Gales blow Bloxham to victory in Schools Scratch Championship
Hertfordshire Schools Scratch Championship – ‘Rose Bowl’
Monday 13th March 2023 – Harpenden Common Golf Club.
Last years’ report began – “An amazing 18 degree centigrade blast of early warm spring sunshine”!
Well, we can forget about that this year! Monday 13th March was wet, bitterly cold with winds gusting 50 mph…. however, even with that, 48 boys and 11 girls turned out on the day to play the Schools Scratch Championship at Harpenden Common Golf Club.
It was most definitely a bad day on the golf course but that’s always better than a bad day at school!
There were smiles and banter and just a few glum faces at the score recorders desk following the four hour buffeting the players dealt with on the course.
Obviously, with such difficult conditions the scoring was not so good and in fact the PCC was +3 but as always in golf, the cream rose to the top.
The overall winner was determined by a card countback between Louie Bloxham (0.2) of Welwyn Garden City Golf Club, representing Richard Hale School and Josh Robinson (0.4) of Harpenden Golf Club, representing Sir John Lawes School, both returning a gross 73, (par of the course is 70). Louie Bloxham was victorious winning both the Overall and the under 16’s event, leaving with both trophies.
Meanwhile, the girl’s overall winner with a gross 79 was Tala Clarke (0.7) of Knebworth Golf Club representing Marriotts School and Ixie Akpan (4.4) of John O’Gaunts Golf Club representing The Highfield School taking the under 16 trophy with a gross score of 83.
The Schools Scratch Championship – Rose Bowl is a qualifying event for the schools ‘South-East of England Schools Championship’ which this year is being hosted by Hertfordshire Golf at Aldenham Golf & Country Club on Tuesday May 30th. This years event is a 36 hole competition with a practice round available on Monday May 29th. The six boys and three girls who qualify and been selected for this event are:
Boys: Louie Bloxham, Josh Robinson, Harry Cox, Patrick Donovan, Ben Sessions & Daniel Colkett
Girls: Tala Clarke, Ruby Esther Brook & Ixie Akpan.
Based on the results at Aldenham a ‘Regional Team’ will be selected (on Handicap Index and availability) to play in the English Schools National Championships at The Kendleshire Golf Club Avon, on Monday 26th June 2023.
Finally, the best players from the Kendleshire will be selected to represent England at international level in matches versus Wales at Newport Golf Club on Sunday 3rd September & (TBC) Scotland on Monday 11th September. Click the link below to see ESGA 2023 events list.
Fixtures (englishschoolsgolf.org)
Full results can be found here:
MK
