It’s home sweet home for Matchplay winner Goffin

The top 16 available players in the Shropshire & Herefordshire Junior Order of Merit took part in the contest at the glorious setting of Llanymynech Golf Course.

And it was home star Goffin who emerged victorious following two days of high quality golf and a tense final success against Jack Helme (The Grove).

Top seed and Order of Merit winner Harry Matthews (Oswestry) was first out on a fresh morning, playing against 16th seed Max Balmforth (Hawkstone Park).

The match was a close affair and the lead changed hands several times before Balmforth got ahead on the 16th hole and then rounded off a fine performance on the 17th to take his place in the quarter-finals with a 2&1 victory.

Another close game followed with second seed Goffin needing a play-off hole to get the better of Edward Muttit Jones (Ludlow) after their clash had ended all square.

The next five matches went to form as bookies’ favourites, and twin brothers, Charlie and Jonjo Ashbrook (Hill Valley) saw off under-14 duo Steventon (Telford) and Zach Banks (Shifnal) with steady 4&3 victories.

Levelled

Meanwhile, Helme (The Grove) was struggling against Harry Slater (Wrekin) and was two down at the turn.

However, he managed to turn things around on the back nine and levelled at the 17th before taking the last hole to win 1up.

S&H junior captain and defending champion Carter Sayce was on form and quickly despatched former Arscott team-mate Will Bird (Shrewsbury).

Daniel Bailey (The Shropshire) continued his solid season with a

resounding 5&3 success against another under-14, Brodie Miller (Telford).

The final match – labelled ‘The Battle of Ludlow’ – saw George Barker and Harry Watts enjoy a close clash which led to a final hole victory for Watts.

The afternoon quarter-finals got off to a flying start with Balmforth going down the last one up against Watts and then rolling in a putt to take the game 2up.

Home bird Goffin maintained his good form to beat Bailey 3&2, while Sayce and Helme claimed the notable scalps of the Ashbrook twins with the same scores to secure the final two last four spots.

The following morning saw two epic semi-finals with Balmforth playing Helme and Goffin taking on Sayce.

It wasn’t long before Helme had a stranglehold on his contest, and he was never headed as he claimed an impressive 4&3 triumph.

Home course knowledge favoured Goffin and he didn’t hang about either in landing a fine 4&3 victory against Sayce.

The final, between S&H under-18 team-mates Goffin and Helme, certainly lived up to expectations.

Helme appeared to have taken a firm grip on the trophy on the front nine as he went three up. But Goffin was not overawed and slowly clawed his way back to level by the 17th before they trudged up the last only to finish all square.

It needed something special to win the title and a birdie at the third time of asking saw Goffin take the trophy for the first time.

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Sally Weaver claimed first place and a £50 gift voucher in the recent Miss Designer Golf sponsored Stableford at Bridgnorth Golf Club.

The event was attended by 34 ladies, who all received a £10 gift card from the sponsors and a glass of fizz from lady captain Alison Grove.

And it was Weaver who was toasting victory after scoring 45 points.

Second place and a £30 voucher went to Pamela Pond with 42, while Sue Holmyard took third place and a £20 voucher with 40.

The entry fees for the competition went to the lady captain’s charity Severn Hospice, which totalled £68.

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Shropshire & Herefordshire under-16s served up a series of impressive displays in the Boys’ County Championships Midland Qualifying event at Norwood Park Golf Club in Nottinghamshire.

With five out of the six players’ scorers counting, the squad finished in a very creditable fourth place overall in the gross event and topped the leaderboard in the nett competition with a total of 364.

S&H also had four players in the top 10 nett scoring table.

First out was Daniel Bailey (The Shropshire) who, playing in his first major tournament, came home in the morning session with a very creditable 79 (+7) for the tournament (19th overall) and third in the nett rankings.

Samuel Cleland (Telford), also a rookie at this level, came in with an 85 (+13) to finish 44th in the gross and 33rd in the nett.

Third to try his luck was captain Edward Muttit Jones (Ludlow). He shot a steady 81 (+9) gross to finish 34th and 10th in the nett, with a level par 72 playing to his handicap and equal seventh.

Next out was 14-year-old Isaac Jones, who was recently capped by Wales, and he came home with a brilliant level par 72 gross. He finished fifth gross and joint seventh nett.

More joy was to come as 14-year-old Harry Watts (Ludlow) carded a 79 (+7) gross to finish 24th gross and joint seventh nett competition.

Another rookie, Rhys Thomas (Llanymynech), finished with a 90 (+18) gross and 81 nett (+9).

Lincolnshire took gross first place with Warwickshire second and Cambridgeshire third.