WEALTH OF TALENT IN ENGLAND BOYS SQUAD - 1st Nov 2004

The English Golf Union has called up 24 youngsters, including eight from the Under 16 age group, for its England Boys squad. The group will attend a series of coaching and assessment sessions to be held at the National Golf Centre, Woodhall Spa, between now and next summer.

The group includes eight members of the side that beat Scotland in the annual Under 16 international in October, and two members of the team that retained the Boys Home Internationals title in August.

The squad is drawn from eight of the ten coaching regions and includes Oliver Fisher from Essex, the English Under 16 Champion and recently named in the 2005 Walker Cup squad, Sussex-based Darren Renwick, runner-up to Fisher in the Under 16 Championship, and Tom Sherreard from Kent, beaten finalist in the British Boys Championship at Conwy.

Such is the quality of the squad that only three of the Under 18s have yet to play in an international match although that trio have represented England as individuals overseas.

Of those in the squad, Fisher is the outstanding talent. Just turned 16, he has enjoyed a highly successful year, winning the McGregor and Lagonda Trophies, finishing runner-up in the McEvoy Trophy and the R&A Junior Open and helping England to victory in the European Boys Team Championships and the Boys Home Internationals.
He also found time to reach the quarterfinals of the British Boys, win the Essex Championship, and help his county tie the South East League play-off with Kent.

Several others hold regional and county titles such as Yorkshire’s Adam Hodkinson, the North of England under 16 Champion, Sam Hutsby from Hampshire, winner of the Douglas Johns Trophy, Ben Parker, a former winner of the European Young Masters tournament and Hertfordshire Boys Champion James Watts.

The group, many of whom are likely to be at the forefront of English amateur golf over the next few years, will participate in a series of intensive coaching sessions and lectures.

The sessions, usually over three days, include intense work both on and off the golf course in the hands of professionals Paul Ashwell, Graham Walker, Stephen Rolley and Alan Thompson.

Back in the lecture room, the important aspect of fitness and flexibility, will be handled by Lynn Booth, a chartered physiotherapist, and Clare Pheasey, a physiologist, while Ian Maynard and Ian Greenlees, sports psychologists, will be in charge of setting targets and maximising performance.

The first squad sessions have just taken place at Woodhall Spa while other sessions will be held in February and April. It is proposed that the Under 18 squad will also spend a week abroad in March for warm weather training.

The full squad is:

(Under-18)
Jake Amos (Birstall)
Adam Birdseye (Hazlemere)
Stephen Capper (Caldy)
Matthew Evans (Rotherham)
Oliver Fisher (West Essex)
Thomas Haylock (The Hertfordshire)
Adam Hodkinson (Dore & Totley)
Sam Hutsby (Lee on Solent)
Tony Mitchell (Redbourn)
Tom Oliver (Notts)
Ben Parker (Gut Waldhof)
Tom Sherreard (Chart Hills)
Dale Smith (Saltburn)
James Watts (East Herts)
Daniel Willett (Bondhay)
Ian Winstanley (Formby)

Reserves: Kieron Lovelock (Hindhead) and Tom Hesketh (Oakdale)

(Under-16)
Adam Best (Cleveland)
Matthew Callanan (South Bedfordshire)
Ashley Chesters (Hawkstone Park)
Jack Hiluta (Chelmsford)
Richard Prophet (Dudley)
Darren Renwick (Worthing)
Sam Shearer (Rochester & Cobham)
Adam Wills (Sandiway)

Reserve: Jack Bartlett (Worthing)

Related Links

• http://www.englishgolfunion.org

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