Fisher heads strong team for European Youths Championship - 28th Jun 2006

Oliver Fisher, the youngest ever GB&I Walker Cup player, and three other full internationals, have been selected in a strong England team for the European Youths Team Championship in Spain next month.

The Championship, being staged at La Cañada Golf Club near Cadiz from 11th - 15th July, will also see England field full caps David Horsey, James Ruth and Paul Waring with former boy internationals Gary Boyd and Ben Parker completing the team.

Fisher, became the youngest Walker Cup player when he represented GB&I in Chicago last August, just weeks before his 17th birthday. Over the past three years the Essex lad has underlined his enormous talent by collecting a string of titles and representative honours at home and abroad. His latest success came earlier this month when he won the St Andrews Links Trophy over the Old Course.

Horsey earned his first England cap against France in Bordeaux last month, having just won the West of England Stroke Play Championship. After losing to James Heath in the final of the English Amateur at Hollinwell in 2004, Horsey won the County Champions Tournament at Woodhall Spa last September by seven strokes after a closing course record of 64 over the Hotchkin Course. Earlier this year the 21 year old from Cheshire was a member of the victorious England squad in the Costa Ballena Tournament in Spain and finished tied third in the South African Stroke Play Championship.

Ruth, 21, from Devon, has been capped at all levels over the past five years. He made his full England debut against France at Sandwich in 2004 and played against Spain last year. He has also represented England in the past two Home Internationals. Last year, he represented the EGU in Portugal, Spain and Belgium, then won the St Mellion International, finished third in the Berkshire Trophy and reached the last 16 of the English Amateur. This year, Ruth was also a member of the winning England team in the Costa Ballena Tournament, tied third in the Duncan Putter and won the EGU south-west Regional Qualifier earlier this month.

Waring, 21, is another with an extensive representative record with England. Capped at all levels since 2001, he was England boys captain in 2003, but after winning the Peugeot Classic in France and finishing second in the Duncan Putter in 2004, he was sidelined by injury. After being out for nine months, he celebrated his return by becoming English Champion over his home course at Bromborough last July. He then made his long overdue full England debut in September’s Home Internationals. This year, he played against France, finished runner-up to Horsey in the West of England and fifth in the Mexican Amateur. He is the only member of the side who played in the 2004 European Youths Team Championships in Ireland.

Boyd, 19, from Northamptonshire, is a former Midland Youths Champion, who was capped at under 16 level before earning his first boys cap in England’s victorious Boys Home Internationals side in Ireland in 2004. He finished third in the Carris Trophy that year and represented GB&I against Europe in the Jacques Leglise Trophy. Last year, he reached the quarter finals of the English Amateur and after playing his part in the Costa Ballena Tournament victory this year, reached the semi-finals of the Spanish Amateur. He was named as reserve for the international with France last month.

Parker, 18, who is based in Germany where his father is a club professional, has been a member of the winning England sides for the past two years in the Boys Home Internationals and of the victorious team in the 2004 European Boys Team Championships. A former winner of the European Young Masters, he won the prestigious Junior Orange Bowl in America last Christmas, followed this up with another international victory by winning the Tasmanian Open in February, the first non-Australian player to do so, and recently finished tied third in the Scottish Open Stroke Play Championship.

England’s only win in the European Youths Championship came in Scotland in 2000 but they have finished runners-up three times, to Sweden in 1992 and 2002 and to Scotland two years ago in Ireland.

The complete England team is:
Gary Boyd (Cherwell Edge), Oliver Fisher (West Essex), David Horsey (Styal), Ben Parker (Gut Waldhof), James Ruth (Tavistock), and Paul Waring (Bromborough).

Related Links

• http://www.englishgolfunion.org

All news for Essex | Local News Homepage