Stoke Rochford Golf Club hosts an international match between England Schools and their Welsh counterparts
Stoke Rochford Golf Club has put itself firmly on the map for future big events after making its debut on the international stage.
The picturesque parkland course proved a challenging stage for some high-calibre golf as the England Schools team took on their Welsh counterparts.
The annual fixture has showcased some future stars of world golf over the years, including Tommy Fleetwood and Matt Fitzpatrick.
Made up of the top English under 18s players, as well as the national under 16s boy and girl champions, the ‘home’ side had to dig deep to win the match by 13 points to eight.
And amid the celebrations, there was plenty of praise for the south Lincolnshire club.
“Stoke Rochford proved a great venue, and the club was a wonderful host to schools’ golf,” said John Barker, secretary of the English Schools Golf Association (ESGA).
“We hope our visit puts the cap on a memorable centenary year for the club.”
Stoke Rochford bid to host the match as part of celebrations for its centenary year, but it is hoped the success of the day will lay a platform for more events of this stature.
Club captain Peter Smith hosted a teams’ dinner on the eve of the match before getting play under way the following morning, and said it had been a ‘great honour’.
“Stoke Rochford Golf Club has been a proud supporter of junior and youth golf for many decades,” he said.
“This match presented us with a chance to show off our beautiful, but challenging golf course to a wider geographical audience than is normally possible.
“The praise we received for the help given to the organisers from our staff and volunteers, and for the condition of the course, was very humbling for us.
“We feel that we are firmly on the map for events such as this in the future.”
Stoke has hosted the Midland Golf Union's Youth Championship since 1987, but next year has been chosen to stage the Northern Schools Championships - one of five regional qualifiers for the national schools championships.
This will bring the best junior talent from Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cumbria, Cheshire, Northumberland, Durham and, of course, Lincolnshire, to Stoke for a two-day 36-hole medal competition on May 29 and 30.
From there, the top 10 boys and top five girls will go forward to the National Schools Championships, in June, at Woodhall Spa GC
A misty morning saw last Monday’s match delayed by 20 minutes before a dominant 7&5 win for girls’ captain Eva Myers and Emily Dixon set the tone for the morning foursomes.
The six girls won two of the three games, while halving the other.
The boys’ matches proved tighter, but England won them 3-1 to give the home side a four-point lead to take into the 14 afternoon singles matches.
Myers was again on top form, picking up birdies on five of the 12 holes played to power to a 7&6 win, as the England girls took four of the six points on offer to extend the overall lead.
The Welsh boys staged a terrific fightback, but good wins for England boys’ captain Lucas Dennison (5&4), Toby Peters (6&5) and Aaron Moody (2&1) clinched a 13-8 overall win.
The event was also a source of pride for Stoke Rochford’s Terry Haggerty, who helped to co-ordinate the event as Lincolnshire county organiser for the ESGA.
“I thought it was excellent,” he said.
“There was a good atmosphere and a great bond between the two sides. It was a very hard-fought, competitive match, but also very friendly.
“The very last game went to the 18th and all of the players and officials were around the green watching.”
He added: “It’s probably the most significant event we have hosted and it went as well as we could have expected.
“Hopefully it has left a pretty good lasting impression.”