National Junior Golf Knockout 2024 Winners

It was the format wot won it!

The weather was kind to us on Saturday, which was a marked change to the torrential rain that fell on Friday. In fact, so bad was the rain the entire week that the course was closed on Friday, leaving us, as organisers, with a few problems to solve if the bad weather persisted and the course remain closed at the weekend!

However, our prayers were answered and although bitingly cold first thing, the sun shone all day on Saturday and after the teams checking in to the hotel and then hitting the driving range with some purpose, by 12.01 on Saturday afternoon we were ready to play. Phew!

The four teams who had beaten every team they had been matched against since the first round in April and who won their way through to finals weekend were:

Ashton under Lyne Golf Club (Manchester), represented by Isabella Moses, Isaac Pattison, Lewis Hunter and Declan Cunningham.

Orsett Golf Club (Essex), represented by Jack Franklin, Tate Daly, Ollie Carlyon and Ali Asgher.

Royal Winchester Golf Club (Bournemouth), represented by Freddie Wilson, Archie Smith, Niamh Magee and Lily Stroud.

And Greetham Valley Golf Club (Leicester), represented by Tom Dorsett, Alfie Freeman, Lilly Goodliffe and Bobbie McVeigh.

So Saturday afternoon saw Ashton Under Lyne take on Greetham Valley in Match 1, while Royal Winchester took on Orsett in Match 2.

Both matches were close, with some amazing putts holed, and, of course, some that just drifted by. As was ever thus with golf! In the end, with parents and spectators biting their nails, Match 1 was won by Ashton under Lyne and Match 2 was won by Orsett.

Straight off the course, a quick change and on to the Gala Dinner, hosted by BCCS. There was a great atmosphere from the 50 + players, spectators, supporters, and family members. A good time was had by all, and the evening was rounded off with a golf course scratch card game which everyone enjoyed.

And so on to Sunday, where in the consolation Match, Royal Winchester were pitted against Greetham Valley. The final followed that match, and was between Ashton under Lyne and Orsett.

In the first match the two teams were incredibly evenly matched throughout, with barely more than a hole or two in it through both of the two 18 hole matches. In the first of the pairings, Royal Winchester just hung on to be 1 up after 18; but the second match was equally tight! Coming to the last all square, it took a heroic birdie by Greetham to win the hole and thus draw the match, with both teams being 1 up in their respective matches. With the weather worsening Ian Restall, Tournament Organiser, offered a dead heat and a share of the spoils to both teams. This was promptly tuned down! Both clubs wanted the win! So off to the 1^st tee went the two lowest handicap players from both sides to fight it out in a sudden death struggle, along, of course, with an army of spectators and well wishers.

We’ll come back to how that one finished, as by this time Match 1 in the final was standing on the 18^th tee. It’s very important to remember that one of the things that makes this national junior competition so special is the adapted match play format where each match is played over the full 18 holes and not stopped as soon as one team is more holes ahead than there are left to play. So a team could be 5 up with 4 to play but every hole counts in our format and if that team were to lose the next four holes then the result of that match would be just 1 up. That score of 1 up would be added to the 18 hole score in the next match to determine the winner.

The 1^st match in the final reached the 18^th with Tate and Jack from Orsett 2 up against Isaac and Izzy from Ashton. No dramas on the 18^th in this match saw the hole halved and Orsett registering a 2 up score that would be carried forward to the next match to determine the overall winner of the BCCS National Junior Golf Knockout 2024. But Lewis and Dec from Ashton were 3 up standing on the 18^th tee and if they could maintain that position, Ashton would win the final.

The tension was palpable and all four players were feeling the pressure. After a good drive from Lewis (Ashton) and the two boys from Orsett (Ali and Ollie) unfortunately Dec (Ashton) found the water and was effectively out of the hole. A solid par from Orsett left Lewis with two putts for a half and the right for Ashton to call themselves National Champions. But the ball was 15 feet above the hole with quite a slope on the green. The nervous spectators around 18 knew just how fast that putt was, and as adults, we would probably have tickled the ball forwards….Not so Lewis (oh the impetuosity of youth!) as the putt slid by the hole and rolled 5 feet past. Now he had a 5 footer for the match and you could have heard a pin drop such was the tension from all concerned. However, Lewis stepped up and holed what was probably the most important putt of his golfing life to date. Ashton were the champions with a combined 1 up over the two matches. Commiserations to Orsett who gave the Manchester club a massive run for their money, and it was great to see both sets of players enjoying each other’s company and sharing golf stories over a meal while we waited for the presentation and prize giving to begin.

Of course, that couldn’t start until the 3^rd and 4^th place match was completed, and there was no news coming in from the course, which meant that the play off was being extended!

Finally Royal Winchester holed the winning putt on the 2^nd extra hole and both teams made their way back to the clubhouse for the presentation and prize giving.

The adapted match play format gave us a nail-biting conclusion in the first match and an even closer, and more tense, situation in the final. What a day. What a weekend. What great teams. What great spirit. And what a great formula.

We can’t wait to do it all again next year!

Two things stand out though from Finals' Weekend and we can’t close without mentioning that everyone present, competitors and spectators alike, all commented on the excellent standard of golf on display, but just as importantly the spirit in which all the games were played. Well done to all 4 teams and their Junior Organisers. And a special mention to Alfie Freeman from Greetham Valley who, at just ten years old, is by far the youngest finalist in the history of this comp. Well played Alfie and I hope we see you again at next year’s finals!

Plans are already well advanced for next year’s tournament with the finals scheduled to be held end September 2025.

All 16 finalists on the 1st tee at Staverton Park with the BCSS National Junior Golf Knockout Finals about to begin.

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Tournament Manager: Ian Restall

Ian.restall@ford-sinclair.co.uk