW GRIFFIN / AMG PICTURES

Fellow squad member Billy McKenzie will lead the Hampshire charge aiming to follow in the footsteps of Meon Valley’s Harry Ellis, who became the youngest-ever winner of the English Amateur in 2012, aged just 16, breaking Sir Nick Faldo’s record which had stood since 1975.

Corhampton’s Scott Gregory was the beaten finalist at Saunton in 2014 – two yeas before he became Hampshire’s first-ever Amateur Champion and lost in the 2016 Spanish Amateur to France’s Romain Langasque, who had won the R&A’s prestigious crown the previous summer at Carnoustie.

McKenzie, having had dreams of making this year’s Walker Cup squad after his Spanish Amateur final win over Fitzpatrick in 2018, will be keen to make up for lost time and emulate former Hampshire Boys team-mate’s Gregory and Ellis by reaching the latter stages of the matchplay.

The left-hander, who was ranked in the top five in the USA’s NAIA rankings between 2014 and 2017 while at William Woods University, beat Castle Royle’s Langley 7&6 in front of the Great Britain and Ireland selectors at Portmarnock, last month.

Other England A squad members teeing it up are Northamptonshire County’s Callum Farr, who won the 2018 Selborne Salver at Blackmoor’s equally demanding heathland track, and Cheshire’s James Newton, from Prestbury, winner of the Irish Amateur Strokeplay, in May.

Howley Hall’s Ben Hutchinson, a member of the England A squad. Picture by ANDREW GRIFFIN / AMG PICTURES.

Yorkshire’s Ben Hutchinson, from Howley Hall, Hertfordshire’s Harry Goddard (Hanbury Manor) and Lincolnshire’s Sam Done, from Kenwick Park, are the other England A squad members who will want a good week.

They can push their cases for a place in England’s Home Internationals team that willl head to Lahinch, the recent venue for the Irish Open on the European Tour, as defending champions, in September.

The field of 288 players also includes England Boy’s squad members Barclay Brown, also a member at Yorkshire’s Hallamshire GC, Surrey’s Enrique Dimayuga (Walton Heath), Stoke Park’s 2018 British Boys champion Conor Gough, Dubai=based Josh Hill, Hertfordshire’s Max Hopkins, Suffolk’s Habebul Islam, Trevose’s George Leigh, and Berkshamsted’s Ben Pierleoni.

The players were due to play 18 holes at both courses in qualifying with the top 64 and ties going through to the matchplay, although with a very poor weather forceast, including the threat of thunderstorms, organisers England Golf will be prepared for the possibility of qualifying being decided over 18 holes – as it was at Alwoodley, in Leeds, four years ago.

The seeded draw should commence on Thursday morning at Hankley Common, with a possible preliminary round. The last 32 and 16 matches are scheduled for Friday with the quarter and semi-finals due to be played on Saturday with the 36-hole final on Sunday.

For live scoring click here.

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Hexham’s Matty Lamb the second Northumberland winner of the Hampshire Hog after John Metcale, from Arcot Hall, in 1990. Picture by MARK SANDOM

NORTHUMBERLAND’S Matty Lamb travelled further than any of the 72 competitors vying to put their name alongside Justin Rose’s on the Hampshire Hog honours board at North Hants GC.

And the plus-five handicapper, who is currently not a member of the England squad – gave the biggest hint possible that he should be on the Walker Cup selectors list to face the Americans at Hoylake, in August, when he shattered the course record at North Hants.

Rose famously won the trophy as a 14-year-old back in 1995 and within two years was the youngest ever player to be selected to face the Americans in the amateur equivalent to the Ryder Cup, at the age of just 16.

He was 17 by the time he faced the USA at Pine Ridge but just as Rose surprised the England selectors by winning the Hog by five shots 24 years ago, Lamb put the temporary course record to the slaughter with a superb 63 in the second round.

The Hexham ace’s round contained eight birdies – including four in his first five holes – but it had looked remote in the morning having had to settle for a one-over par70.

That was three shots behind the pacesetters down in equal 10th with 10 other players.

But the 21-year-old quickly hit a five-iron to 15 feet having started the second round at the 10^th for a birdie two – only to give it straight back at the 11th, where he three-putted.

