MORE than 60 players came through regional qualifiers to clinch their places in the field for the prestigious Brabazon Trophy, when Leeds’ Alwoodley Golf hosts the English Amateur Strokeplay Championship at the end of the month.
Warwickshire’s Liam Phipps and Essex’s George Leversuch, led the way at the southern event, both scoring four-under par 66s at Hindhead Golf Club, in Surrey.
Phipps, who works at The Belfry – which staged the Ryder Cup on its Brabazon Course three times – also qualified for last year’s English Amateur Strokeplay Championship, and had the top individual score at the 2018 English Champion Club tournament.
The 23-year-old from Olton said: “It’s a goal to try to get a little bit better every year. I’ve played the county stuff and done well in that and now the plan is to try to play well in national events this year.”
Leversuch, from Wanstead, matched his score with a round which started with four birdies in the first six holes. He had three more on the back nine, including one on the last.
Phipps and Leversuch led the 33 qualifiers from each course who will join the exempt players for the championship at Alwoodley, from 30 May-June 2.
It’s England Golf’s flagship tournament for men, attracting an international amateur field and two past winners have gone on to win Majors.
Hampshire’s past champion Darren Wright – who lifted the famous gold trophy at Royal Liverpool in 2010, will join Rowlands Castle clubmates Billy McKenzie – last year’s Spanish Amateur Champion – and two-time Hampshire Isle of Wight and Channel Islands Amateur Champion Tom Robson, who finished in the top 10 at Frilford Heath 12 months ago, in Leeds as all three have exemption.
They will be joined by fellow Hampshire player Jordan Sundborg – the current British Universities and College Sport No. 1 after he finished top of the 2019 Order of Merit – who finished in a share of fifth at Hindhead.
Other players from the south who qualified include Castle Royle’s Aaron Siddle, who carded a 68 to sit along with Danny Daniels, from The Hertfordshire, and Frilford Heath’s Olly Huggins.
Oliver Dickman, from Cuckfield Golf Centre, was a shot back with Rochester & Cobham’s John Ingham. Mid Kent’s Oliver Lewis Perkins was in ninth alongside Stoneham’s former Hampshire Boys Champion Alex Talbot, after both carded level par 70s.
The Brabazon is England Golf’s flagship tournament for men, attracting an international amateur field and two past winners have gone on to win Majors – South Africa’s Charl Schawartzel, who claimed the Brabazon at Royal Cinque Ports in 2002, nine years before his Masters triumph at Augusta, and Sandy Lyle, the winner at Hoylake in 1977, 11 years before he became the first Briton to claim the Green Jacket.
Click here for the southern scores from Hindhead
Click here for the northern scores from Lindrick
