Junior Club Championships

The range and putting greens were filled with our competitors on Saturday morning with our Juniors warming up and getting ready to get out onto The Park course. Last year’s Club Champion Harry Malin was unable to defend his title, so we were set to have a new champion at the end of the weekend.

Early contender Yasmin Hang had a wobble on the front 9 with a consecutive bogey and double bogey which saw her at two-over-par at the turn. Also, two up, was Men’s Club Champion, Joe Sykes. He was struggling to find consistency only recording three pars on the front nine.

Adam Brumder took an early two-shot lead over Rory Minton and Freddie Gillett. At the end of the day, Joe Sykes managed to turn things around on the back nine and ended up having a three-shot lead going into the final day. Yasmin Hang finished the day on 74 followed by Josh McCartain, Drew Sykes and Charlie Gilgenkrantz on 77.

Going into day two on The Downs course, the leaders went out last with Sykes, Hang and McCartain heading out last. McCartain was confident in his pursuit of Sykes following a great summer of golf for him.

Sykes did a great job of maintaining his lead through the front nine with Hang hot on his heels. Unfortunately, McCartain dropped a few shots leaving himself too much to do in the back nine.

Both Sykes and Hang have had fantastic summers on the course, with Sykes, of course, the current Men’s Club Champion, and Hang had a 10 shot lead in the Ladies Club Championship which was postponed due to poor weather.

The pair began the home straight with a combination of unfaltering birdies & pars until Hang slipped up on 14th, disappointedly leaving the green with a double bogey. For Sykes to par his way home and finish the job seemed a none-too difficult task for the 14-year-old who had barely put a foot wrong all weekend. However, the 17th brought trouble for him and he recorded his first competition triple bogey on The Downs since October 2018. Suddenly the door was open again for Hang but was it too little too late, could she make birdie on the 18th and would Sykes falter again?

The pair stood on the 36th tee with three shots separating them but as ever, it takes more than one bad hole to rumble cool, calm Joe so with a pair of birdies they shook hands and Sykes added the Junior Club Championship to his list of 2019 season achievements.

Sadly, it was a difficult round for McCartain and he finished fourth overall, with Jamie Burchell taking third place.

Both Sykes and Hang were ahead in the nett competition too, but Hang finished top and was named 2019 Junior Nett Champion.

Prizes for each day were awarded for best gross and nett scores by those, not in the overall places:

o Nett Round 1 – Freddie Gillett - 69
o Nett Round 2 – Rory Minton – 74
o Gross Round 1 – Josh McCartain – 77
o Gross Round 2 – Drew Sykes – 81

Congratulations to all of our competitors, and to our new Junior Club Champion, Joe Sykes.