At the 12th, however, he left a seven-iron 12 feet from the pin while at the short par-four 13th, he splashed out of a greenside bunker to five feet and converted that chance after a booming drive of more than 300 yards.

A gap wedge to 30-foot gave him a fourth birdie at the 14^th, and at the 18th he holed his third after hitting a nine-iron to 15 feet to get to the turn in 32.

Another towering nine-iron to 20 feet at the second meant he was now sharing the lead as lunchtime leader Joe Cass, from Fulford, made the turn in three-over, and Howley Hall’s Ben Hutchinson could not add to his total.

Lamb picked up another shot at the downhill sixth, where he drove the green some 377 yards long and two-putted.

He also birdied the eighth, hitting a wedge to 20 feet, but with a 61 in his sights, he found sand off the ninth and could do no better than a disappointing bogey five.

Lamb, who spent 18 months at North Carolina University in Charlotte, was pleased to join the likes of Justin Rose, Sandy Lyle and Michael Bonallack on the Hog trophy.

He became just the second Northumberland winner after Arcot Hall’s John Metcalfe – who is still the only player to have won the Selborne Salver, Hampshire Hog and Hampshire Salver in the same weekend.

Hallowes’ Sam Bairstow was looking to become jus the second ever Yorkshireman to win the Hog after Middlesborough’s Jon Lupton in 2001, but after matching Lamb’s slow start with a 70 his more than respectable 65, including seven birdies and two bogeys was two shy.

His score was matched by Whittington Heath’s Ryan Brooks who carded a second round 67 to go with his first round 68.

A shot behind them were 2010 Brabazon Trophy winner Darren Wright, from Rowland’s Castle, playing his first medal round of the year having got his amateur status back late last season, after calling a halt to his career on the European Challenge and EuroPro Tours after six years.

His blistering 64 was in complete contrast to his slow starting 72 – which was understandable as he shakes off the rust of little top level golf in two years.

Wiltshire’s Jake Bolton (Ogbourne Downs), who added a 66 to his morning 70, was edged out of the Hampshire Salver by Bairstow on countback, aiming to emulate Bowood’s European Tour winner Jordan Smith, who managed the feat in 2014.

It was a cruel weekend for the Wiltshire golfer – he did not do a lot wrong in losing a play-off to Ham Manor’s Charlie Strickland in the Selborne Salver, at Blackmoor, on Saturday.

Hertfordshire’s Robert Watkins (Hadley Wood), who shot 71, 67, and another Wiltshireman in Cumberwell Park’s James Cooper who carded 68, 70 both matched par to share sixth along with Lansdown’s Joe Long (68, 70) and Cass (67, 71).

North Hants’ 2017 British Mid Amateur Champion Matt Wilcox, who won the Berkhamsted Trophy a year ago, was 11^th with a pair of 70s.

Former Hampshire captain Martin Young, from Brokenhurst Manor, posted a pair of 71s to take 16^th spot., a shot ahead of Stoneham’s Alex Talbot (72, 71).

Last year’s Hampshire Amateur Champion Owen Grimes, from Stoneham, carded two 73s to end up in 35^th place on his debut in the competition which started back in 1959.

Hexham’s Matty Lamb broke the course record with a six-unde par 63 including eight birdies at North Hants in the Hampshire Hog. Picture by ANDREW GRIFFIN / AMG Pictures

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Hallowes’ Sam Bairstow is just the second Yorkshireman to claim the Hampshire Salver for the best 72-hole score in the Hampshire Hog and the Selborne Salver. Picture by ANDREW GRIFFIN / AMG Pictures

HALLOWES GC’s Sam Bairstow prevented Jake Bolton from becoming the second Wiltshire winner of the Hampshire Savler in six years at North Hants Golf Club.

Andrew Sullivan (left) the 2011 Hampshire Salver winner. Picture by ANDREW GRIFFIN / AMG Pictures

It is 14 years since a Hampshire player last claimed the Salver – Stoneham’s Ryan Henley, who won at Blackmoor that year, when he also won the county championship at the East Hampshire heathland course which celebrated its centenary that year.

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