Many thanks to St Ives (Hunts) for being wonderful hosts, as always. Your support of junior golf is much appreciated!
Sunday, 18 April, saw the return of the BJGT, and we are very excited for the season ahead! And what a season opener: the second qualifier for the 2021 IMG Academy Junior World Championships, which will be played in San Diego in July.
As for the weather conditions…they couldn’t have been any better! The notorious wind around St Ives decided not to put on an appearance, the ‘generous’ rough of the summer months was non-existent, and the sun shone all day! The boys and girls certainly made the most of those conditions, as shown by some great scoring in all divisions. Thank you all for taking part and congratulations to all those who qualified!
The Boys 15-18 Division
With such a quality field on show, this was always going to be a tight division and so it played out, with a tie at the top as Jason Pelley (Wentworth) and Alex Robins (Aylesbury Vale) fired matching level-par rounds of 72.
Both boys decided to settle the outcome using countback as they had both secured their place on the 2021 BJGT Team for the flagship IMG Academy Junior World Championships in California.
Josh Wilks-Hanley (Witney Lakes) missed out by a single shot, as his 73 left him in third.
The Girls 15-18 Division
The girls played from measured Blue Tees at St. Ives, slightly longer than the usual Red that they play, in order to add some difficulty and get closer to the yardage that they will be playing in the US.
Leah Ribano (Northampton) took this lengthened course in her stride and the honours in the oldest girls division to book a return to the Junior World Championships with her round of 77. Isabella Kent (Castle Royle) finished in second some six shots behind, and will be hoping for a wildcard entry having missed the qualification criteria by a single shot.
The Boys 13-14 Division
Another fantastically close division as single shots separated each of the top 3 places. Oscar Lent (Walton Heath) topped the field after a fine 75, James Brash (Foxhills) finished in second, one-shot back, and James Stocks (John O’Gaunt) came home in third, a further shot behind.
The Girls 13-14 Division
Charlotte Jean (Foxhills) claimed the victory and her place on the Team in the 13-14 Division with her round of 84, and with it avoided the pressure of the play-off that was required behind her to decide the second place. When a place in the Junior World Championships is on the line, we feel that countback is not usually the way to go and therefore when Karabo Gwet (Greenmeadow) and Charlotte Tipling (Sheringham) carded matching 87s; a play-off was required, with Karabo coming out on top at the first extra hole.
The 11-12 Boys Division
Another couple of superb performances saw Maxi Moore (Hillside; 76) and Lewis Karim (Chesfield Downs; 79) claim the top two places in the 11-12 Division and their places on Team BJGT. This will be Maxi’s first time travelling out to San Diego, while Lewis is joining his younger brother, Marcus, on the Team. Ambrose Eaves (Broadway) finished in third, a single shot behind Lewis.
The 11-12 Girls Division
Eleanor Lichtenhein’s (Buckinghamshire) first appearance on the BJGT and we certainly hope it’s not the last, as she produced a fine display to top the field in the 11-12 Division. Her round of 80 was two shots better than Emily Peaford’s (Walton Heath) in second, while Emily’s sister, Annabel (Walton Heath), was a further two shots back in third.
The Boys 9-10 Division
A dominant display from Alfie Turner (Trentham) saw him claim a 6-shot victory in his division after a near faultless display ended with a total of 75, while a tie for second meant another play-off ensued to decide who would join him on the team. Casper Van Rensburg (Celtic Manor Resort) and Alfie Warke (Beau Desert) both carded 81s meaning that they went back down the 10th hole for a nerve jangling decider. With Alfie finding the green-side bunker and failing to make par, Casper found the green and tapped home to claim the second qualifying place.
The Girls 9-10 Division
Alicia Drame (Windlesham; 99) secured a single-shot victory over Betsy Robinson (Fulford; 100) in their age group from a very close field of four girls, who we know will have a great time on Tour this year, as they are all very closely matched. Unfortunately, the scores were outside the criteria required to secure a place at the Junior World Championships.
The Boys 7-8 Division
Another exciting tie at the top of this division as Mihir Pasura (Moor Park) and Alfie Skinner (Bryn Meadows) both signed for scores of 42 for the 9-hole event. Rather than use countback, these two were desperate to get back out for a playoff! Mihir secured the victory at the first extra hole to take the official win, but both boys safely earned their places on the BJGT Team representing the UK in San Diego. Abhay Kapoor’s (3 Hammers Golf Complex) 43 left him just one-shot shy in third.
The Girls 7-8 Division
Beau Newberry (North Weald) and Ria Bethapudi (Chester-le-Street) went head-to-head in their division. Beau’s 49 gave her top spot ahead of Ria after her 62. Unfortunately, neither score was under the requirement set by the organisers in the US, but they still had a great time.
The 6/Under Division
Jack Proctor (Langdon Hills) proved to be a class apart in the 6 & Under division as the only player to meet the scoring requirement with his 45, but it was incredibly close behind him!
Hajira Marfleet (Broome Manor) was the only girl in the field, so took first place in her age group, but secured second overall after a countback from Elijah Gibbons (Prince’s) and Freddie Neal (BJGT), who matched her score and took second and third, respectively, for the boys’ division.
