Warwickshire Golf
2024 EG Boys County Championship - Midland Qualifying - Tournament Report
Wednesday 29th May 2024, Overstone Park Golf Club
The team selected to play were:
Ryan Gavin (Coventry Golf Club)
Joshua Gardener (Coventry Golf Club)
Spencer Tanner (Coventry Golf Club)
Louis Taylor (Ladbrook Park Golf Club)
Alfie Mitchell (Nuneaton Golf Club)
Freddy Montgomery (Moor Hall Golf Club)
Reserve Lennon O'Neill Knibbs (Coventry Hearsall Golf Club)
Team Warwickshire arrived at Overstone Park Golf Club on the tournament day full of confidence and expectation and were also happy to see no rain was forecast after the previous days practice round which was pretty much a washout. In-fact there was that much rain on the Tuesday the tournament officials decided that all bunkers would be treated as GUR and it would be placing on short mown areas.
Although the weather was dry it was very windy meaning scoring would be difficult, after a pep talk and good wishes the lads were off. With a very good turn out from Warwickshire officials, coaches and player parents we had a number of people spectating on the course who would keep the WhatsApp channels updated with how the lads were getting on. I felt like ‘Radar or Ken Brown running round the course.
As the lads approached the turn positive news was coming in that the lads were going well with scoring ranging from 1 under par to 4 over par, on to the back 9 they went battling away and we were hoping the lads could push on. The WhatsApp group with updates was still busy with birdies and bogeys.
Round one was then complete and Warwickshire sat 11 shots behind the host county of Northamptonshire, the lads were still positive and with the scores the lads are capable of this could quite easily be overturned. Two highlights for the lads individual were scores of -1 for Josh Gardener and a solid round of golf from Alfie Mitchell at +2.
Round of the morning came from Samuel Marshall from Cambridgeshire with a score of 68 (-4)
After a quick lunch the lads were soon back out on the course and ready to hunt the leaders down, news quickly came in that a number of the lads were flying with some being under par and a few being around level par, after 27 holes . For me it was like Masters Sunday entering the back 9, we could actually do this with 9 holes to go if the lads could keep the pars and birdies coming. Unfortunately this wasn't the case as news was coming through of shots being dropped. Rounds to highlight were Spencer Tanner with level par and Josh Gardener with -1.
It wasn't to be, Team Warwickshire finished in 5th place 16 shots behind the eventual winners Cambridgeshire who will go on to represent the Midlands in the national finals, good luck to them and well played.
That wasn't the end of the news as our very own Josh Gardener would go on to win the individual gross on the day with scores of 71, 71 total 142 (-2) an outstanding performance on the day
(L - R) Kevin Whitfield-Green - Chairman Midland Golf Union, Josh Gardner - Individual Winner 2024 (Coventry Golf Club)
Created by intelligentgolf version 10.1.2.
