Picture by LEADERBOARD PHOTOGRAPHY.
THE players who won the European Nations Cup at Sotogrande last weekend have all been selected for England’s team to face Spain, in next week’s annual international, at Formby Golf Club.
Champions Ben Jones, Tom Plumb, Tom Sloman and Bailey Gill (pictured left to right above) will be joined at the Lancashire links course by the women’s European Nations Cup bronze medallists, Georgina Blackman, Emily Toy and Bel Wardle for the mixed-team format clash.
The 10-strong team will be completed by Devon’s Jake Burnage, Ben Hutchinson and Essex’s Lily May Humphreys.
The players will follow in the steps of golfing giants as they take part in the biennial match, over the weekend of April 27 and 28.
Over the years, it’s been contested by the likes of Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood, Sergio Garcia and Jose Maria Olazabal.
The match started in 1985 as a men’s fixture with England leading Spain 14-2 by 2013.
It became a mixed event in 2015 and England have won both matches played so far.
The teams compete for the Seve Ballesteros Trophy and this year’s match will be played in memory of Spain’s Celia Barquin Arozamena – the 2018 European Ladies’ Champion, who was tragically murdered while at college at Iowa, in the USA, last year.
The England players selected to face Spain are:–
Georgina Blackman, 23, (Chelmsford, Essex) – English Women’s Amateur Champion was third in the 2109 Portuguese Women’s Amateur. Currently second on the English Women’s Order of Merit.
Jake Burnage, 23, (Saunton, Devon) – third in the South Beach international in Miami at the end of last year, before competing in Australia. Past winner of the Walton Heath Trophy.
Bailey Gill, 21, (Lindrick, Yorkshire) was fifth in this year’s Portuguese Amateur, having represented England on a tour of Australia in the New Year, following a successful 2018 season.
Lily May Humphreys, 17, (Stoke by Nayland, Essex) – Curtis Cup player who was crowned 2018 Scottish Women’s Open champion. Played in the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur and was fifth in the 2019 Italian Open.
Ben Hutchinson, 23, (Howley Hall, Yorkshire) – Finished 10th in last weekend’s Hampshire Salver. Quarter finalist in March’s Spanish Amateur. Reached last 16 at 2018 Amateur Championship.
Ben Jones, 19, (Northamptonshire County) – Semi-finalist in NSW Amateur in Australia in February. Reached matchplay stages of Spanish Amateur and joint runner-up in the 2018 Portuguese Amateur.
Tom Plumb, 20, (Yeovil, Somerset) – Won the Cape Province Open in March and third in January’s South American Amateur in Chile.
Tom Sloman, 22, (Taunton & Pickeridge, Somerset) – Individual winner at European Nations Cup at Sotogrande. Reached last 16 in 2019 Australian Amateur and runner-up in 2018 Welsh Open. Highest ranked Englishman at No. 32 in OWGR.
Emily Toy, 21, (Carlyon Bay, Cornwall) – Won Women’s New South Wales Strokeplay and fifth in Avondale Amateur Down Under in January. Shared fourth place in 2018 English Women’s Amateur.
Bel Wardle, 19, (Prestbury, Cheshire) – Leads English Women’s Order of Merit, after finishing fourth as defending champion in Portuguese Amateur. Quarter-finalist in the Spanish Amateur and won Comboy Scratch Trophy.
•For full results from the European Nations Cup at Sotogrande click here.
